“You’re a criminal too,” is all I say. I remove my arm from my face and sit up. Slate has surprised me by moving closer. He's standing over me now, looking down at me from two black eyes. Bruises and cuts actually cover every inch of his face and I can tell from the stiff way he’s holding himself that it’s not just his face that’s taken a beating. His nose is busted too but I’m pretty sure that’s from me. What the hell happened after I left?
I smirk at him.
“Damn. Look at the state of you. With that nose, I’m back to being unable to tell you and Onyx apart.” It’s petty, bitchy even, but it makes me feel better.
“If it helps refresh your memory, Onyx is the only one of us not sporting your claw marks on our back.” Bastard.
I flip him off and he chuckles and walks away.
“Where are you going?” I call after him. “Sawyer said you have to watch me.”
“Fuck off, Amelie, I don’t have to do shit.” There’s real venom in his voice when he speaks. What the fuck? Since when did I become the bad guy here? I mean sure, I broke his nose, but he deserved it. And worse, if he and Onyx carried out their little plan to initiate me into the family.
“Fuck you, Slate! I thought-” I choke on a sob and run away, not wanting to cry in front of him. It makes me glad that I spent the week in bed, I’m still not ready to see and interact with the Knox brothers. I skip my detention, confident that Sawyer will cover for me. I did my detention time anyway by running earlier, and with Laura cancelling my family visit, I don’t see how anything can get any worse for me if I decide to leave without permission.
Only, Monty’s threats fill my mind. I need to find out if that is true. Who should I ask? Elsie? Baxter?
Speaking of Baxter, I need to find a way to get back into Monty’s house. No doubt I will be expected to show up tomorrow like a diligent little daughter, but the house will be too full and too busy to get away and search his home office.
Baxter isn’t hard to find, he is skulking around as usual. I’m not even sure the guy even goes to class or attends classes here. He’s always on the outside looking in, watching. It’s a bit weird, but no one ever accused him of being normal.
“Still hell bent on leaving?” he asks, in his usual pose leaning against a tree.
“Yes, I have a plan.”
“I hope it’s better than breaking into my bestie’s office.” I laugh, maybe that wasn’t the best idea, but hell I didn’t have many other options.
“Monty has to keep his files at his home office. I plan to go bond with the incubator, call a truce. She’s shallow enough to believe it, but a distraction at some point would be good. Buy me some time to look around.”
“Would it help if I told you where the files are?” he asks.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew where they would be?”
“You didn’t ask. He keeps them on a USB in a safe in his home office.”
“How will I get into a safe, Baxter? I can pick a door lock, but not a safe.”
“I have the combination,” he says matter of factly.
“So why not get it yourself?”
“Because, they wouldn’t let me into their house and I figure you want to dig yourself a hole. So it’s win win.”
This guy is infuriating. He could have told me all of this when he caught me in Monty’s office and yet he waits until now.
“I will buy you a ten-minute window tonight. Be ready, you will need to copy the files to your laptop and put the stick back.” I nod and he agrees to give me a lift to go see Laura. I hope some of Elsie’s acting lessons rub off on me so Laura believes I actually give a shit about wanting to mend bridges.
Baxter drops me at the gate. I take in a deep breath and make my trek up the driveway. An obnoxiously long driveway, it’s like a sign of the wealthy: I have money, look at the driveway. Makes zero sense to me.
“Laura,” I call out after letting myself in. I find her in the kitchen talking to a lady who is writing something down. I still find it hard to see her like this. All put together.
“Hey, honey, I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I just thought it would be nice if we spent the day together, I haven’t really made an effort since being here.” I see her swallow hard.
“I think you have everything you need,” she says to the woman before dismissing her. Once the lady leaves Laura turns back to me.
“I’m so glad, I knew you would come around,” she gushes.
