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“Halen?” I don’t hide the cynical tone in my voice. “Now, the truth.”
“That was all a lie, but whoever lost would be with Stella and whatever she wanted to do with them. That’s all.”
“And what happened tonight?” I’ll try the trauma anyway, because we all know vanilla isn’t my thing.
Her face pales. “Oh. I was breaking in the track when my opponent pulled up beside me. Honda Civic—”
I scoff.
She glares at me. “—with anot-Honda engine. Anyway. He looked familiar. I knew him, but it wasn’thim.”
“The man from when you were younger?”
She nods. “Yeah.” When her voice cracks, she clears her throat. “He said he was his son. We raced, I panicked, and I shot him. His car flipped and landed near the Ferris wheel.” She glances at the girls. “That’s all we know.”
“Who is this man, Halen?” I lean forward, wrath clawing its way up my spine. “What did the video that he gave you show?”
She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “The man who gave me the video? I don’t know. I’ve never seen him again since.”
Priest turns over his shoulder. “Where’s the video?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t have it. I destroyed it straight away.”
“You—” Priest stands slowly, turning his full attention to his sister. “—fucking why?”
I slow my exhale and watch them with careful eyes. Priest would never hurt his sister, but then Priest puts the Kings first and above all, so if he thinks she’s betrayed us in any way, there’s no telling what he would do.
“You protecting them?” His eyes flash a brilliant shade of murder.
Halen doesn’t back down, crossing her arms. She’ll never bitch from a challenge, even if her biggest one has always been her brother. “I hate you.”
Shit, she’s mad.
And making it obvious that she’s avoiding me.
“Who is he?” I ask, apathetic to her obvious hostility, even though I’m having massive regrets about not dragging her ass back into that shower.
Her shoulders lift again, as her eyes move to the girls. “I guessed a long time ago that he was with a rival group. Not sure who.”
I trace the lines of her features in an attempt to domesticate my wild thoughts.
With her arms at her sides and her mouth turned to a frown, I know she isn’t lying.
“So, why the bloodbath tonight?” I ask, tilting my head. “The passion? I mean, you gotta be filled with some pretty volatile hatred if your first instinct when you see someone is to pump a whole chamber into their skull.”
She falters. “I told you. He looked like the man. I panicked and killed him.”
My jaw twitches a few times. “I’m fucking tired. We can finish this shit tomorrow.” I know Halen, and the harder you push, the more she pulls away. Whatever happened, there has to be more to it than what she’s letting on.
I fall back as my hand rests on my abs and the circle light dims from above her bed. My eyes follow her when she saddles up with the girls in the corner. With how big the space is, we can’t hear each other talk if it’s hushed, and something about that just doesn’t sit right with me.
The mattress dips as a rolled joint comes into view by tatted hands. I reach for the trunk, glancing briefly up at Vaden.
Bringing it to my lips, I ignore the faint chatter from the girls and the evident silence from Priest. I inhale and hold, until I feel my muscles relax around the THC.
Vaden takes the spot at the top of the bed. “Gentlemen?”
I bend my head back to look at him. “Naw. Don’t stress that. This is too messy for them, and they’d never go for one of us. It’s why the treaty is in place.” I blow on the ember when it dies out. “Danny Dale is a crazy sucker, but he loves his kids. He’d never do anything to fuck with that. Because we would,” I clarify, even though Vaden doesn’t need to be reminded. “Fuck with them. I’ve heard his daughter is hot. She’d make a good little target.”
