Page 196 of The Unravelings

Either way, tonight is the night I finally fulfill the whole reason I’m here. To spy on Franco and take down his organization. It’s the first time I’ve taken a step in the right direction.

And I won’t fuck it up.

So, as I get ready for bed, I leave my contacts, binder, sweatpants, and loose shirt on, tuck my phone into my binder, and keep my glasses on while I sleep.

53

Mack

“Tonight is the night!” I whoop with a grin, pulling on my dark shirt as we stand in the living room, preparing for the festivities.

And boy, do I mean festivities. Fake kidnappings. Dragging unsuspecting victims into the darkest cave system they’ve ever seen, and scaring the ever-living shit out of them?

It’s exciting. Dick-rising. Best night of my fucking life.

And best of all?

I can’t wait to get my grubby hands on Oliver fucking Davenport. Me and him? Yeah, we got beef. Major fucking beef. Because I know that little fucker is responsible for trashing the treehouse. Do I have proof? Fuck no. Which is disappointing, to say the least. JJ, the brainiac, was supposed to find me something. Anything! But he hasn’t had the time. Or the want. Honestly, it seems like he has a hard-on for the guy. I mean, come on. Tutoring? When in the hell has JJ done that?

Answer—never.

Only now with Oliver.

Something is happening between them, and I haven’t been able to put my finger on it. Not yet, at least. Tonight, though? I’ll get every fucking answer I’ve been seeking.

Still, I wonder why JJ is doing it. To get closer to the guy? To find out information on the little fucker? If that’s the case, then he’s failing spectacularly because he hasn’t told us shit. Any time we ask, he says Oliver is innocent and that we should leave him alone. Not the answer I want. I need all the juicy details on the guy. But JJ is leaving me hanging. Even Hux wants answers, considering what the little fuckhead did to Amanda. Not that he cares about his so-called fiancée. But still.

Something is up with Oliver Davenport. Something suspicious. So, I’ll take it into my own reckless hands and scare the information out of Oliver. It’s a win-win for all of us. It’s better to be in the know, anyway.

So, buck up, Oliver Davenport. You’re my bitch tonight, and I’m your fucking daddy now.

A giddiness shivers through me as Hux and JJ talk amongst themselves, sending me worried looks. I'll be fine, Mom and Dad. Thank you very much. They're so damn concerned I'm going to end up getting someone hurt. Or worse—killed. But I won't. Never again will I unintentionally hurt someone with my own two hands. Well, outside the Coliseum ring, anyway. That's the only place I unleash all the pent-up rage that collects inside me. Sure, I can be a menace everywhere else, but I had enough violence and neglect in my childhood while living with my careless mother and her numerous worthless boyfriends to last me a lifetime.

“We should head out soon. We’re meeting everyone in the cemetery to debrief and lay down the rules. Again,” JJ huffs with annoyance.

“Better to be safe than fucking sorry,” Hux grumbles. “Knowing all these idiots, they’ll injure someone and have to take them to the hospital. Franco will have their asses. Better to remind them for the fiftieth time than not do it.” He runs a hand down his face as they continue to talk, but I ignore them.

Discreetly, I pull my phone out of my pocket and send Rocket, one of our newest members, a quick message confirming our little switcheroo. Earlier, we were all assigned a person to kidnap and drag to the caves. Originally, I had Simon, Oliver’s roommate. And Rocket? Oh, well, he had Oliver. So with one text demanding we switch people, he gave in. Not that he had a choice. I am one of his leaders, after all. He can’t fight me.

Hux sends me a worried look. “Are you even listening to us? You aren’t going to imitate Dexter Morgan all night, are you?”

“That would be very concerning,” JJ, the damn traitor, chimes in with worry, too.

I blink several times. “No! If I were, I would have said ‘Tonight is the night’ in an ominous tone while actively stalking my victim with knock-out meds in a damn syringe. Although I did wrap the basement in plastic. So, don’t go down there or you’ll get a fun surprise.” I grin, gesturing to the basement I haven’t touched.

I love poking the Hux bear. He’s so damn easy to rile up these days. And for me, it’s all the entertainment I need.

Hux stiffens, looking toward the basement with a frown. “No hurting anyone, Mack. I swear to God, if a recruit comes back with a bruise of any sort, I’m fucking you up. And if you’ve seriously touched the basement, I’m strapping you to the fucking metal table and driving the knife into your heart Dexter style.” He narrows his eyes, filled with anger at me, watching as my grin spreads across my face.

I rue the day I binge-watched that show with him. I take it back, universe.

I roll my eyes. “You have so much faith in me, I swear. I’ll be a good little boy tonight while I’m dragging my victim out of his room. I’ll make sure the sweet little cherub doesn’t bump their head or trip over their feet. Fuck. You take the fun out of this. Besides, how rude of you to assume I’d actually kill anyone in the basement. That shit is reserved for you.” I quickly flip the grumpy bastard off.

JJ snorts, shaking his head as he ties his black tennis shoes.

At least he has a sense of humor these days. Hux, on the other hand, is the biggest grump I’ve ever met. But he wasn’t always that way. Nah. He was once a happy guy. Well, sometimes at least. Never like this. Never so boring with a stick up his ass. All he does is mope, listen to loud music in his room, and mope some more.

What a bummer.