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“It is a risk,” he says, and his eyes dart to the doors. “And you’re right not to trust me right away. If you did, I’d think you were an idiot.”

“So convince me.”

“Not in the middle of a hallway where anyone can hear us.”

Everyone in this place has a rule about where they’ll talk, apparently. He could be lying about all of it, and I’d have no way of knowing until it’s too late, but it’s not like I knew something before he showed up either. If he’s making it up, I lose nothing. And if he isn’t, he’ll be the only person on this campus who’s said something true to me since I got here.

“Fine,” I say. “But we’re doing it right now, and you’ll talk until I run out of questions.”

He nods toward the doors. “Outside, then.”

Chapter 29

JAYDEN

I CAN’T STOP THINKING about what Veronica said. There shouldn’t have been anything about me for her to find at all, and I’ve been trying to come up with a harmless explanation since I got back to my room, and there isn’t one.

There’s plenty about members in that office, so that isn’t the strange part, but everything is usually kept in code. The only pages anyone could just read easily are the ones about people who aren’t in yet, like high school kids, freshmen, and whoever the society decided might be useful one day. A nonmember, including most members, could go through the rest all night and come away with nothing.

I know some of the code. When I joined, they taught us a few basics, like the marks every member is supposed to recognize so we can be sent where we’re needed. The rest I put together over months of carrying sealed envelopes between the circles, since it turned out you can open one and close it again so no one can tell, and guys talk when they’re bored on duty, so whatever I read, I matched up later with something I overheard. But when looking for something about Elsie, I checked every tab for the year she died and for the mark they put on the files they close, and I got nowhere.

But Veronica finding my profile right where everyone can see it? No chance. Maybe someone screwed up and shoved the wrong page in the wrong folder in a hurry, but I know that’s not an explanation, because no one even makes member profiles that aren’t in code. Someone actually had to create it on purpose and leave it there. And it’s not like people can just get into that room whenever they feel like it.

Except of course... Supreme. He didn’t have to know exactly what I was up to, but he probably found out about the guards and assumed I’d bring Veronica with me. And he had nothing to lose. If I didn’t bring anyone with me, oh well, and if I did, there was always a chance Veronica would stumble upon it. Besides, he must’ve hidden some cameras too to see what I’d do. Shit!

Now Veronica knows I’m a liar, and she’s alone again, which is what the society wants, because they’ll easily replace me as she’ll be looking for just about anyone to talk to.

And if Supreme’s figured out why I joined... or if he’s known all along, then fuck it. Maybe he just knows I’m after something, but not what it is, or he would’ve poked more about it. My phone lights up on the desk. Coach is asking whether I’ll be cleared for practice soon, so I write back that the clinic wants another week. I’m pretty sure my dad will call about it tonight and I’ll lie to him too.

I toss the phone onto my bed and run a hand over my face. The tunnels are closed to me now. Every entrance has guards on it, and after what happened, they’ll be checking whoever shows up and letting no one through without an order. Besides, the trick I used on Bernardo and Marc only works once.

But Supreme said someone else would finish what I couldn’t, so Veronica is someone else’s task now, and the guy will be around her, being helpful, understanding, and easy to talk to, since there’s no other move to make.

I guess I’ll find out who he is before he gets anywhere with her, and Supreme can take me off the job all he wants, but he can’t make me disappear off campus.

Veronica’s mine, and no one else can have her.

CATCHING VERONICA ON her way between her dorm and her first lecture is my best shot at trying to talk to her, so I go out early, my hood pulled over my head, and I stay far enough away that she won’t spot me right away.

Once she comes out, I let a group of girls get between us and follow at a distance, trying to decide what I’ll say to her. Sorry won’t do it. Anything about the society is worse, since she’d think it’s all a lie. She glances back once, and I hope the girls are enough to hide me.

Some guy comes up to her from the other direction and says something, and she stops, turning toward him. I don’t know who he is, even though I’ve seen him around, and from this far away, I can’t hear any of what he’s saying. As he says something else, she smiles at him. She actually fucking smiles. Wow.

He’s good-looking, which I absolutely hate. Is he the one the society sent to replace me? Of course he is. Who else would he be? And he seems charming enough because a small smile is still playing at Veronica’s lips.

The guy says something and shifts a little closer to her. Fuck! I take a few steps forward before I catch myself. If I go over there and pull him away from Veronica, Supreme will kick me out of the society, and I’ll never find out what happened to Elsie. So I stop where I am and let them talk, grinding my teeth until my jaw aches.

Then he puts his hand on her arm, and I can’t take it anymore. That son of a bitch has no business touching her or even laying a finger on her. I stride toward them, curling my fingers into fists.

“Get the fuck away from her!” I snap, getting into his face.

He just stares at me, his face expressionless. “Hi, I’m Braxton, by the way,” he says, as if I asked.

“Are you fucking serious right now?” Veronica says behind me. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Not now,” I say, keeping my eyes on Braxton, because if I look at her, I’ll forget what I came here to do.

Braxton’s lips pull into a small smile. “You shouldn’t be anywhere near us,” he says, lowering his voice. “Someone’s going to hear about this, and we both know how it will go for you.”