“Your friends are right. You’re far too pretty for federal lockup,” I insert smoothly. “Plus, you don’t want him to suffer less than the people he’s hurt. If anything, it would be far more fun if he were the one wearing federal lockup orange and all those hopes of playing in the NHL burned and faded just like his whole life, no?”
Zach sniffs. “Okay, that does sound good.” Denver clucks her tongue. “No one touches you. No one.”
Well, hello, Mr. “Sexy Hockey Alpha” pants.
Wanting to cheer Denver up, I catch her eye and fan my hand in front of my face. I figure it worked when she shares a goofy smile with me.
Shay draws Callan and Zach into a multipronged discussion about the best plan of attack, but both of us know this is too big for us.
It’s time to call in the heavy hitters, and frankly, Denver’s dad just doesn’t cut the mustard.Still, better to have his contact details than not.
As we walk out of the library, with all eyes on Denver, most of thoseeyes delighting in the girl’s misery, displaying outright glee at her discomfort, the depth of circulation is unwittingly revealed to me.
This has spread far and wide.
Fast.
It’s so bad that I feel relieved for her when we step into the bitterly cold day.
She shrieks, however, when Pecan, their friend, and his girlfriend rush up to us, skidding on an icy patch and nearly knocking us down like we’re bowling pins. But Denver’s screech morphs into a soggy laugh when he draws her in for a hug that she clearly needs.
Zach’s wrathful expression gentles as he takes in the scene, but that doesn’t diminish his fury.
Nor mine.
This is the last person Dyers will hurt at Oakwood on my watch.
FIFTY-SIX
DENNY IS MY NEW BFF
“So,you’re telling me you want to expose Dyers's sins to the world and you think we might not want to be a part of that?” I repeat after hearing Denny’s idea of a takedown.
It’s been an eventful couple days since that oinking BS at the library but more and more, I’ve come to accept that this girl and I were born to be friends.
She blushes. “Well, some of it is partially illegal and?—”
“It’s only illegal if we get caught.” Shay points a fry at her.
“I can diminish the risk,” Callan pronounces. “I’m good on a computer.”
Pecan swipes some pancakes through a deluge of maple syrup. “How can you diminish vandalism on a computer?”
“We hire out and create a decoy. A distraction.”
“Won’t those people get arrested instead of us? That doesn’t seem fair, Denny.”
She pats his shoulder. “Leave it with me.”
“And me! We’ll coordinate on this,” Callan directs. His focus flitters to Lex, who’s taking an order at another table. “Dyers's needs to rot in a jail cell.”
“He does, actually. Wynter and I went to a Rhos’ party last night. Scoped out the lay of the land, as it were.” I grace Zach with a smile. “I wish I’d been there to watch you tank the game for Denver.”
Because their coach refused to bench Dyers, Zach had orchestrated the Oakwood Dukes’ worst loss in history—9–1!
“Hey, that wasn’t even my idea. Pecan arranged it.”
Impressed, I turn to Pecan, who hunches his shoulders over his snacky-snack. He’s normally more buoyant, but his girlfriend just dumped him so I can’t blame him for being a downer.
