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“It was an accident,” I start. “The police will understand.” Right?

Aiden rubs his temples. “Yes, but a man is dead. They hid evidence, then ran away and kept quiet about it for a month after. I just started the process of filing for custody, and at a lucky minimum that’ll be denied.”

I try to think through our options but come up short. The one good thing to come out of this is that Luke really is innocent, which will make Annalisa extremely happy, but how do we tell our friends or the authorities without hurting the twins?

“We can’t tell anyone, at least not yet,” Aiden says, his spine rigid. “We have to think this through. I’m going to have to find a lawyer, someone who can handle this all quietly and discreetly. I know what it’s like to get death threats and comments from strangers on the internet. Can you imagine what’ll happen if the media finds out about this?”

I can imagine, and I don’t like it. Aiden’s already getting a bunch of media attention, and if it gets out that his brothers killed someone, even accidentally, it’ll be a media frenzy. Not just for Aiden, because Aiden can handle it, but for the twins. What kind of reputation would follow them around? Kids really are ruthless sometimes, and what would happen if their classmates found out about it? They may not actually be getting bullied right now, but after this got out?

“What about Brian’s friend? The lawyer who got you off Greg’s murder charge in the first place. Alan. We can call him, get him to help.”

Aiden suddenly looks tired, much more than he was moments ago. “That’s probably a good idea. I’m going to look into it first, see the best possible way to handle this without jeopardizing custody or their futures.”

“What do we do in the meantime?”

Aiden meets my eyes. “We act normal. Nothing’s changed. We help Anna look for evidence to help Luke . . . shit.”

The realization hits me at the same time it must hit Aiden. If Luke really didn’t kill Greg, then he’s free, and if he’s free, he can contact Tony, who will come here, and find me.

I feel even more defeated than possible. I really don’t know what to do; all the cards are stacked against me. We need to help the twins, and we obviously can’t let Luke go on trial for murder when he’s innocent. But if he’s out, he’s going to look into Tony. If he doesn’t find out the truth about Tony and expose me himself, then he’s going to invite him here into Annalisa’s life, and consequently into mine, which might possibly be what Agent Dylan wants. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me, but I can’t be so selfish as to keep Luke in jail so I can continue living peacefully in King City with my friends.

Aiden puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him.

“I think we might need to tell Anna. About everything,” I say, my voice coming out small. I don’t want to tell her about me but it’s not looking like I have any other choice. I don’t see any other options.

Aiden pulls me closer to him. “Let’s not do anything right now, okay? Let’s take some time, think everything through, and do it properly. We don’t have room for error here.”

I rest my head against his shoulder. He’s right. We should think everything through properly, then decide what to do.

“Hey!” Noah’s voice calls up to us from the bottom of the stairs. “Are you guys done doing X-rated things and want to join us? We ordered pizza! It should be here soon.”

“Why does he always think we’re fooling around?” I ask Aiden, happy to let Noah distract me for the moment.

Aiden must appreciate the distraction, too, because he shrugs and helps me stand up. “Maybe he wants to watch?”

“Ew! Gross!”

“Let’s go get ready for food. Try to act normal, for now at least.”

Normal. I’m starting to despise that word. All I want to do is be normal, not pretend while dealing with a million things all designed to hurt me.

Even though it’s January, the weather’s mild, so Aiden leaves the sliding door open to let in the fresh air as we sit around the table and stuff our faces. The kitchen quickly gets warm with all the bodies piled in eating pizza, so I even have to take off my sweater. The air is worth it since it helps me stay focused. Act normal.

After dinner, when the sun’s starting to set, everyone starts to head out. Chase pulls an unexpected move and asks Charlotte if he can drive her home. She hesitates, but I think she realizes he’s probably planning on making up with her about what happened at her party, so she accepts. I stay a bit later after Mason and Noah leave to help Aiden clean up and go over some calculus homework, but I can tell his mind is elsewhere, and I don’t blame him, so I call it a night around nine.

“Let me walk you to your car,” Aiden says as I’m pulling on my shoes.

“It’s not that far, I’m fine. Talk to the twins, make sure they’re really okay.” They were quiet over dinner then went upstairs to watch television, but they weren’t acting any different than before.

When I straighten from tying my shoes, Aiden’s right there. He tugs me closer to him and rests his forehead against mine. “A lot went on today. Anna was expelled. We found out about the twins, but no matter what happens, we deal with it together.” His voice is low and sweet. “Me and you. All in, remember?”

I can’t take the distance between our lips anymore. My lips press against his. It’s light at first, but then he deepens it, and I follow his lead. It’s brief, but perfect, and still causes my heart to pound in my chest when I pull away.

“I love you,” he says against my lips, and I feel like I’m soaring.

“I love you too,” I reply, untangling myself from him. If I don’t leave now, I’m going to be here all night. I open his door. “Text me later, okay?”

“Of course. Good night, Amelia.”

He waits until I’m down the driveway and out of view before he closes the door, and I walk the block with a stupid smile on my face despite the shitstorm we’re in. We’ll figure out what to do, I’m certain of it.

Once I open my car door and the coolness of the temperature within it hits me, I remember that I left my sweater in Aiden’s kitchen. Deciding it’s better to stay warm on the drive home, I head back to Aiden’s house, preferring to walk so I can use the time to think. Do I tell Annalisa? Is it that simple?

Once I turn the corner and have a straight view to Aiden’s house, I spot two men in business suits, seeming completely out of place in Aiden’s quiet neighborhood. A large black SUV sits parked on the road a few houses away from Aiden’s in the opposite direction of me. My next step falters. Is that Aiden’s dad?

My eyes go wide when I realize that it is Aiden’s dad, and the man with him is Harvey Vedenin, the man who tried to kill me the last time I saw him. They’re walking toward me.

What are they doing here? Do I run? Do I scream? They seem too calm to be coming here to kill me in the middle of a suburban street. How did they know I was here? Quickly, I duck behind a car parked in a driveway down the street from Aiden’s house. Peeking around to track their progress, I don’t think they see me as they casually glance around the neighborhood. My heart beats louder and louder in my chest as they stop their progress toward me and instead turn onto Aiden’s driveway.

They haven’t come for me, they’re here for Aiden.

I ignore my racing pulse and pull out my phone, trying to dial Aiden’s number as calmly as possibly. I watch as they frown at Aiden’s Challenger in the driveway, my blood rushing in my ears. What’s happening? This can’t be just a friendly visit. I can’t see them from where I’m standing anymore.

“Did you forget something? I hear you knocking, I’m coming,” Aiden’s teasing voice greets me through the phone.

“No, don’t!” I can’t rush the words out fast enough. “That’s not me, Aide—”

There’s a loud bang. I can hear it from where I’m standing on his neighbor’s driveway.

“Aiden?!”

There’s some rustling, some yelling, and I can’t take it anymore. I take off at a sprint, thinking of nothing but Aiden and his brothers. Aiden, Jason, Jackson. Aiden, Jason, Jackson, runs through my mind with every furious heartbeat and every slap of my feet on the asphalt.

When I get to Aiden’s house, his front door has been kicked in, and my mind registers that that’s what the bang must’ve been.

Some part of my brain stops me just as I’m about to charge into his house. Somehow, through the fear and panic, something allows me to think logically. Some part of my brain is staying calm and telling me not to race in helplessly and be no help to Aiden or his brothers.

Seconds later, I’m racing around to the side of his house and hopping the fence into the backyard, scraping my knees in the process. I stalk through his backyard as quietly as possible, remembering that the sliding door is open and that they would hear me.

The sight punches me right in the stomach as I peer in a window at the side of the house. Aiden’s there, in the kitchen, back rigid and shoulders squared, holding the twins behind him, his unwavering gaze fixed solely on Andrew and the gun in his hand.

I feel dizzy, like someone has their hand around my neck and is slowly squeezing.

Ducking down and out of sight, I dial 911 with shaking fingers. Every ring lasts an eternity.

“Nine-one-one,” comes a woman’s voice.

“Hi, my name is Amelia Collins and there’s been a break-in. Three boys are being held at gunpoint.” My words are rushed and low. I recite Aiden’s address, grateful that Iknow it by heart.

“The police are on their way, Amelia. Where are you? Are you safe?” The operator’s voice is calm, greatly juxtaposing how I feel right now.

I pop my head up to look in the house and suddenly her reassuring tone isn’t good enough. They’re talking, but it doesn’t look calm, and there’s still a gun pointed at the man I love.

What am I doing? Aiden would never sit around and watch as I was in trouble. I can’t just sit here and do nothing.

The woman on the phone is saying something, but unless it’s “The police are there,”I’m not really interested. Instinct guides me as I hang up on the 911 operator, then slink over to the back door and crouch down. Their voices are audible through the mesh of the screen door, but now they can see me if they look down.

What do I do? What can I do? This isn’t a movie. I can’t just barge in there pulling some crazy, heroic shit and have everything come out my way, no matter how much I want to. I have to ignore every fiber in my being that’s telling me to rip open the screen door and knock the gun out of Andrew’s hand and be the hero of my own story. There’s nothing I can do.

Like always, Aiden somehow notices me even though I’m basically holding my breath, and as if it’s possible, his body goes even more rigid.

Andrew’s going on and on about his political career, and Aiden’s eyes flit back to him to not give me away. He slowly and subtlety starts taking steps to the side, forcing Andrew and Harvey to move too in order to stay directly in front of him. Because of Aiden, now Andrew and Harvey’s backs are to me so they won’t spot me.

I have to do something. I look around the backyard as if something will magically pop out that’ll help me. There’s nothing I can do. I’ve never felt as helpless and out of control as I am in this very moment. It sickens me; makes me want to punch a hole in the wall and scream and scream until my lungs have nothing left to give.

Aiden’s eyes find me quickly, just for a barely there second, just long enough to give me a look; a look I know all too well.

Get the fuck out of here.

But he should know me better by now.

I check my phone to see how long it’s been since I called 911, and then remember the new addition to my phone.

Nothing I can do? Fuck that.

Jason and Jackson are hiding behind Aiden’s back.

Aiden’s eyes dart back to me. He knows what I’m doing now. From behind Aiden, Jason peeks out, his face tear stained. He notices me and his jaw drops, but without turning around, Aiden pushes him back into place behind him.

“Why are you doing this, Kessler?” Aiden’s voice is clear and steady, and he manages to sound like he’s in control of the situation despite not being the one with the gun. “Why are you in my house pointing a gun at your sons?”

Andrew scoffs. “You saw this coming. You’ve been warned countless times. You’re ruining my life. You know my wife, the one from the very, very richfamily I married into? She’s threatening to leave me if I don’t get this shit under control. I signed a pre-nup, I’ll get nothing. I’ll be back to where I was when I was stuck here in this godforsaken dump. Plus, I made some deals with some people who don’t like to get screwed over.”

Harvey’s taken a seat at the kitchen table, as if he’s bored of this whole situation already, and Aiden’s laser focused on Andrew now.

“You sent your henchman to kill me and my friend last time.” Aiden tilts his head at Harvey without breaking eye contact with his father. “You’re doing the dirty work yourself this time?”

“Since you’ve repeatedly refused to take back your statements and stop ruining my good name, I figured I’d have to end it myself this time. For good. I gave you countless chances, Aiden. We could’ve done this the easy way. You didn’t want to reunite, you didn’t want to play the part of the dutiful son, and you didn’t want hush money. So, this is what it’s come to.”

Harvey reaches into his coat, and my heart stops beating at all. This is it. It’s all over. I brace myself to barge in and I don’t know, tackle him? But Harvey pulls out a little orange bottle, and sets it down on the table, making me pause.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Andrew continues. “You’re going to swallow this handful of painkillers. Your breathing’s going to slow, dangerously so. You’ll probably have a heart attack, and then the rest of your body will shut down. You’ll forget how to breathe, and then you’ll stop breathing at all. It won’t be pretty.” He swivels so that the gun is aimed at Jason, who is standing slightly behind Aiden but not fully covered by his large body because he keeps peeking out. “And if not, I’ll shoot him. And not to kill either. It’ll be slow, and painful, and you’ll have to stand there and watch.”

Andrew says this all with a cool detachment, very businessman-like, as if it’s a business transaction.

Aiden remains calm, his eyes calculating. “And after I’m dead? My brothers?”

Andrew takes a step closer to Aiden. “Maybe I let them go, or maybe I kill the boys and leave the gun with your prints on it. You had a mental breakdown; you couldn’t take the responsibility anymore. You killed your brothers but then the guilt was too much to handle and you took a handful of painkillers to end it all.” He shrugs, like it doesn’t matter one way or the other. “I guess it depends on how cooperative you are.”

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