As soon aswe get home, the guys ask Zuri a million questions—if she has any idea who it might be, noticed anything strange—blah, blah, blah. It’s funny because normally, we’re the bad guys, but they sound like investigators right now, trying to solve a case. Thinking thoughts like that helps keep me from worrying. My brain is full of everything Zuri: being in love with her, telling her my truth, and this creep who is harassing her. That last one will keep me up at night, makes me want to keep her in my sight all the time, so nothing and no one can hurt her.
“I don’t really know who it could be except some asshole guy who doesn’t like me standing up for women,” she finally says from beside me. We’re on the couch, with Zuri on my left and Ollie on my right. “I don’t hang out with a lot of people. A few girls from some of my classes and Ash. No one has said or done anything to make me feel concerned.”
“I’ll hack into the school security to see if the cameras caught whoever did it,” Dean says.
“I’ll stalk Zuri to see if anyone else is following her,” Rory offers.
“Um…” Zuri lets that one word hang in the air.
“Our boy has a stalking fetish,” Shai adds. He’d come home with Ollie right after we got here. “He doesn’t mean anything by it…unless it’s me he’s stalking.”
“Okay, then.” Zuri gulps. “But is that necessary? I’m sure this is just some loser.”
“Losers can be dangerous,” T says. “Anyone can be. Maybe we’re blowing it out of proportion and maybe not, but I don’t take chances with my family.”
God, I love my brother. He will forever be my favorite person.
“I’ll stay on Ash,” Dean offers. “If he knows they’re together, he might try some shit with her, too.”
“Computers and Ash?” Cillian offers. “I can stay with her.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to argue, but then if I argue, Zuri might too, and I don’t care if they’re overreacting. I want her safe…I guess the same way they want me safe.
“The computer shit will be done tonight. I’ll stay up. It’s easy as shit. I’m staying with Ash,” Dean argues, and my heart grows in my chest. Dean and I have had a special relationship since the beginning. Sure, he was lying to me at first and using me to get close to my family, but there’s never been any doubt in my mind how much he cares. Dean doesn’t show it in the same way others do, but I know he loves me, and I know that I’m his best friend.
“You can—” Cillian starts, but I cut him off.
“I love you, Cil, but let Dean do it, please.” I look at my cousin, whom I also love with all my heart, pleading with my eyes for him to understand. Cillian is all heart. He doesn’t trust anyone outside of our family easily. He’s always the one protecting us from outsiders, and I’d trust him with my life. But if anyone can understand Dean’s need, it’s him.
“That’s fine,” he says, then looks at Dean. “Don’t fuck it up. She’s my cousin.”
“She’s my best friend,” Dean says, then crosses his arms.
“Yes, and she’s my sister. Now that we’ve all pissed on her, can we stop fucking around?” Tiernan asks, and everyone laughs.
“Not me. I didn’t piss on her,” Ollie jumps into the conversation for the first time. There’s another round of laughter.
“Anyone want to smoke before we head up to our rooms?” Rory asks, already grabbing the box where he keeps his weed and packing the bong.
“Fucking me.” Cil sits beside Ollie.
We pass the bong around the room, everyone except Ollie partaking, before T locks up and sets the alarm.
I know that he and Dean won’t sleep tonight—Dean will be hacking, and Tiernan will be obsessing about me. It’s proof of how much he loves and trusts Dean that he’s not the one sticking to me like glue.
I go over to him. “I’ll be fine, Tiernan. Zuri is right. It’s literally probably some idiot like last time.” My freshman year, some guy had tried to roofie me. Dean had seen him. I drove the car while Tiernan and Rory kidnapped him, and then I watched as they tortured him. I’d wanted to be the one to kill him, but I didn’t have it in me, and that became another scar my brother bears. Killing is different for him than it is for the others, and I know that even though he would never want to leave this life, even though it will always be a part of him, he bears the weight of it in a way they don’t.
“I don’t care. Like I said, idiots can still hurt people. Even if he doesn’t, he threatened someone you love.”
I wrap my brother in a hug, and he kisses the top of my head. “I love you.”
“I know. Go to bed. Maybe Dean will have more answers in the morning.”
I nod, and everyone heads upstairs, Zuri’s hand in mine. As soon as we have the door to my room closed, she exhales a deep breath. “That was intense.”
“Too intense?” I ask, trying not to hold my breath.
“No. I told you I’m in this with you, Ash, and I am. Plus, they’re doing that, going through all this trouble just for somesilly name-calling and what’s probably some stupid game to some boys.”
