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“He didn’t have to,” I admitted, all the facts there. “It was pretty goddamn obvious. I told you no one else knew where I was.”
It took all I had to say the words, and how I was so easily played. She’d wiggled her way in so easily.
Wolf stayed silent for quite a while beside me, his long fingers folding over his arms. “Maybe it’s not that simple.”
“What?”
His breath eased out. “Maybe they are working for him, but they don’t have a choice?” I was surprised he was saying this, his nod firm. “Maybe he has something over on them.”
I sat with that, my buddy tapping my arm.
“Right?” Wolf nearly had hope in his eyes, like he really cared about Sloane or her brother. He’d been the first to at least want Bru’s sister out of town. “What if they’re in trouble?”
He wanted to hope. My buddy was good at his core. I mean, we all were really. We were the good guys. Wolf didn’t want to see anyone hurt, regardless of how he felt about them, and maybe this was easier for him.
He hadn’t been as wrapped up as me.
I forced the breaths through my nose, my hands together. I said nothing, and Wolf got up. I frowned. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to tell your parents,” he said, and I shot up off the bed. I cut him off right away, and he raised his hands. “What? Dude, they could be in trouble. Hell, you too. You went after the son of a bitch.”
“I can’t tell my parents my grandfather is back.”
“Why?”
“Besides the obvious?” How much my grandfather’s return would unsettle my mother? Enrage my father? I shot a hand toward the window. “There’s about a half a dozen news vans down my fucking street that tell me I’ve already put my parents through enough shit for a goddamn century. They don’t need anything else. Not right now.”
“So you’re just going to keep this from them?” He got in my face, like actually chest to chest. Fire laced his dark eyes, his finger in my face. “Put yourself and innocent people in danger. I told you, bro. Sloane and her brother could be trapped. Your parents need to know your grandpa is back. Fuck, all our parents, so they can help.”
I didn’t believe I was in immediate danger. My grandfather did let me go today. As far as Sloane and her brother, he didn’t see her today, see the act. She’d lied so easily, and there was no guilt there.
She didn’t look like a victim. Nah, it was so easy for her today. Too easy for her to play me. She could be getting just as much out of whatever she had going with my grandfather. Money and only God knew what else.
The possibility enraged me, how I had really been played. “You don’t know Sloane and her brother are innocent. You didn’t see her today. She lied to my fucking face and didn’t think twice about it. Grandpa Prinze could be making this deal awfully sweet for her. She and her brother could be getting just as much out of it.”
“What deal?”
“I don’t know, but they could have one. I don’t know what she’s getting out of it, but I told you how smug my grandpa had been. He wanted to look like the fucking hero today. Had to have. And I don’t think he’s coming after me. At least, not right away. He made it seem like he was leaving town soon.” I folded my arms. “He might have stopped back here to just throw me off. He let me go and everything.”
“Or he’s just fucking playing with you.” He raised and dropped his hands. “You did try to kill him. He could definitely be back here to settle the goddamn score.”
It wouldn’t matter if he was. I wouldn’t be here. “My parents and I are leaving town in the morning. You heard LJ.”
“Yeah, but you’re going to come back, D.” His eyes narrowed. “And you don’t know Sloane and her brother aren’t innocent.”
“Since when do you stand up for Noa Sloane anyway? Her brother?”
His Adam’s apple flicked. “I don’t, but if she and her brother have nothing to do with this or are trapped, I don’t want them hurt. I have a fucking soul.” His dark eyebrows descended like storm clouds. “Where’s yours?”
I already told Sloane that it’d died, and it had the day I thought I killed my grandpa.
Her deceit only made sure it wasn’t resurrected.
I wasn’t going to be the victim. I wasn’t going to let someone play me or my family. We’d all been through enough here, and there’d be no more.
“My family comes first,” I said, in my buddy’s face. “And I won’t put my mom and dad through any more hell. Especially if my grandfather is just rolling through town and trying to make a fucking statement. He had an opportunity to take a shot at me. He chose not to.” I’d place strong bets he wanted to shake me, and he’d definitely done that. “If he is just playing around and trying to scare me, there’s no sense in bringing that shit in for my parents to think about. I’m not letting him win there.”
“Letting you go could have just been another game. Something to throw you off before he actually strikes,” Wolf said, and I supposed he was right. Again, I wasn’t going to take that chance. My grandfather being around would fuck with my family like nobody’s business, and I wasn’t just talking about my mother.
