“She’s not here,” Finn says, meeting my eyes. He’s lounging against Cadence’s locker, eyes frozen on his book.
“She doesn’t skip class,” I growl. My heart is beating fast and I feel like I’m getting torn up inside. “Do you think dad—”
“Would hurt her? No.” Zane shakes his head.
“He knows that would start a war,” Finn assures me.
“She’s not answering her phone.” I curl my hands into fists and smash the locker beside hers. “Why the hell isn’t she answering? What if she got kidnapped?”
“Vi got through to her. Her phone’s working. She’s fine,” Zane says.
“But her mom—”
Finn cuts me off. “Is a drug addict who can’t keep her story straight.”
“We don’t even know if her mom was right about dad. That cell phone with the ‘evidence’ on it was a total bust.” Zane scowls.
I punch the locker again, still angry about that.
Tina sent me on a wild goose chase. I’m glad I brought my brothers as backup, but I felt like an idiot traipsing into that side of town for a dud cell phone.
The musical bells chime.
First period is over.
The hallway fills with students and I spot Sol walking purposefully toward Cadey’s locker. He stops short when he sees the three of us prowling the same area. His twitch of disappointment sets me on edge.
Sol has been acting strange ever since the fire. When he broke down in the practice room after, I told myself that he was dealing with a lot. I stopped plowing through his business and gave him some space.
But now, he’s been distancing himself from us.
And I have a feeling he hasn’t been going to his therapy sessions.
Finn slaps Zane on the chest and juts his chin at Sol.
My twin straightens. A smile spreads over his face. “Stranger.”
“Are you guys waiting for Cadence too?”
Too? I bristle. “What business do you have with Cadence?”
Finn eyes me hard. “Calm down, Dutch.”
I seethe, but I keep my mouth shut.
Zane speaks up. “We’re looking for her. She skipped first period.”
“I saw her this morning. She said she had something to do, but she’ll be back.”
“You spoke to her?” I step forward threateningly.
Sol tips his chin up, fingers already curled into fists and preparing to throw a punch.
Maybe I will duke it out with him in the hallway.
I’m a jealous, possessive bastard, and I keep picking up vibes between Sol and my future wife. I hope I’m wrong. But if I’m not, a lifetime of brotherhood with Sol is about to get trampled.
I don’t share.
I’d bury my opponents where nobody can find their bodies before I think of sharing her with anyone.
The tension snaps between me and Sol until it’s thick enough to draw the eyes of the kids passing by.
Zane chuckles nervously. “Take it outside if you want to fight. Don’t be free entertainment.”
“No one’s fighting.” Finn snaps his book shut and slides it under his armpit. His eyes narrowing to slits, he places a hand on my shoulder and whispers in my ear. “Dutch, get yourself together. No one here is your enemy.”
I stare at Sol, and he stares right back, an edge to his scowl that makes me wonder if I’m looking at the same guy who spent almost every summer with us. There’s something different, something twisted about his gaze that plays at amusement. Like he couldn’t give a damn about it all. Like the Joker who wants to spread havoc for the hell of it.
“Dude, she’s here.” Zane jerks me around and points.
Cadence strolls through the front door, looking like hell and vengeance. Her hair dangles over her shoulders. Her skirt flits around her upper thighs. Brown eyes slam into me before she drags her gaze away and it lands on Sol.
Her expression clears and she smiles for him.
Freaking shows teeth for him.
“Hey, Sol,” Cadence says, passing me without a word and snubbing me hard. “Sorry I had to run out earlier.”
“No problem,” Sol says. He’s soft with her. Too soft. The fists he was holding at his sides relax.
A tan-colored hand slams on my shoulder.
A pale hand descends on my other shoulder.
My brothers are holding me back.
Cadey continues to pretend that I’m not there. “Do you want to talk now? We can head somewhere private since my locker’s being blocked by a garbage can.” Her eyes flick over me, sharp and burning with anger.
My stomach churns and I grit my teeth. What the hell is wrong with her? She wasn’t angry when I took her home yesterday. Embarrassed, maybe. A little shocked at all the ways I made her see stars, sure.
But she wasn’t pissed off.
I step forward only to be jerked back by both of my brothers.
“Yeah,” Sol says, his eyes sliding over me. I can see him hiding his smirk. The bastard. “Yeah, let’s talk.”
“Cadence,” I growl.
“We didn’t get a pop quiz during algebra, did we?” Cadence says, walking beside Sol.
“No.”
“Good. I was worried I might have missed something important.”
“I’ll share my notes with you,” Sol offers.
I feel my anger hitting the roof and there’s no holding me back. I wrench my shoulders, shaking my brothers off me.
My footsteps are heavy and dangerous.
My nostrils flare like a bull.
I head toward the exasperating, whip-lash inducing, pain in the butt who happens to be the queen I would die for.
Cadence senses my violent stride because she stops and turns instinctively. Her eyes widen, but that’s the only reaction she can make before I scoop her up and over my shoulder.
“Dutch!” Cadence shrieks.
Everyone turns to look.
Cadence kicks and punches my back. She even tries that maneuver she did outside of Paris’s party that time. But I’m ready for her. My arms are steel bands over her hip and I don’t let her go.
My eyes spear Sol.
He’s mashing his lips together, face creased in frustration.
I don’t say anything.
I don’t have to.
My eyes whisper one thing: she’s mine.
If he wants to lose everything, he can challenge me on that.
“Stop being a freaking caveman and put me down!” Cadence yells at my lower back.
Once I’m certain Sol’s gotten my message, I stalk down the hallway. The corridors are crowded. People slide out of the way when we pass, but it’s not enough. There are too many eyes. Too many people watching us for me to feel comfortable hashing this out in a stairwell or the practice room.
I need more privacy.
So I take her out to the parking lot.
“Dutch!” Cadey shrieks. “This is kidnapping, you know!”
I don’t answer.
“I have class!”
I dip one hand into my pocket, press the alarm on my car and shove her into the backseat. She lands with a thud. I pause long enough to make sure she didn’t hurt her head and then I climb into the front seat and back out of the lot like a patient escaping an asylum.
Everything that happened this weekend—meeting Tina, getting her questionable intel on dad, losing a huge chunk of cash for a dud cell phone—it’s all a mystery that’s begging to be solved. I hate when people toy with me and Tina’s sudden reappearance rings too many bells.
I’m going to get my answers.
But the most important answer is currently scowling at me in the backseat of my truck.
I’m not going anywhere until I find out why the hell Cadence freaking Cooper has it out for me. Again.
