Page 11 of King of Pride

“I need you to help me with something.”

Blaire immediately fell silent.

There was a moment of shuffling and muffled noise on the other end before she asked, “What’s going on?”

The concern in Blaire’s voice made Zoe’s expression harden even further.

“Blaire, I need your help getting revenge on someone.”

She lowered her voice slightly.

“You know some dangerous people, right? You’re the only person I know who knows the kind of people who can make someone’s life a nightmare.”

There was more shuffling on the other end.

Blaire moved somewhere more private before answering, her voice dropping as the noise of the hospital she worked at faded into the background.

“Dude, I cannot get into that kind of shit again!”

Her tone immediately turned serious, the hesitation in her voice replaced by genuine concern.

“You know I was at the police station just a few months ago because I got some people to beat up the asshole who hurt my best friend.”

She let out a frustrated breath, rubbing her forehead as she spoke.

“I can’t do it again so soon. I need to stay out of trouble for a few months.”

“Someone hit my friend,” Zoe said immediately, her voice shaking with anger. Her fingers tightened around her phone as she paced a few steps away from the crowd. “I want to take care of him. Give me your guy’s number. I’ll call him myself. I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

There was silence on the other end.

Then Blaire’s voice came back, slower this time.

“Say that again.”

“Her boyfriend hit her in the face.” Zoe’s breathing quickened as the anger that had been building inside her spilled over. “I can’t even breathe, Blaire. I’m so angry. I’m so fucking furious. I can barely even find the words to explain how furious I am about this.”

Another brief silence followed.

Then Blaire spoke.

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

Blaire exhaled heavily, clearly torn between her anger and the trouble she knew she could get herself into.

“You know what? Fuck this shit. We’re doing it. I’m with you on this. He doesn’t get to just get away with it.”

She paused for a moment, her anger still evident in her voice.

“We’re not waiting months to deal with him. Come over. We’ll figure this out ourselves.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering the person at the center of all of this, she asked, “How is she?”

Zoe glanced back toward the bar where she had left Rose.

“Rose is better than I expected. She’s still at the party. I told her to sit down, relax, and have a drink, but I can’t just let him get away with what he did.”