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“If you don’t cut it out, I’m going to bite your neck,” I warn breathlessly as my head tips back.
“Please do,” he whispers then drags his teeth along my collarbone.
“We don’t have time for this and people can see…” I’m no longer able to form coherent words as he grinds against me.
I stab my fingernails into his shoulder blades, forgetting all about the audience we have, and tilt my head farther to the side to give him more access. He chuckles then starts kissing and licking and biting—
El lets out a whistle and catcall, pulling me back to reality.
“And she’s back to being a pain in the ass,” Carter jokes through a throaty groan.
“We can finish this later if you want to.” Warmth creeps across my cheeks.
“Finish what exactly?” he teases. “Because I’m pretty sure your mind isn’t where my mind is.”
“Maybe it is.” What the freak am I doing?
A beat or two skips by and then he’s kissing me fiercely.
By the time we come up for air, El is wandering over to us with Holden and Gaige.
Grumbling, Carter stands up but makes no move to put me down.
“I need to talk to you, man,” Holden tells Carter as he reaches us.
“If it’s about the agency, Ens already told me.” Carter lowers my feet to the ground. Then he slips an arm around me and holds me protectively to his side. “But what I want to know is how we can trust you?”
“And how do I know I can trust you?” Holden quips with a smirk. “It really works the same way, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, but we’re putting a lot on the line in trusting you.” Carter stares Holden down.
“So am I,” Holden says, staring right back. “Especially considering who all of your fathers are.”
“He has a point,” I chime in. “And for the record, I believe him.”
“That’s because you’re a good person,” Carter says. “I’m not, which means I know how a bad person’s mind works.”
I angle my chin up and meet his gaze. “You’re not a bad person, so stop thinking that.”
“Aw, she’s defending your honor,” Holden mockingly gushes. “How cute.”
“They definitely make a cute couple,” El agrees, taking Holden’s side. What the shit? “They’ll probably end up being one of those couples who sits there and tells each other how amazing the other one is while staring dreamily into each other’s eyes.”
Holden chuckles while I reach out and playfully swat El’s arm.
“Traitor,” I say, my cheeks warming.
Carter kisses the top of my head and chuckles, but his humor promptly vanishes as he focuses back on Holden.
“So, how do we know we can trust you?” he asks.
Holden’s fingers move toward his holster. Or well, at first that’s what I think. But instead, his hand dips toward his pocket and he pulls out his phone. “Pack some stuff and get in the car.”
“Why?” Gaige, El, Carter, and I all ask at the same time.
“Because you want proof,” Holden says. “But the only way to give you that is to show you.”
The four of us trade a look.
“What do you think?” El asks to no one in particular. “Can we trust him?”
“I talked to the agency,” Gaige says. “The agent on the phone sounded legit.”
We sink into silence. Crickets chirp in the distance. The neon signs flicker off and on again, briefly blinding us in darkness
“I think we should do it,” I finally say as the neon signs click back on. “I mean, it’s either that, stay here and wait for Gregor or Winston to show up, or run. But considering who all our fathers are, I don’t know if we’d make it that far.”
“And what if Holden’s lying?” Gaige asks, fiddling with his eyebrow piercing. “Then what?”
I lift a shoulder. “Then we tie him to the bed and I cut off all his fingers and toes.”
“And his nuts,” Gaige mumbles as an afterthought. “Oh wait, that was El who was going to do that, right?”
“Wait. What?” El gapes at us like we’re crazy, which is saying a lot since she’s usually the crazy one of the group.
Carter’s expression mirrors hers.
“It’s a long story,” I tell them. “I’ll tell you in the car.”
The three of them remain silent for several minutes before nodding. Then we go into the room to pack up our stuff.
By the time we walk over to the car, the sun is starting to rise over the trees. I’m bursting with nerves, worried this isn’t going to work out the way that I want. Carter and Gaige must feel the same way because they both check the ammunition in their guns before we leave.
Before I climb into the car, Carter pulls me aside away from the others. Then he wraps his arms around me, hugging me desperately.
“If anything bad happens—If this looks like it’s going to go south, promise me you’ll do whatever it takes to run away.”
“I don’t think I’d feel comfortable just taking off and leaving you guys—”
“Promise me, Ens; otherwise I’m not going.”
I don’t like being bossed around, but the plea in his voice makes me whisper, “Okay, I promise.”
“Good.” He moves back, kisses me quickly, and nudges me toward his car.
Once the five of us are in, we peel out into daybreak.
I just hope this all works out. That the agency is real. And that we can put my father behind bars without any of us ending up in graves.
Twelve
Carter
I’m anxious as hell as I speed toward an alleged agency that is supposedly trying to take both my fake and real father down. Despite the nervousness, I’m kind of proud of myself. Proud for finally attempting to break free of the corrupt life I’ve lived, even if this might not go the way everyone’s hoping.
I’m also proud that I finally told the truth, not just to Ens, but to El.
At first, El was upset. She even threw a few things at me. But then she started crying, telling me she was so sorry I had to go through everything. For once, she felt like my sister, not my enemy. But then she’d pulled back and warned me that if I hurt Ensley, she would kick my ass. I like that she’s looking out for Ensley, though.
What I don’t like is that El and Ens are getting involved in this. Unlike Holden, Gaige, and I, they don’t know what they’re getting into. I want to try to talk them out of it, but both are pretty stubborn.
For most of the drive, everyone is pretty quiet. Ens is in the passenger seat with her head resting against the window and her eyes shut. Holden, El, and Gaige are in the backseat, El squished between the two guys, despite her protests. Either they’re all fast asleep, trying to go to sleep, or pretending to be—I’m not really sure. Holden being with us is making me nervous. First, he tells me he’s working for Gregor and now he’s suddenly working for some agency to take down Gregor. Yeah, it sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me. Which is why I refused to let someone else drive, no matter how much Ens suggests I should rest.
I rub my eyes as the blinding light from the setting sun reflects against my eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ens suddenly asks, startling me.
“Yeah, the sun’s just bright.” I flip down the visor. “I thought you were asleep.”
She rubs her eyes. “I was for a bit, but mostly I’ve just been thinking.”
I crack the window to let some air in. “About what?”
“About a lot of things.” She coils a strand of her hair around her finger. “Gregor. Winston. Those women and children on the website. How worried my mom sounded on the phone when I called her. You.”
I slow the car down for a sharp turn. “Me?”
“You’ve been really quiet.”
“So have you.”
“Yeah, but I’m usually that way.”
My brow cocks up. “Are you saying I talk a lot?”
She lifts a shoulder, giving a half shrug.
“Sometimes you do. It’s not a bad thing. You’re just social.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I thrum my fingers on top of the wheel. “But I’m not really. I just acted that way because of that thing we talked about with my mom.” With so many ears around, I’m purposefully being vague.
Ens smiles understandingly. “Well, you were good at it.”
“Yeah, but I’d rather be out of the spotlight.”
“Maybe you can be if this all works out.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Her gaze bores into me, as if she’s trying to unravel all my secrets and I want to let her. So badly. Just like I want to unravel hers.
“Are you nervous?” she asks quietly. “I mean, about what we’re going to do?”
I rest my arm on the console, my heart pounding. I’m more than nervous. I’m fucking terrified. But mostly for her and El. “Sort of,” I lie. “You?”
She laces her fingers through mine, the gesture calming my racing heart. “Yeah, but considering what we’re about to do, I think it’s probably pretty normal.”
“Maybe. But still… I think you should be careful. And remember what I said about what to do if things start to look sketchy.”
“Okay, but I want you to be careful too.”
“I’m planning on it.” I trace the folds of her fingers. “But you need to be extra careful, though, especially if you decide to work undercover for them.”
“Why? Because I’m a girl?” Her brow curves upward in a challenge.
I shake my head. “No, because you’re not used to this world yet. You’re a good person and the stuff you’ll have to deal with if you enter Gregor’s world isn’t going to be pretty.”
“I know that.” She stares out the windshield at the greying sky.
“You know, you can always just let us do this,” I throw the idea out there, hoping she’ll agree, but knowing she probably won’t.
“No, I want to help. I have to help.” Fierce determination burns in her eyes. “Gregor’s my father.”
“You’re not responsible for what he’s done. I wished you’d quit thinking that.”
“I know that, but I’ll probably be able to help a lot because he’s my father.”
“She has a point,” Holden murmurs from the backseat. “You know how Gregor is with Ruby. He tells her more than anyone.”
Ens’s brows knit. “Who’s Ruby?”
Shit. I forgot that Ruby is Ens’s half-sister. I hope she can handle hearing this right now, because I’m not about to lie to her. Not when I finally told her the truth.
“She’s your half-sister—”
“No, she’s not,” Holden cuts me off, scooting forward in the seat. “Gregor pretends she’s his daughter, but from everything I’ve found out, I’m pretty sure she’s the daughter of one of his… One of the girls he sells out hourly. I think one of his clients got her pregnant and then Gregor pretended she was his.”
“Why would he do that?” Ens asks, her eyes wide in absolute horror.
“To protect his business,” Holden replies with a shrug. “He had to keep her hidden somehow; otherwise, people might get suspicious.”
“But why not just give her away to an adoption center or something?” Ens asks. “I mean, he doesn’t sound like the fatherly type.”
“Maybe he was trying to replace you. She does look an awful lot like you.” Holden suggests. “Maybe he thought he’d turn her into the daughter he never had.”
“That poor girl,” Ens mumbles, her eyes watering with impending tears.
I stroke the back of her hand. “It’ll be okay. And Ruby hasn’t had that terrible of a life. At least from what I can tell.”
“You’ve met her?” she asks.
I nod. “A few times. And so have you.”
Her confusion deepens. “When?”
“Graduation day,” I say. “She gave you the rose.”
“Oh.” Her forehead furrows. “You know about that?”
I wince. “Yeah… Sorry I didn’t say anything.”
She shakes her head with her brows knit. “No, it’s fine.”
“No, it’s not,” I say. “I shouldn’t have lied to you.”
She carries my gaze. “I understand why you did it, though.”
“Still—”
She places her finger across my lips, silencing me. “No stills. We both made some stupid decisions and we can either dwell on them or move on. My vote’s for the latter.”
My lips tilt upward. “Me too.”
A beautiful smile spreads across her face. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page and that you already understand that I’m always right.”
I shake my head, but can’t keep myself from grinning.
Holden makes a cracking whip sound. “Man, she’s already got your whipped.”
I roll my eyes. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to tell everyone about Vivian.”
He shakes his head, glowering at me. “Fuck you, man.”
“Who’s Vivian?” El mumbles without opening her eyes. She has her head resting against Gaige’s shoulder and he has his arm wrapped around her.
Maybe Ens is right. Maybe they do have a thing for each other. That might end up being a bit of a problem, though, seeing as how I’m pretty sure Holden wants El, even though he’s never admitted it.
“Don’t you dare tell her,” Holden warns, his gaze skating to El. He frowns as he notes how cuddled up she is with Gaige.
El smirks, her eyes remaining closed. “One day I’m going to find out and use it against you.”
He stares at her. “You’ll only find out if I want you to find out.”
Her lips curl into a grin. “Carter could tell me.”
“He won’t though.” He throws me a you-better-keep-quiet look.
As much as I want to keep messing with him, I decide to let him off the hook. While we don’t have the greatest friendship, he did keep my secrets to himself.
Silence stretches between us.
“Fine, don’t tell me,” El grumbles. “You guys are boring. I’m going back to sleep.”
A few minutes later, she’s softly snoring.
Holden shakes his head. “She’s such a pain in the ass.”
“And yet you keep encouraging her. I wonder why that is.” When I glance at him in the rearview mirror, he shoots me a nasty look.
Ens’s gaze skates from me to Holden, then her brows rise in understanding.
“Don’t utter a word,” Holden warns, scowling. “Or I swear to God—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” I warn. “Do not threaten her.”
“Will you two chill the eff out?” Ens huffs an exasperated breath. “I’m not going to tell anyone anything. Trust me, I completely understand.”
I wonder if she’s referring to when she had a crush on me.
“Thanks, Ensley.” Holden sounds like he almost means it.
She smiles, but then the corners of her lips sink downward. “I have a question. It’s completely off the subject, but it’s something that’s been bothering me.” She rotates in her seat. “How come you guys haven’t been able to stop Gregor yet? Or Winston and Nicholas?”
“Because they have so much protection. You’d be surprised how many people cover up for them,” Holden says, picking up a bag of chips he bought at a gas station. “But the biggest problem we’re having is finding out where he keeps all the drugs and women he sells. Gregor is very careful about who his clients are. He doesn’t even trust me with that information and I’ve been working for him for about six months now.” He yanks his fingers through his hair. “As for Winston and Nicholas, that’s part of another investigation. But I’m sure the agent overseeing the case will be more than thrilled to have you,” he nods in my direction, “El, and Gaige helping.”
“How do you know you can trust us, though?” I ask. “I mean, you can, but why trust us? I’m not even sure I trust you yet.”
“Because I know you, man. And I know you want to
be a good person despite your shitty upbringing.” He stuffs a handful of chips into his mouth as he flops back in the seat. “As for the rest of you… Well, I’m not positive I can trust you. Don’t worry, though. The agency has ways of finding out if you’re trustworthy.”
Ens shudders. “That sounds very… ominous.”
“You’ll be fine,” Holden assures her. “Just as long as you tell the truth, and you’re doing this for the reason you told me.”
“I am.” Ens grips onto my hand.
I open my mouth again to try to subtly suggest that maybe she not do this when I notice a car riding my ass. I slow down to let the asshole pass, but they decrease their speed too. I speed up instead and so do they.
“Fuck.” I glance back and forth between the rearview mirror and the road.
“What’s wrong?” Holden asks, tossing the bag of chips aside.
I glance at Ensley, who’s watching me apprehensively. I don’t want to freak her out, but I don’t know any other way around this than to just say it.
“That car behind us is tailgating me,” I say. “And I can’t shake them, even when I slow down or speed up.”
“Fuck.” Holden reels around to look out the rear window.
“Maybe they’re just one of those assholes,” Ens suggests, turning around to peer out the back window. “You know, those people who refuse to pass but won’t back off.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I don’t believe my own words, though.
Neither does Holden apparently, since he whips out his gun. “Speed the car up.”
I grab my gun and set it on my lap. “Ens, you have your seatbelt on, right?”
“Yeah…”
“And what about El?”
“No.”
“Wake her up and tell her to put it on.” I downshift and the engine roars as I press down on the gas.
Ens leans over the console and gives El and Gaige a soft shake. “Put your seatbelts on.”
“Why?” El mumbles grumpily.
“Because we’re being followed by someone,” Ens explains, facing forward in the seat again.
“By who?” Gaige asks, sounding wide awake.
“I’m not sure yet, but my bet is either one of Winston’s or Gregor’s men,” I tell him. “Neither is a great option.”
