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Not wanting Raini to be alone, Harper tried convincing her to stay at her house that night, but Raini wasn’t in the mood for company. Respecting that, the girls eventually left, but not before making Raini promise to call if she changed her mind.
She traipsed into the bathroom and over to the freestanding tub, intending to have a long soak in a hot bath, but then she just stood there. Was this really happening? Had some of her lair really turned on her because of an ability she hadn’t asked to have?
Groaning, she turned and sat on the edge of the tub. She officially hated whoever had sent those texts. Officially. Hated them.
Until she’d stood outside the center while people scowled at her and implied she had no right being part of the lair, Raini had always felt safe and at ease among the members. They were like one big family—a family that, yeah, didn’t always get along and had some assholes scattered around it, but still a family.
Now, she felt like an outsider. And she had no idea if things would get better or worse. She only knew she’d never forget this feeling; never be able to look at the people who’d turned on her today without remembering the stuff they’d said. Things really wouldn’t ever be the same again.
She almost jumped as Maddox abruptly appeared in front of her. “Jesus, you need to start giving me telepathic warnings before you show up.”
Maddox’s gaze flitted over her face. “What is it?”
She sighed and gave him a brittle smile. “You’ll be pleased to hear that the boycotter isn’t one of your demons.”
He very slowly tipped his head to the side. “And why would you believe it isn’t one of mine?”
“Because they don’t know every person in my lair who’d dislike me enough to be willing to spread a destructive rumor about me.”
“What sort of rumor?”
“That I can wield psychic hellfire. Yep, either Dwain or someone posing as him texted the information through a spoofing site to several people who aren’t fans of mine. He shouldn’t know I have that ability, but my mom’s right that Demi could have told him. She might have even done it hoping he would leak the info, since I’m not so sure it’s something she could have brought herself to personally do.”
“But she wouldn’t have felt so bad about it if Dwain told people,” Maddox mused. “She could have denied culpability in her own mind and to others.”
“Exactly.”
“How did the lair take it?”
“Most are in shock.” Raini swallowed and rubbed her thighs. “Jolene called a meeting. I was there and—”
“You left the building?” His eyes blazed. “You left without telling Carmen?”
Raini winced. “I shouldn’t have, I know. But she would have told you we were heading out, and you would have wanted to be present. Jolene would have fought you on it, and you would have refused to stay away. Then you two would have been at each other’s throats, and there was enough shit going on without—”
“Breathe, Raini.” He curled his hand around the side of her neck, the anger in his eyes dimming.
“But now you’ll lecture me, and I don’t think I can take it without gouging out your eyes—my mood is just foul.”
“Yes, I can see you won’t manage your usual cooperative act tonight. I won’t lie, I’m pissed you didn’t tell me what was happening or that you were leaving the penthouse.”
“Carmen will be mad about the latter, too.”
“Yes, she will. But she’ll be more pissed at me, just as I am.”
“You are?”
“Yes, because if you felt you could trust that I wouldn’t go head-to-head with Jolene, you wouldn’t have been so torn earlier. I never want you to feel you have to keep things from me. It’s my fault that you do.”
Raini stared at him, her lips parted. “Okay, I totally didn’t expect you to be so … reasonable.”
“It’s hard to be mad at you when you look so vulnerable. The meeting went badly, I take it.”
“It did. There are people who’re massively pissed that they weren’t told about my ability and who even want me gone, but they’re in the minority. Still, it sucks balls.”
Hating how alone and desolate she looked, Maddox took her hands, tugged her to her feet, and pulled her close. “Tell me the rest,” he coaxed, sweeping a hand down her back. Absentmindedly picking at his shirt, she told him all that was said at the meeting. With every word she spoke, his anger built and built. “Sounds to me as if the people who don’t much like you have tried using this as an excuse to get rid of you or, failing that, to at least piss you off,” he said.
“Maybe. God, it was horrible. I think some will probably leave the lair. They may even try to stir others into leaving with them.”
