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As soon as I reach the door to our house, it flies open. “Where the hell have you been?” Neo asks, anger seeping from his pores.
“Had to take care of something.” I walk past him, pulling my coat off and hanging it on the coat rack. “Did you get my new key?”
I still don’t know who took my key, so Neo’s dad is supposed to be dropping off another one. There are only a few made because it’s a risk having too many lying around. The master key opens every door at The Academy, including the ones below ground.
“He never showed.” Neo’s empty stare is locked on the wall before he snaps out of it and returns to his typical asshole self. “What did you have to take care of?”
I sweep the air with my hand and walk toward the kitchen. “Nothing important.”
Neo follows me, not letting this go. “Did it involve her?”
“She has a name.”
“Just answer the damn question.”
“No.” I pivot around, hands pressed to the marbled kitchen counter. “I don’t have to answer your questions, but how about you answer one of mine.” I look him dead in the eye, not even blinking because I want him to know how serious I am.“Are you stalking her?”
A breathy laugh climbs up his throat. “No, I’m not stalking her. What kind of question is that?”
“One I’ve asked before and I’m certain you lied to me then and I think you’re lying to me now.”
Neo turns away, avoiding eye contact which raises some red flags. “You need to get over this girl before she completely ruins you.”
I’m not sure I believe him, but I know one way to find out.
“If I’m ruined, it won’t be Scar’s doing.”
His head jerks around. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying she’s not the problem.”
There are two ways I could go about this, but I know Neo and he’d never agree to helping Scar if there wasn’t something in it for him. If he knows he can get her under his thumb to press and squeeze whenever he wants, there’s no way he’d pass up what I’m about to offer.
His hands fly to his chest. “Are you saying I’m the fucking problem?”
“No. I’m saying there’s someone out there toying with Scar while using Maddie to get in her head. They’re trying—”
“Whoa.” He holds up a hand, shutting me up while looking at me with only one eye. “What the fuck are you talking about? What’s this have to do with Maddie?”
“A couple days ago, someone followed Scar down the trail outside of the school and played a recording of her and Maddie having a private conversation. Today in detention, someone threw a rock through the door with a newspaper clipping reporting her fall.”
Neo’s head flinches back. “You’re joking, right?”
I open my eyes wide and void of any emotion. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
“And you have the fucking balls to ask if it was me?” His voice rises. “You think I’d tarnish my sister like that? Let alone record her having a private conversation and use it to fuck with Scar?”
I don’t tell him I did. But now that I see his reaction, I’m not sure I do believe it was him. “Look, I had to ask because if it wasn’t one of us three, that means someone’s up to something and it doesn’t just stem from her attendance here. This goes years back to when Scar and Maddie were together all the time. It had to have been before Scar was kicked out of Essex High.”
Neo’s quiet for a minute, pacing the length of the kitchen while scratching his head, deep in thought.
“What are you thinking?” I ask, and he holds up a finger, chewing on his bottom lip.
Seconds turn to minutes and I watch as the rage climbs through him, inch by inch. Completely taking over his body. He grabs the pans that hang over the center island, whipping them around and throwing them at the wall. He clears the table, growling and cursing. I watch as Neo loses all control and I don’t even flinch because I’ve seen it all before.
Finally, he stops, sweat breaks out on his forehead and his cheeks flush with heat. “Of all the things that little bitch has done, this one tops them all.” He laughs menacingly. “She’s gonna pay. Oh, is she gonna fucking pay.”
My eyebrows squeeze together, confused. “What?”
