Page 23 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“So that’s a yes, right?”

Michel frowned. “You’re not listening, Catherine.”

“I am, but who’s going to tell? I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“If you won’t go home and tell Ma or Dad, it’s wrong.”

“Do you tell them everything you do?”

Michel quickly shut his mouth at that question. “Fine, go. But be back here in three hours, at the most. If you get back earlier, shoot me a text. I’ll say you’re staying at school with friends, and then Dad won’t get pissed off at John for not staying behind to look after you. He’ll come back and pick you up. Don’t get John in shit because you want to have fun, Catherine. He’s got to do his job, too, as our enforcer, but I’ll make an excuse this time.”

“Thanks, I’ll make it up to you, I swear,” Catherine said in a rush.

“Sure, sure.”

She was already spinning on her heel and heading the other way.

Toward trouble and fun.

Cross pushed off the hood of the Camaro at the sight of Catherine’s approach. His smile deepened to a grin, and he took her bag without even asking for it.

“Nice car,” Catherine said.

The older guy Cross had been talking to poked his head out the driver’s window. “Thanks. And hi.”

She waved. “Hi.”

Cross used his free hand to gesture between his friend and Catherine as he tossed her bag into the back of the car. “Zeke, Catherine. Catherine, Zeke.”

“You up for a drive to the Odessa Pier?” Zeke asked.

“Like, way down in Brighton Beach?”

The guy nodded. “That’s the one.”

Her father would kill her.

Brighton was off-limits unless she had an enforcer with her. Dante never said why, just that it was. Catherine didn’t think to ask because her father probably wouldn’t explain. He made rules; she was expected to follow them. It was that simple. For the most part she did just that. Or tried.

Catherine figured she could afford to take the risk.

Especially with Cross still waiting for her to answer.

Catherine scrolled through the last message on her phone from her brother.

You good?

Fine, she texted back.

Michel didn’t respond.

In the backseat of the Camaro, Cross chatted away with Zeke about a race of some sort—Catherine didn’t know for sure. She had thought they were going straight to Brighton Beach, but apparently Zeke had other plans. He pulled into a public school parking lot, yanked the car into park, and leaned over to open the door for a pretty blonde that jumped in the front seat. The girl looked closer to Zeke’s age, Catherine thought. Seventeen, maybe.

The girl leaned over and pressed a kiss to Zeke’s mouth, grinning.

“Hey.”

Zeke smiled back. “Hey.” Then, he nodded to the back. “Cross found a friend.”