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“That’s like five miles away.”
“I’ll call a taxi.”
River laughed. “Taxis won’t come near here tonight. From what I heard about last year, kids were flipping cars when the party started. They won’t chance it.”
I lifted my chin. “Then I’ll walk.”
Everly moved to get up. “I’ll go with you—”
“You want to stay,” I told her as she looked undecided. “You’ve been wanting to party all summer. Stay and enjoy yourself. I’ll see you later.”
“It’s nearly ten at night,” Everly argued. “I’ll go too.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Stop, you’re not changing my mind.”
A strand of guilt slithered through my chest. She was a good friend. I was a piece of shit. But there was no going back now. I nodded in defeat as she trailed after me. I glanced over my shoulder, honestly surprised River wasn’t trying to keep me here. He wouldn’t be able to play the last game without me. Like me, he hated losing. Amusement danced in his eyes as we locked gazes. A chill went down my spine, but I pushed it away as Everly and I walked away from the crowd.
I should have left right away. It was stupid to have stayed this long. But River had been glued to my side, making sure I was on the court to play. I figured making a scene to leave would have been worse. But that was wrong. Every second, my chance of getting found out grew larger.
We made it to the other side of the court, and my heart rate slowed down when we were out from under the harsh lights that surrounded the court. I liked the dark. It hid the truths. Covered the fear. It was like a cloak wrapping around me, keeping me safe. We reached the parking lot, and my stomach dropped as footsteps matched mine and Everly’s. Not even taking the time to look behind me, I hurried my pace, hoping Everly would do the same.
My body seized up when a hand gripped my upper arm. I cried out in protest when I was spun around and pushed into the side of a car. My breathing sped up as I faced West. He watched me curiously as Eli stood behind him.
“West,” Everly snapped. “Leave her alone—”
“Give us a minute, Everly,” West interrupted, not taking his eyes off me.
“No. You can’t just give me orders like you do everyone else. I’m your family.”
“I love you, Everly. But you don’t run this city. Now leave. This will only take a few minutes.” West’s voice gave no room for arguments, and the threat in it reminded me that he was just as dangerous as Eli, even if he didn’t always show it.
Everly looked at me with apology written all over her face as she backed away and moved in the direction of the bleachers. I pushed off the car, only for West to shove me back. Eli came and stood next to West’s side, making sure I stayed put.
“Where are you going?” West asked, his voice back to normal. “We’re supposed to play you next. And I’ve been waiting all night.”
I studied both of their faces, trying to find out if this was really about the game or if they knew who I was and were just messing with my head. Neither showed any hint of recognizing me, and I relaxed a bit.
“You told the other guy these games were just for people who lived here.” I shrugged, acting casual. “I figured I shouldn’t take a win if I was breaking the rules.”
West barked out a laugh. “So confident. You really think you’d win against us?”
“You won’t find out. I’m leaving.”
“No, you’re not,” Eli finally joined the conversation. “You’re holding back.”
My mouth went dry. “Excuse me?”
“We were watching you play.” West cocked his head to the side. “You’re letting River run the court. You can play better than that. It’s obvious.”
“You better get it together before we play,” Eli said. “We don’t do handouts. When we win, I want it to be a fair game.”
“She was just conserving her strength for the last game.” River appeared out of the darkness, and dread locked up my muscles. Being with all three of them alone was something out of my nightmares. River smirked as West and Eli turned to face him.
“What the hell are you doing here, River?” West snarled, advancing toward him. “All alone, with no one to back you up.”
“No need for backup,” River replied, lifting his hand to reveal a gun. “But don’t think I’m stupid enough to leave myself vulnerable.”
