Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
“Let’s go.” I barely finished speaking, and they were out of the truck. I switched my lights to low and stepped out after them.
I walked up to the car and caught Deandre’s eye, wide and panicked as recognition set in. He knew exactly why we followed him down this road. He scrambled to roll the window up. It was nearly shut when Cade moved. Angela sliced through the air with a sharp whiz. The window shattered on impact, glass raining onto the ground and where DeAndre sat.
“What the fuck?” he yelled, covering his face with his hands.
My brother reached in through the jagged opening, his arm snaking toward the dash. The engine died the second he tapped the push-to-start, and then he managed to snag the fob from the cupholders. I stepped up beside him, leaning down just enough to get a better look at DeAndre. His eyes were wider than before, scanning each of us like he was trying to find the safest threat.
Spoiler: there wasn’t one.
In the backseat, Kyle and Lindsey were frozen. She looked out of place in all the best ways. Her arms were trembling, lips slightly parted, whether it was from fear or the chill getting to her, I didn’t care. I shoved my sleeves up, letting my forearms rest on the shattered edge of the window. Glass bit into my skin, sharp and unforgiving.
“Evening,” I greeted casually.
DeAndre darted his eyes to my brother, watching as he passed the keys to Rook.
“Look, Voss,” he began, voice already cracking, “we don’t want any trouble.”
I smiled nice and polite. “We’re not here to start anything. We came for something else.” I tipped my chin toward the backseat, zeroing in on Kyle. “Chess club, right?”
He somewhat jerked like he’d just realized this wasn’t a bad dream. “I don’t know what you—.”
“That was a yes or no question,” my brother cut him off.
Nick went around to the other side of the car, his grin visible even in the dim light. He tapped on the passenger window, and Deandre flinched.
“Don’t you want to talk out here in the fresh air?”
DeAndre hesitated and looked at his friends, both hands gripping the steering wheel. I wondered how long it would take him to understand Nick wasn’t asking. It turned out, not long at all. His shoulders sagged, and he reached for the door handle. Cade and I stepped back to give him space, watching his every move. With no prompt, Kyle tumbled out next, nearly tripping over himself. Lindsey followed, tugging down her dress. They stood shoulder to shoulder with fear rolling off them in waves.
It had been far too long since I’d taken a hit of that.
“You picked an interesting crowd to hang with,” Rook commented, looking directly at Lindsey.
She didn’t respond aside from clenching her jaw in some show of defiance. Cade stepped closer, eyes fixed on her. “So, tell me something,” he said, tone almost playful. “You really sleeping with the chess god over here?”
Lindsey’s head snapped toward him. “What’s it to you?”
My brows shot up.
Nick laughed, coming around to join us. “Never mind. It makes sense now.”
She sounded like fucking Minnie Mouse. I had forgotten that detail about her. She was easily forgettable altogether. If she hadn’t joined the wrong side of things, I wouldn’t have remembered she existed at all. Knowing we couldn’t stand here all night, I took a step closer and let all civility slip away.
“Which one of you wants to explain why you thought it was a good idea to come after my girl with this piece of shit car?”
Kyle and DeAndre exchanged a look that was pure panic.
Lindsey’s brows furrowed, confusion slipping into the mix that was as fake as her eyelashes. “No one went after Brooke.”
Nick shook his head at her. “Playing dumb isn’t going to do you any favors, baby girl.”
Kyle swallowed hard enough that I heard it. “We’re allowed to Hunt whoever we win a bid on. That’s how it—.”
“Shh.” I pressed a finger lightly to his lips. “If you could Hunt whoever you wanted, would we be standing here right now?”
He stiffened.
DeAndre’s dreads bounced around as he shook his head, smart enough not to open his mouth. Cade grinned like he was genuinely proud. Knowing my brother, he probably was.
“See that?” He pointed the end of his bat at DeAndre. “Not playing dumb. That just earned you a head start.” He let the words hang, then added, “Not yet, though. You have to wait until we say when.”
Kyle looked seconds away from passing out or throwing up.
“It isn’t just us, you know?” Lindsey snapped, eyes cutting toward me. “Your whole little group was Marked. Your girl isn’t anything special. She’s as—.”
Angela lifted in a blur, the rounded head of the bat slamming under her chin with enough force to make her teeth clack together. She let out a strangled noise, blood blooming along her lip.