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“Nick said something about Chris getting a hold of Shawn.” Kian’s words had my stomach clenching. They’d figure it out even if I didn’t say anything.
“Did Chris kill him?” Jace asked, sounding almost hesitant.
“Yes,” I answered, my voice thick as I attempted to rein in my emotions.
“Why?” Kian glanced at Jace. “Why did both gangs want him?”
“I don’t know.” I jumped to my feet, wiping away the tears. “And I don’t know why Hayes wants me unless he’s still pissed that I killed one of his men years ago. You both know everything I do now.”
“Except who your boss is,” Kian said.
“And that’s something you don’t need to know,” Gage snapped.
Before I could move away from the couch, Jace strode forward and caught my arm. “Little Haven isn’t safe if Hayes is coming after you.”
“She’ll be fine,” Gage growled, his voice getting louder as he crossed the room. “Get off her.”
“I’ll have eyes on Hayes within the hour,” I stated, tugging away from Jace. “If he comes onto campus again, I’ll know.”
“Rynn—”
“No,” I cut Kian off sharply. “I’m done talking about it. You asked, and I answered. Now, I’m going to sleep. Maybe I can just forget how fucking shitty life has been lately.”
I didn’t care if it was only seven. I was fucking exhausted. It was impossible to believe that twenty-four hours ago, I was getting ready for Alicia’s New Year’s party. Between Jace finding out who I was with, and then Hayes realizing who I was—it was not the way I wanted this new year to start.
All three of them stayed quiet as I went to my room and shut the door behind me. I wasn’t in the mood for their bickering. My bed was still unmade, and I lay down, wrapping the comforter around me and forcing all the problems out of my head as I fell asleep.
32
“You can go now.”
Jace ignored me, pouring himself a drink as he kept my stare. We were at The Pit, and I’d just spent the last couple of hours playing nice with him. Not for his benefit, but for Rynn’s. Ever since everything went down, she’d been in a funk. It had been three days, and I hadn’t seen her smile once. I wasn’t sure if it was from all the talk of her brother, or because Hayes had found out who she was, but either way, the fire in her eyes was absent, and it was cutting me up.
“This was my idea,” Jace said with a smug grin. “And I’m staying here to tell her that.”
I messed with my tongue ring, glaring at him. If I started fighting, it would defeat the whole reason I was doing this. Plus, Jace was still healing. His face was still mottled with dark bruises, and his moves were slow, thanks to his injured ribs. It would be boring to drag him into the cage right now. I could be patient. Rynn needed some fun, and that’s what tonight was about.
I turned away from him, catching Hyde’s eye and nodding. He moved to go open the front door, and I snatched the liquor bottle from Jace and took a swig. There were tables set up around the cage, and they were all ready for the poker games. I knew Rynn liked playing, but it was Jace who’d reminded me of that. So we’d planned a poker tournament tonight instead of the usual fights. I had her favorite drinks and snacks all laid out, and the night would be perfect if Jace and Kian would disappear. But Kian was with Rynn while Jace and I set up, and I doubted he’d leave when he got here.
Ellie had more men in Little Haven and a couple more keeping track of Hayes. If he stepped foot on campus, we’d know about it. There was no threat right now, and we were going to take advantage of it by actually having a fun night. Although Ellie was far from happy that Hayes knew about Rynn. She had half a mind to take Rynn off campus, but Rynn refused.
“Do you play?” Jace asked as he sat at the table we were at. “Or will you be the first to lose your money?”
“I know how to play,” I ground out, taking the seat across from him.
He chuckled. “Rynn played with me a few times that summer. She bluffs even better than me. Though, considering what I know now, that’s not really a surprise.”
I didn’t answer, instead watching the doors as students crowded inside, looking for free spots at the tables. It was first come, first serve, and as long as they had the buy-in, anyone could play. Excited chatter mixed in with the quiet music that was coming through the speakers, and I straightened up in my chair when I spotted Rynn.
She was dressed as she always was on fight nights. A short skirt and an even smaller top that covered only half of her stomach. Her hair was down, and she brushed it back, revealing she wasn’t wearing any makeup. She looked fucking gorgeous.
Kian had his arm around her waist, and she had a frown on her face as he whispered something in her ear. Usually, she loved coming to The Pit, but just like the last three days, she just looked drained. She caught sight of me, confusion flashing in her eyes when she noticed Jace across from me. Interest sparked across her features as she took in the room, taking note of the tables. Kian led her closer, and when they got to the table, she sat next to me.
“What’s going on?” she asked curiously.
“We’re playing tonight,” Jace answered before I could. “I already paid your buy-in.”
“Why?” She glanced at me, looking for answers.
