“I know,” I grit out. “Trust me, I know.”
“Do you? Because if you fuck this up for a piece of ass?—”
Jumping to my feet, I grab my brother by his throat and shove him against the closest wall. “She’s not some piece of ass.”
“Then what is she?” he challenges.
She’s my Little Thief.
The words resurface before I can stop them, scaring the shit out of me. I swallow thickly and let him go. “No one’s gonna know.”
“You’re right. They’re not. Because you’re gonna keep your distance. You’re not gonna show any favoritism tonight, or at any other party, or during school, or anywhere. Do you hear me?” Ford steps closer until we’re nose to nose. “Because if you do, it’ll be that much easier to piece together how bad you fucked up.”
“He’s right,” Roman says. “Give it a few weeks. At least another bet or two.”
“Then, you can fuck her all you want,” Ford adds dryly. “It’s the least she can do after the mess she’s made.”
“Fuck you,” I snap.
He lifts his hands in defense. “Don’t shoot the messenger, big brother. You know I’m right.”
And that’s the predicament, isn’t it? I do know he’s right. I want to hate him for it, but I can’t.
“Sit your ass back down,” Hawke pushes. “We’ve been in here long enough. No one will notice if me and Roman are missing, but you two?” He shakes his head. “Let me finish your face so you can get the hell out of here.”
I sit on the edge of the couch and Hawke starts again, finishing the skull makeup in under five minutes. And the entire time, I can’t help but replay the scene from inside that room. The way Violet looked. The fear in her eyes. The slight tremble of her bottom lip. The way her clothes clung to her body. The way she said my name like it was a plea. And even now, I can’t makemyself regret going in to help her, even if it does screw me over. And that? Is a dangerous thing.
21
VIOLET
Idon’t talk to him after the carnival. At all. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does. Lexie is waiting for me at the exit. She’d already lost their own event and came to cheer me on. When I told her about theCarrieroom, she about crapped her pants. Then again, so did I. But the strangest part? It was the envelope of cash Jagger handed to me afterward. His hair was wet and his clothes were different but dry, his facepaint as on-point as before, and the creepy mask he’d used to sneak in was absent. It’s as if it never happened at all. As if I imagined it entirely. Imaginedhimentirely. Hell, he barely even looked me in the eye as he handed over my winnings. Winnings I wouldn’t have earned without his help. I wonder if anyone else noticed. How Jagger didn’t say anything to me. Only handed off the envelope, then went on his merry way, distracted by a pretty brunette in a low-cut top. To be fair, she was pretty. I’d probably be distracted, too, if I swung that way. Besides, it meant nothing. Right?
Right.
Refusing to let it get me down, I drop Lexie off at The Body Shop and head home, but not until promising to buy her a margarita next weekend at The Pelican to celebrate. It’s for thebest. Now that the adrenaline has left my body, I’m absolutely exhausted. I need to shower off the pigs’ blood in my hair and get some rest so I can wake up early tomorrow and pack my things. Why? Because tomorrow, I move into my new apartment with a new roommate, and a shiny new laptop that’ll probably cost more than my car. The idea is exhilarating and scary and…gah! Talk about a high. Add in my lack of sperm donor when I walk through the front door, and I’m officially on cloud nine.
It takes four shampoo cycles until the water finally runs clear in the shower. Once I’m finished, I towel off, then change into a pair of sweats, grab my things, and head to my bedroom. When I hear someone through the closed door, I stop short.
What the hell?
My nerves spike as I reach for the handle, twisting it slowly. The creak from the hinges is a dead giveaway, but my dad’s too drunk to notice. Instead, he keeps digging through my things like a seasoned junkie.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demand.
His head snaps toward me. “Where is it?”
“What?”
The man charges toward me like a raging bull, and I back up until my ass hits the edge of the kitchen counter a few steps away.
“Where have you been?” my dad growls.
So much for it being a perfect night.
I force a smile in an attempt to placate him. It doesn’t take a genius to piece together what he was searching for. Too bad I learned my lesson the first time. Like I’d leave that much cash unattended in my room. Yeah, not happening. Not ever again. My grip on my backpack strap tightens as it hangs from my shoulder. “Just finished showering.” I shift my backpack a little higher onto my shoulder. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight?” He cackles. “Nah, I’m not done talking to you yet.”
