I couldn’t risk finding out.
Outside of this pack, I was no one. I was another foster kid without a home, no family, no one who’d care if I lived or died.
Until Rook and Evie.
They were the only family I had, and I couldn’t lose them. Not over some game Evie decided to play.
“If it was an ex, I’d already have a file on him. I don’t date people I can’t dig into. As for Anderson, I’ve never had my tongue in his mouth, so I don’t think he can fall under the ex-boyfriend level of needing to be looked into. Can he?”
My thoughts spiraled anyway. She probably thought it was nothing more than a reckless kiss, leverage to blackmail me with. But it wasn’t. It was everything I’d been holding back, breaking loose for a single moment.
Now I was stuck—torn between loyalty to Rook and feelings for Evie, knowing one wrong move could cost me both.
“Eww, fuck. Shut up. Here,” Rook said, pulling out his phone. “Apparently, Anderson hangs out around this bar sometimes. Iwent down there, but no one knew him. I don’t know if it will help at all, but it’s something.” He sent over a location to Evie, and she scowled.
“It’s the bare minimum of something, but I’ll see if it helps.”
Rook waited until the door to the office closed before he turned back to me. “About these threats. Obviously, I will be keeping a closer eye on Regan. Could you go back on babysitting duty with Evie?”
I hid my groan, not letting him see any reaction. The world played a cruel joke in making Rook the one always forcing me closer to Evie when he would always be the reason I needed to stay away.
“Gross, can you please stop calling it that? It sounds so creepy.”
Especially after I spent some time making out with her.
“Fine, stalker duty? Bodyguard? What the hell do I call it when I’m asking you to stick by her more without making her uncomfortable?”
“How about you ask me to keep an eye on her so nothing happens?”
“Fine. Can you?”
“You know I can and will. Whoever he was referring to isn’t going to get close enough to bother her.”
He gave a sharp nod. “Perfect. I’m going to head back to the house then. I’ll let Regan and Zack know what’s going on. You guys good here?”
“Yeah, Hero is taking care of him and then I’ll hang around until Evie’s done.”
Meaning I would be sitting here for another hour or two, at least—all alone with Evie.
Rook headed out, backing his bike out before taking off. Hero took care of the body before he left, too.
I sat back on the couch, watching as Evie typed away at the computer.
She looked up, her gaze meeting mine, a flicker of something I couldn’t read in her expression before she turned back to the screen. It wasn’t fear at the threats or even surprise at me sitting there. No, she was too damn calm—maybe a little too satisfied.
She knew what she was doing.
I knew Evie wasn’t cruel or dumb. She had a reason for every step she made, including this blackmail. But maybe if I showed her even an ounce of how I really felt, she’d realize this wasn’t a game at all.
Chapter 6
Shadow
The girl was aware of so many things, but she never saw me following her.
And the guys. The ones riding around on their motorcycles and driving the streets like they owned them.
They never saw me, either.
