Page 110

“Show me your arms.” I nod toward her sweatshirt. “Show me the bruise from the injection.”

“Fuck, do you want my toxicology report from the hospital? They think I ingested it. Tanner got me drinks at the dance.” She sighs but drops down the sweatshirt over her shoulder and turns it toward me. There’s no bruise. “I didn’t know what Tanner’s plans were. I just wanted to go to the dance. And frankly, while you guys don’t like him, he’s still fucking hot.”

She shrugs and straightens her sweatshirt.

It was possible she knew what was going on, but it’s also looking like she was just collateral damage. I’ll ask Jennifer to check her chart to make sure she isn’t lying about being drugged.

Maybe she was supposed to be his alibi in case something went wrong. Take her to make it seem like they took him too. Maybe they would have trafficked her with the others.

A surge of anger flashes through me at the thought of them putting the girls into trafficking. I haven’t really let myself think about it or the fact Harper could have died. I can’t imagine a world without Harper in it.

I draw in a breath and center myself. Eli, Caden, and I should have fought this morning. Exercising helped with the excess energy, but the rage remains.

“What did Tanner talk about during the dance?” I straighten in the chair, ready to be back next to Harper. We can check Angela’s story with the hospital.

“Not much. Honestly. I kind of thought he had the hots for Harper the way he kept staring at her. But I figured if he wanted to tackle that particular bridge, it would open up the horsemen again for the rest of us. I didn’t know he planned to rape her. The way he asked me to the dance, I figured he just wanted an easy lay and to fuck with your heads. I never would have helped him do what he did. That was messed up.”

I glance around at the other girls at the table. Becca and a few juniors. “Did any of you see anything that night?”

The juniors shake their heads and stare at me like they can’t believe I’m sitting here. They’re useless, but maybe later, when they remember something, they’ll pass on the information.

When I start to rise, Becca clears her throat and purses her lips. “I didn’t see much. I told the police about Alex and them messing with a bag during Sidney’s speech, but I was part of the crowd that got out before the sprinklers went off. Which was a good thing because my dress cost two hundred dollars, and my mom would have killed me if it got ruined.”

I push to stand. She’s worried about a dress when the other girls were fighting for their lives. Fuck this shit. After I slide the chair back to the other table, I look over the girls. “If you find out anything, let us know.”

Harper

Jack squeezes my hand below the table. Caden is making the rounds. At least that’s what he called it. Luke went off to talk to Angela Harris. Eli’s on his way back from talking with Emma.

“I have physical therapy this afternoon.” Nico’s warm brown eyes find mine. “I assume the guys will still have football practice.”

I glance at Jack and he nods as he says, “Yeah, Coach wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity for conditioning. We’re down a wide receiver and who knows who else is injured from the shitshow on Saturday night.”

“Should you go?” I don’t reach out and touch the bandages I put over his neck after our shower. My fingers itch to touch him though. To soothe his wounds. The bruises on his ribs were concerning, but he assured me he wasn’t any worse than when he took a hard hit during football.

The hospital cleared him last night, so he must be fine.

Jack touches my chin and searches my eyes. His are so many shades of blue. I could spend hours studying them, lose myself in them. “If you want, I can hang out with you. I need to go home. Mom keeps texting that we need to have that talk.”

“What talk?” Eli slides into the booth next to Nico across from me. Even though he’s talking to Jack, Eli’s gaze doesn’t leave me. His usual intensity is amplified right now. Like he won’t let me out of his sight.

A shiver of awareness works through me.

Jack runs a hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes. “My guess is about this weekend. Mom wasn’t happy about my recent hospital visit. She’s usually pretty cool about this stuff, but probably the knockout and the beating were a little much for her.”

I’m pretty sure they’re too much for most parents. Even in this weird little town. I’m not okay with any of it. Before the horsemen claimed me, I just went about my boring, little existence waiting until the day I could go to college to finally live.

“Wasn’t Mike saying they were calling an emergency school board session?” I tear the napkin in front of me into tiny pieces. Pretty sure that’s what Sidney’s mother needed to convince them to waive her suspension.

I’m not ready to face anyone right now, let alone Sidney Brown. Even with my attack, I just know she won’t go easy on me. I’m half tempted to see if my fighting skills are as good as Jack says. Maybe I could knock some sense into Sidney.

“Yeah.” Eli reaches across and puts his hand over mine.

I lift my eyes to his sincere ones. He’s not going to bullshit me. He may be gentle with me for a while, but he won’t bullshit me and that’s what I need right now.

“Sidney’s going to rehab.” Eli’s gaze is steady.

“Really?” I don’t hide my shock. The way the parents work around here, I figured everyone would be able to get out of everything. Especially people connected like Sidney.