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Chapter 2

Addie

Istood there, staring at the men who had quickly become my entire world. They gazed back at me, eyes earnest, if not pleading. I tried to process Tam’s words, tried to understand the implications of such a simple sentence.

Arrest.

Parents.

Government.

Nothing made sense.

“Kitten,” Ryder said. “Say something.”

I blinked at him.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Because my world has just been turned upside down. All of our interactions had been a lie. Had they even wanted to be my friend, or was I just a mission to them? That thought made my heart squeeze painfully as if held together by iron clamps. I remembered my first meeting with Ronan, the first time I rested my eyes on Asher.

I remembered my conversations with Calax. How he had conveniently moved into an apartment complex my parents owned.

Oh god.

“Addie, I see the wheels in your head turning.” Calax almost sounded desperate, an emotion I doubted he was familiar with.

I only managed to croak out one word. “Explain.”

It was Fallon who spoke, finally regaining his cool. He straightened his spine and leveled me with a penetrating stare. It felt as if he was seeing through my layers of clothes and into my very soul. I couldn’t help but squirm at the scrutiny. My soul was dark and tarnished. I feared that if he looked any closer he would see how broken I actually was.

“Your parents were believed to be involved with an international drug cartel, among other things. Human-trafficking, for one. Murder.” He continued to stare at me, eyes assessing. I shifted in my seat, both at his words and his unflinching eyes. “We were investigating a particular case. A Mexican drug lord named Jose Hernadez.”

“Papa Jose?” I asked, stunned.

“Huh?” Ronan broke in, eyebrow quirked.

I knew exactly who he was referring to, and I may or may not have known that Papa Jose wasn’t a Grade-A citizen. Don’t judge.

“He told me to call him Papa Jose,” I filled in helpfully. Tam and Asher exchanged startled glances. “I liked him. He would give me candy when he came to visit.”

“Addie…” Calax began in his usual reprimanding tone. “How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t take candy from drug lords.”

“Bygones be bygones.” I waved my hand dismissively. They were investigating my parents? Papa Jose? Again, that thought didn’t unsettle me. It was surprising, yes, but somehow, I had already suspected as much. I knew that the boys weren’t the standard, all-American high schoolers. They were so much more than that.

“So…” I trailed off, unsure of how to phrase my next question. On one hand, I didn’t want to offend any of the guys, especially Ryder and Calax. But...you know what they say. Curiosity killed the petty bitch. “Was anything true? Our friendships? Our…” I glanced between Ryder and Calax, too quickly for anyone to notice. “Relationships?”

I saw hurt flash in Calax’s normally impassive expression, and I hated myself for putting it there in the first place.

“I didn’t know who you were when I first met you,” Ronan offered at last. “I knew they had a daughter, but you were not my assignment. Actually, it was Elena’s team’s job to get close to you. To become your friend.”

A snort escaped, unbidden.

“That turned out well.”

“No shit.” Ronan’s lips quirked. “All I knew was that you were a strange, slightly crazy girl that I had to get to know better.”

“None of us looked at you like a mission, Kitten,” Ryder said softly. He reached forward to squeeze my knee. “Sure, we wanted to protect you and care for you, but that had nothing to do with the case or your parents. That was solely because of you. We wanted to be your friend because of who you were as a person, not because of who your parents were.”