Page 119 of The Forbidden Note

“Jarod Cross started teaching at Redwood, married your mother and threw Dutch in jail, all to get his hands on the boys’ inheritance. That’s the kind of person we’re dealing with,” Cadence says.

I don’t know how to respond to that.

“Like we said, you wouldn’t be helping us for free. We’ll make sure you get your answers.Andyour revenge.” Zane looks at me again and I can feel the dark thread that binds us, that’s been drawing us together since that first night, getting a little tighter. It’s a hot, sticky sensation. The kind that gets on your fingers and refuses to be washed away.

“Revenge?” I choke.

“We’ll make it as dark and as painful as you want,” Zane promises.

Dutch nods.

The thirst for justice comes roaring back, eclipsing all the reasons why getting into bed with this crew could destroy me.

I take a moment to weigh the pros and cons.

It all equals out.

Trust them. Don’t trust them.

It’s really a leap of faith.

I glance at Zane whose stare is level on me. Just like that night when I looked into his gold-flecked blue eyes for the first time, I feel this surge of courage. Of urgency. Like this isn’t an opportunity I want to throw to the wind.

Glancing at the other dangerous, brutal, domineering Cross brothers, I realize there’s only one answer.

For Sloane’s sake.

For my sake.

For revenge.

“Yes.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY

ZANE

Grey pairs her phone to the projector and an invoice flashes on the sheet hanging from the criss-crossing roof beams. A light breeze flows through the windows. There are no screens, so there’s nothing obstructing our view of the stars.

Grey’s curls swing back and forth as she turns to face us, wiping a palm against that ridiculous floor-length skirt. A ripple of irritation fills me when I see that thing. I really don’t care about her outfit choices. If she wants to dress in an ancient freaking toga, it makes no difference to me.

But the fact that she’s changing what she likes to wear because people are talking about her?

Screw that.

Besides it’s a total waste of time.

Her curves are still tempting, even if they’re hidden. The attempt to cover her body does jack squat. I want to rip all that fabric off her and spread her legs more now than I did when she was wearing her sexy little pencil skirts.

Grey folds her hands together. “Last night, while I was talking to Finn, I had an epiphany.”

I spring to attention. “You were with Finn last night?”

My brother smirks knowingly at me.

White-hot jealousy unfurls, curling around my spine.

Dutch sits straighter, hearing the fight in my tone.