AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Low’s going to bring you some clothes to workout in,” he informs me as he sets down the phone. “We really need to develop a game plan to get your stuff, though.”
“I have to get my aunt and uncle to agree to let me move out first before we do that,” I remind him as I take out the last piece of toast. “Are we still planning on blackmailing my aunt with the knowledge that we know she’s cheating?”
“Definitely.” Hunter moves over to the stove with the bowl in his hand. “And I thought about that a lot while I was falling asleep last night.” He dumps the eggs into the pan. “And I think that maybe we should all just go over there when your uncle’s not there and just lay it out for her. We don’t need to mention the cameras. We can say something like when you texted her last night, we were at the house and saw her.”
“But, wouldn’t I have said that to her last night if it were true?” I point out as I grab a plate.
“That doesn’t really matter.” He reaches for the spatula. “When it comes to blackmailing, all you need is a little bit of knowledge and a lot of confidence.”
I recline against the counter. “You say that like you’re a blackmailing expert.”
He tosses me a smirk. “Maybe I am.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you were,” I say, and he grins.
I smile, too. It’s really hard not to smile around him.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” He sticks the spatula in the stove and starts moving the eggs around. “Don’t worry; blackmailing your aunt will probably be the easiest part of the day.”
I take the toast out of the toaster. “What’s going to be the hardest?”
“Probably holding this stupid party. Not just because it’s going to be rushed, but because I’m sure some of the people Benton is inviting are sketchy as hell. Not that we’re all not sketchy as hell, but there’s various levels of it.” He adjusts the temperature on the stove. “Totally off the subject, but these eggs are about done, so do you want to go wake up Jax?”
I nod as I put the last piece of toast on the plate. “Sure.” I start toward the doorway, but then I pause, realizing … “Wait. Which one is his room?”
“It’s the third door on the right,” he replies as he grabs the salt and pepper from a cupboard.
I walk off and head up the stairs, hoping Jax doesn’t think it’s weird when I wake him up. It seems sort of weird to me. I mean, I barely know him …
I think, anyway.
Okay, the more time I spend with the guys, the more I question that, especially after the shit I remembered with the raven. I really do need to find a way to bring it up to them. I just don’t want to look totally crazy.
So, how does one tell someone else that they think perhaps they once knew each other but then somehow forgot …
Yeah, that sounds crazy.
Crazy, crazy, Raven. I’ve been called that many times. Perhaps that’s why I’m so reluctant to tell them.
Le sigh. I really do need to grow some lady balls. Normally, I’m all about the badass, but this is different because these guys are trying to be my friends, and I don’t want to mess that up.
TWO
RAVEN
As I’m continuing the mental battle inside my head, I pass by the first room in the hallway and instantly slow to a halt. The door is wide open, the light is on, and inside is a treadmill along with a weight bench. In the far back corner is a sofa and, standing beside it, is Zay. He has his phone in his hand and is reading something on the screen. That’s not what captures my attention, though. No, I stop walking and stare inside the room because Zay has his hoodie and shirt off, and his bare back is facing toward me, giving me a full view of a long, jagged scar that runs down his back, right along his spine.
I’ve seen scars before—have plenty of my own—but this one is long, thick, and so close to his spine. Whatever caused it had to be a painful experience—
He suddenly turns, and his gaze collides with mine. He freezes, the muscle in his jaw pulsating.
“What were you just doing?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly then turn to leave. But that’s when it hits me, like a brick hitting me in the gut. Or the head.
“What do you mean, he fell down the stairs?” I ask the blond-haired boy. “That doesn’t sound like him at all.”
“I know. I think it was a lie,” he tells me quietly. “That’s probably why they’re not taking him to a hospital.”
