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“Uh,I’m good,” Becca croaked, speaking up for the first time. “I really don’t want—”
“At least until the window’s fixed and you can have your dad install a security system,” Ava Jade interrupted her, suddenly liking the idea if it meant she could ensure her friend’s safety. Clearly that was more important to her than her pride. “Please? I can’t leave you here.”
Becca slumped. “Fine. Yeah, I guess that wouldn’t be too bad.”
Honestly, I expected her to put up more of a fight, or request to stay elsewhere. I was sure her millionaire daddy would happily put her up at The Vandermark just outside of town. I would have rather that, but if I wanted to stay on Ava Jade’s good side, I could allow this. At least temporarily.
“Pack up,” I said, planting my hands on the back of the couch either side of Rook’s head. “This is your last night at Briar Hall for a while.”
Diazepam.
Sally from the twenty-four-hour pharmacy in town took longer than I’d requested, but at least she managed to ID what was in the syringe. Enough Diazepam to sedate someone for hours. It would have taken effect within fifteen seconds.
Rook had been pummeling the heavy bag non-stop since I told him and Corvus on Monday night after moving the girls into the loft. Rook knew that drug better than most ever could. It was what they used on him at the psychiatric hospital in Stockton. The one Barrettes Home for Boys sent him to after they found one of the group leaders with a broomstick up his ass in the janitor’s closet. The wordsRook was herecarved into the meaty flesh above his tailbone as he cried against a dirty rag in his mouth.
I never asked why he did it, and he never told me. It was just one of those things I knew was off limits for discussion, but my imagination came up with the worst things. Which was why after Diesel adopted us and made us what we were now, I paid a visit to that group leader. I didn’t askhimwhat happened, either. I put two pieces of lead between his eyes and never said a word to a soul about it.
Helped me sleep better knowing that whatever he’d done to my brother, he would never be able to do again.
Rook was at the psych hospital for two months before they cleared him to return, and he was never quite the same after. The brooding, angry Rook I knew came back from that place aloof. Without a care in the world for anyone or anything except me. And that made him more dangerous than he’d ever been prior to that.
He only told me about his time there once, when he was blind drunk and all his words were slurring. For a month straight they injected him with Diazepam to put him downfor not following orders liketake your pills,orpaint a picture of a tree,orwait your turn.They were happy to jab him with that needle at even the smallest infraction.
“Rook,” I interrupted, stepping into the garage to a wave of warmth and the heady smell of sweat and aftershave. Heaving, he paused, blinking as his eyes focused on my face. He dropped his fists, shaking them out as he bounced from foot to foot.
He was getting super wound up. We were going to need to find the time to peel back his lid and let out some steam soon. Julia still had nothing for us, but I held onto the hope that she would soon.
We could always widen our net like Rook suggested several months back. Post the helpline fliers in the neighboring cities and towns, but then we might wind up with the opposite problem. Too much work to handle instead of not enough. If we left even one kid in a lethal situation…
If evenonedied because we didn’t get to them in time after they called the hotline…
It would be one too many.
“Yeah?” Rook asked, swiping the moisture from his upper lip.
“It’s almost time to go. You coming?” I asked, but it wasn’t really a question. Diesel had sent us all the group message on Monday night after the girls got settled in.
Diesel: Saturday night. Sanctum. Bring the girl.
Well, it was Saturday now and getting dark. Dies hadn’t given a specific time, but nine was a safe bet and it was nearing eight thirty now.
Rook shucked off his gloves and methodically peeled some tape from his knuckles and fingers. “We still don’t know what this is about?” he asked, his slitted gaze finding my face.
I shook my head. “No. We have to assume it’s another trial.”
“So soon?”
I shrugged. “It’s not that soon if he had nothing to do with the attack last weekend.”
Rook’s lips pressed into a tight line.
We hadn’t found a single thing to indicate the attack was at Diesel’s request. None of the Saints were injured or unaccounted for. Diesel hadn’t come to ring Rook’s neck for interfering or given Ava Jade a fail.
There were no prints on the syringe.
None anywhere in Ava Jade’s room.
Rook was still skeptical, but I believe this wasn’t Diesel. This was her stalker. It had to be.
