Page 44 of The Darkest Note

I scowl at him. “Stop talking crap.”

“I’m just saying. No matter where he is, Sol would have snuck out or stolen a phone or found some way to contact us.”

My knee bounces on the chair. “It feels like we’re missing something.”

“I can try to talk to Sol’s mom again.” Zane wiggles his eyebrows. “Try the old Cross charm. It might be too powerful a weapon though. She might fall for me.”

“She’s more likely to smack your head with a frying pan,” Finn says.

Zane scowls at him.

I turn my leather band around and around as I think. It was a gift from Sol. He handcrafted it himself and gave it to each of us. We were around thirteen at the time. He said it was a symbol of brotherhood. From that day on, we made a pact to always have each other’s backs.

“We can at least tell her that the school isn’t going to hold what happened this summer against him. We got Mulliez out of the way,” I say. “And he was the only one protesting it. Once we find Sol, there shouldn’t be anyone in our way.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Finn says, his lips curling up.

I frown. “She’s not a problem.”

“She’s still here.” Zane points out. “Even after your brilliant idea.”

Finn does another riff on his guitar. I’ve never seen anyone move as fast as him. It’s like his fingers aren’t bound by time or physics.

My brother bounces a string. “It not like we can bring Sol back where he belongs even if we find him now.”

“Are you doubting me?”

“I’m pointing out the obvious.”

“You were the one who insisted on giving her a chance to bow out on her own,” I growl. “If we’d broken her without an explanation, it would have been better. But she knows what we want now. She’s going to be stubborn.”

“All hope isn’t lost. Christa’s already putting a target on her back,” Zane muses. “She wasn’t too happy about you brushing her off today.”

Both my brothers give me inquiring looks.

I clench my teeth. “I had a mission.”

“You had Christa willing to do the freakiest things to you and you turned her down to run after CC.”

I glower at Zane for the nickname.

He gives me a smug smile in return. “No mission is that important. Imagine how much Christa’s game improved now that her lips are bigger.”

“You’re not going soft, are you, Dutch?” Finn asks.

“You’ll see.” I reach for my guitar and play a melody to match Finn’s bass line. “Cadence has no idea what she’s in for. I’m going to ruin her so badly she never forgets my name.”

That’s not a threat.

It’s a promise.

* * *

Jinx: Trade a secret for a secret, Dutch. I’m getting all kinds of inquiries about your relationship with New Girl. Access to your private play room. Steamy showdowns in the hallway. Tarzan-style kidnappings. Is there something I should know?

CHAPTERTEN

CADENCE