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I pull one of the baskets toward me with a gold sauce that looks like honey mustard. I tear the chicken finger apart and taste test the first bite. When I gaze up, the guys are all staring at me, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because they’re waiting to hear the verdict on how good these damn chicken strips are. Sidenote: They’re amazing. But what they really want from me is to start explaining to them why I freaked out at Kennedy’s office building.
Taking my time chewing, I lick the tips of my fingers then give my audience a thumbs up. “Leo’s right.”
“Hell yeah, I am,” he says, digging into his own basket. So maybehewas the only one waiting to see what I thought about the chicken. This guy is a puzzle.
“You can tell us,” Alaric prompts, as if he’s putting out feelers for what we’re going to say.
“You guys didn’t see anything from the cameras?” I hedge.
“The whole Kennedy system was completely turned off.” Leo wipes his hands on a napkin he picks up from the pile he dropped onto the center of the table. “All the way from the front of the building, the elevator, and the entire penthouse floor. We didn’t mess with it since that’s what we wanted anyway. So,” he says, chewing the last bit of his chicken, “what did you guys see?”
I try to rationalize myself out of this. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal. Dads watching their daughters fuck old dudes like their life depends on it is normal, right? This wasn’t some sick…thing.
Despite my attempts, this travesty has the Knights written all over it, and despite not caring for Anne-Marie one iota, I’m chilled to the bone seeing her do that. I can’t help but think something truly sinister was going on at that very moment.
“They’re scared,” Alaric points out, switching his attention to Leo.
“No, we don’t trust you,” Oliver explains, laying it out for them. I kick him in the shin, and he glares at me.
Alaric presses his lips together, nodding slightly. Leo, however, isn’t so quiet. “Well, that’s bullshit. We all went there together, and you trusted us then.”
He’s got a point. We trusted him to shut the cameras off. They could’ve recorded us spying on Kennedy and turned us both in. Hell, maybe they actually will do that. We have no idea.
“We can’t help you unless you tell us,” Alaric reasons. “I meant what I said. We’re in this together. As soon as they grouped us up, it became my mission to make you a Fledgling. If we need to worry about something you saw, you have to tell us.”
Leo rolls his eyes. “Jesus. When did you turn into such a pansy?”
Alaric glares at him. “Wow. I can’t believe they don’t trust us. I’m in utter astonishment.”
Leo grins in response, then addresses me. “Tell us or I show the video I took of you to everyone I know.”
I suck in a breath, and Oliver straightens. “Video? What video?”
“You won’t,” I bluff, fury icing my veins. “How will you be able to jerk off in the future?”
“Oh, you misunderstand,” he says, danger dancing in the haze of his blue eyes. “I’m not going to delete the video afterward. It will be added to my personal spank bank, and so many others’. So. Many.”
“Fine. Do it,” I challenge, daring him with my eyes. I may be playing terrible odds here since this seems like something he does for shits and giggles on a Tuesday morning, but I really don’t think he will. Why? I have no fucking clue.
Leo pulls his phone out of his pocket, and Alaric places his hand over it. “You’re going to delete that video as a sign of trust. And I’m going to deal with this like a Knight. If we want a secret, we divulge a secret.”
Oliver and I peer at each other. Itcouldwork. That’s how these games are played, right? Everyone has something on someone else, and that means everyone keeps quiet. Which is probably how Alaric knew Kennedy was screwing his secretary. What does someone have on him to keep him quiet, though?
I expect Leo to laugh at Alaric’s idea. He doesn’t. His throat works, staring at Alaric as if he’s wondering if his secret will be worth deleting the video along with hearing the information we have. In the end, surprisingly, Alaric’s secret wins. Leo taps his screen a few times, then turns the phone toward us while he deletes the file.
“From the cloud too,” I add.
“Done,” he states, shrugging.
Oliver touches my leg from under the table to gain my attention. When I peer toward him, he lifts his brows in a silent question. I give him a slight nod.
“Fine,” Alaric continues. He rubs his temples, then slides his fingers through his beautiful hair. “I’ve got something that could get me kicked out of Carnegie. Record this next part,” he instructs, dropping his voice low.
Oliver takes out his phone, but Alaric keeps his stunning gaze on me, his green irises burning me up, sending my heart fluttering all over the place. “I went down on a student,” he reveals. “And every time she’s in my class, I want to rip her clothes off and devour her with my tongue.”
I’m breathless. He’s talking about me, which means it was Alaric’s face in my pussy before that river Trial. My body heats at the admission, but Oliver growls. “Not good enough.”
“I agree with the royal pain in the ass,” Leo seethes. “The Knights would cover that up in a heartbeat.”