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The name didn’t ring a bell.

“He’s a member of The EA.”

Holy shit.

I took another look, but Zarina removed the book and replaced it with another one. A group of four lanky boys stood in front of a footy field, arms crossed and chests puffed. Shit-eating smirks on each of their fucking faces.

“That’s William,” Zarina pointed to the smallest, chubbiest of the teens. “That’s Dean White. That’s Joshua Stragg.”

Her sharp nail stopped on each of the boys’ faces for a moment, but she jabbed the point of the red-tipped nail hard into the face of the tallest, lankiest boy at the end of the pack.

“Andthatis Theo Lawe.”

I picked up the book, bringing it closer to my face to make out the blurry image of the boy.

“Theo as in babysitter Theo?”

Zarina nodded.

“I didn’t remember him at first. But Larissa mentioned William this afternoon. Apparently he’s been bragging about his little gang to anyone who will listen. I hadn’t thought of him in years, but hearing his name sparked the memory of him and Theo at school.”

I shook my head.

If it’s true, then it all checks out.

The arrogance and naivety of bragging about the criminal organisation you’re trying to start is pretty on par with trying to start a war between the two most dangerous organisations in Melbourne.

“Okay,” I scrubbed at the stubble on my jaw, throwing the book to the side for the moment.

Zarina had figured it out.

We didn’t know for sure, of course, and we’d have to confirm—but fuck, this girl was clever.

But right now, uncharacteristically, these fuckers were the last thing on my list of worries.

“We’ll deal with this later. But right now,” I leaned forward, wrapping my arm around her frame and dragging her onto my lap, “I need to know what is wrong with you.”

She scoffed a laugh, shaking her head like it didn’t matter, but I caught her chin between my fingers and forced her to look at me. Her lips popped open into a surprised little O, and my eyes scoured her expression for a hint.

“Tell me, darlin’. Please.”

I felt her softening a little in my lap, and she leaned a little more weight into me and let her shoulders slump.

God, my chest fucking stung at seeing her like this. Maybe no one else would notice the difference, and maybe no one else would see the subtle change in Zarina’s demeanour. But I had been watching her for weeks now. Obsessing over every smile, every laugh, every movement and change in expression.

I would place bets that no one but me would notice. But I would also place bets that Zarina would be the first person to notice if someone else was suffering.

“Theo,” she said eventually, and I tried my best not to begin throwing shit immediately.

“What did he do?” My voice wasn’t as calm and measured as I hoped it would be.

“This afternoon when he was driving me home…” she spoke slowly, and fuck, it took so much effort to keep the violence inside from rattling me. “He told me that he liked me.”

I nodded, staying quiet and waiting for her to continue.

And by the long pause that she took, I could tell that the story probably got much worse. Even though I was already ready to swing his jaw.

“I didn’t even reject him cruelly,” she shook her head and frowned through her confusion at the situation. “I was polite. I was kind. I didn’t laugh at him or make fun. I kept it light, you know?”