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“I’m not saying people can’t surprise you.” I bump her knee with mine. “Look at the Sinners. They all surprised the fuck out of me, and I never would’ve expected this is where our relationship would end up.”
She perks up a little at that, and I turn back to my phone and call Gray. He picks up quickly, and the sound of his voice brings back a fresh wave of memories of last night.
“Sparrow? What’s up? Are you okay?”
I wonder if he ever won’t answer the phone like that, with a layer of concern under his voice. I’d like to think that someday things will be settled enough in my life that the men who care about me don’t automatically assume something terrible has happened every time I call.
We’ll get there, I silently promise myself. We’re one step closer already.
“Hey. Everything’s fine. I’ve got good news,” I tell him, glancing at Max. “Well, Max has good news. She found some stuff out last night. Can you grab Elias and Declan and come over?”
I don’t have to ask him twice. Less than five minutes later, he’s striding through the door with the two other Sinners following close behind. Three sets of eyes immediately fall on me, and I flush from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Their gazes all heat a bit, and I know I’m not the only one thinking about what happened last night.
Clearing my throat, I focus back on what’s important right now. “Max, tell them everything you told me.”
The guys are all about as disgusted by the story as I was, but they all agree with me that it’s the perfect material to use to try to force Cliff to back off.
The shit he pulled trying to get my show cancelled was small potatoes, but it seems smart to not give him a chance to pull out his big guns and escalate this war. So Gray makes a quick call, telling him only that we need to meet.
I wonder if he’ll refuse, but maybe something about Gray’s tone makes him nervous, because he agrees.
A few hours later, we walk into a local dive bar Gray designated as our meeting place. My skin thrums with adrenaline, and I can see it echoed in everyone else’s faces as we walk to the back where Cliff is waiting for us.
He’s not alone. Just like me, he brought backup—Shane and Aaron are with him.
The only person who doesn’t look on edge is Gray, but I can feel it radiating off of his body as it brushes against mine. He reaches and catches my hand in his without hesitation, giving it a squeeze. It sends the smallest wave of comfort through my own body, which is just what I need when I make eye contact with Cliff. A wave of hot, violent anger rushes through me, but I concentrate on Gray’s fingers woven through mine.
“Tell me why the fuck I’m here,” Cliff drawls.
Gray smirks, not bothering to sit down. He leans over the table, watching Cliff like a wolf hunting his next meal. “Don’t worry, we’re not here to waste your time,” Gray says. “We know about the hooker. You know. The one you tried to keep, against her will.”
The color drains from Cliff’s face.
And he’s not the only one.
Aaron’s gaze flickers to Max’s for a split second as his face goes a little pale. I fight the urge to reach out and grab her hand to reassure her. I had no fucking clue Cliff would come with backup, and I can feel the panic radiating from her even though she keeps a straight face.
Aaron does too. He glances at Max once more, but he doesn’t say anything to Cliff.
As far as I know, last night is the only time Aaron and Max have hooked up, but I’m even more curious now about exactly what feelings exist between them.
I silently pray that Gray will skip the part about where we got the information about Cliff hiring a hooker. The last thing I want is to draw Max even deeper into this game of threats and blackmail.
But Gray doesn’t mention it, and neither do Aaron or Max. The two stay silent, stealing nervous glances at each other every few seconds, as if mutually agreeing not to sell each other out. I let out a small breath and hope Cliff doesn’t notice the silent exchange, but I think he’s too pissed to pick up on it at this point.
He’s red from his neck all the way up to his ears, his jaw clenching as Gray speaks. He looks like he’s about three seconds from jumping over the table and putting his fist into Gray’s face, but he keeps himself in check, proving I was right—our blackmail is good, and he’s scared as shit that it’ll get out. He’s not about to attack anyone… for now.
“The game is over, Cliff,” Gray says in a low voice. “Keep fucking with Sophie and this will be all over the school, all over the internet. I’ll pay for a fucking billboard to make sure people find out about it, and none of us will stop until the whole world knows what a fucking sicko you are.”
With that, the Sinners, Max, and I head out of the bar. Cliff doesn’t make a move to stop us, and as the door swings shut and we step out into the cool California air, I want to feel triumphant.
But the twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me none of this is actually over.
It’s just the beginning.
21
