Asch and River don’t need to know any of that.
Asch’s expression is closed-off, difficult to read in a way it usually isn’t. “Right,” he says. “So all Pandora found down there are some background checks and accounting ledgers. On paper. Instead of digital.”
“If she found anything at all,” I say. “It’s not a big deal.”
Unless it is.
I eat some of the cheese and crackers to distract myself. River looks like he wants to say something else, so I quickly add, “It’s Franklin’s memorial service tomorrow, by the way.”
“And?” River’s voice is sharp, defensive. “It’s not like I can go.”
Asch eyes him. “Why can’t you? Blaze and I were planning on it.”
River stares back at him. “You really think they want us there?” he asks with a humorless laugh. “Yeah, I’m sure that’d go over really well.”
“You were his friend,” I point out. “I mean, if Brock or Tate attempted to show up, I’d rip out their teeth, but Franklin liked you. He looked up to you.”
“That doesn’t mean I deserve to be there,” River mutters. “That any of us do. If I were his parents, I’d tell anyone associated with the frat to fuck off.”
I grab my phone from the coffee table. “His father asked if I’d be there,” I say, tabbing over to the text convo. I hold it up for River to see. “He was in Kappa Alpha. He knows how important brotherhood was to Franklin.”
“Even though his brothers were the ones who did this to him,” River says.
“It was an accident,” Asch says. “And we took care of Brock and Tate. Nothing like that will happen again.”
River runs a hand through his hair, tousling it, and he slumps back in the chair. “Yeah. I guess not. Not here, at least.”
“So come with us,” I tell River. “I’ll drive us. If anyone gives you trouble, just point them my way.”
Out of anyone, River deserves to be there. He’s the one most affected by Franklin’s death.
Staring down at the food he’d brought from the kitchen, River sets it down on the coffee table. “I don’t know if I can face them, man.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Asch says. “Stop beating yourself up. It’s not going to help anything.”
“Asch is right. And you don’t have to talk to his parents. They’ll have enough other people there to comfort them,” I point out.
I’m going to have to talk to Franklin’s father, though. Mr. Delgado is influential, and my father wants me to ensure Mr. Delgado has no reason to turn his back on Kappa Alpha.
I wish I had the files detailing whathissecrets are.
Add all this to my pile of shit to do.
My phone starts buzzing. I glance down, then curse when I see it’s a call from my dad. “I have to take this.” I toss the remote at Asch. “Find something good for us to watch.”
I head up to my bedroom and close the door before I answer the call.
“Hi, Dad,” I say cautiously. “What’s up?”
My father lets out an annoyed sound. “I just had a call from Damien Rossi, Giulio Pavone’s second-in-command. Do you know what that might be about?”
The blood freezes in my veins, and the cut across my chest itches. “Um. Something about Pandora?”
Had she snitched to her family about what we’d done to her? But that doesn’t make sense. She already killed Zayden, and she said she’ll take it out on us. She wants to do that herself, not outsource it to her family.
Besides, if she had, they already would’ve acted.
Right?
