Page 49

thirty-five

The sound of a key slotting into the metal door startles me from a restless sleep.

Hope soars that my boyfriend will walk through like he hasn’t been missing for two days.

When it opens, I grab the blanket and rush to it.

A tall man with shaggy black hair, cut cheekbones, and fierce blue eyes enters. My belly flips.

But it’s not Ryan.

Raising up onto my tiptoes, I halt my steps in front of Aiden, who shuts the door behind him and turns his icy gaze on me. “I came to check up on you. Henry said you wanted to be alone last night.”

My throat is tight with disappointment. “I did.” Despite his frigid demeanor, I appreciate Aiden showing up—only because he looks like Ryan, and they share blood. His presence is oddly comforting.

“I bought the place across the hall so he could stay there instead and set a few pledges in the parking lot. No one unapproved will be allowed in the building. I have it on my phone’s surveillance system to watch everyone come and go.”

I blink at his kind gesture, though he speaks as if it’s his duty . “Thanks.”

He points toward the sofa, and I grip the covers tighter around me and lead him to it. The leather squeaks as I slouch onto a seat while he perches on the arm of the chair nearby.

“Pippi, I need you to understand something important. You’re his , Ryan’s, and soon to be a Cardell. Sometimes, he’ll have to do things that may seem sordid , but?—”

With a sharp inhale, I roll my eyes. “I’m not a delicate flower, Aiden. Look who raised me and where I come from. You think girls from Gnarled Pine Hollow are like the Elina Burberrys of the world? No. I grew up around what I think people call organized crime .”

There. It’s a sort of a hushed topic in our household, but the Freidenbergs earned most of their money through an illegal gun trade. If he thinks I’m a coquettish idiot, then he needs to learn, and fast.

For the first time, his stone face breaks into a softened expression.

One may even describe his lips as showing off a grin.

“Perfect.” He flares out the tails of his peacoat and sits across from me.

“Then I need you to work with us on this. No one should know that Ryan has gone missing. Not until I gather more information.”

“It’s a few days late for that.”

“If anyone asks, explain that he got into a row with our father and took off to his beach house for a few days, but he’ll be back for the next hockey game.”

Like it’s been stabbed, my heart weeps in my chest. “How do you know that?”

Aiden stares at the glass-topped coffee table for a long time with a look of intense sadness. “Because I have to believe it.”

“Does your mom know?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Your sisters?”

“No. Only my father and those who need to. But this is why I want to keep it as much of a secret as we can. My mother cannot find out about this. It will break her.”

“Where do you think he is?” I ask, desperation clawing at my senses. I need something .

The backs of his fingers trail along his jawline, causing the scruff to ruffle underneath them. “I thought that it was a society issue and explored all avenues there. Now, I don’t think that’s it.” He clears his throat. “Bo found something.”

Sucking in a breath, I sit up straighter. “What?”

“Pieces of his bike. Like he’d been hit in an accident on the north side of campus.”

“Did you check the hospital?—”

“Yes. No signs. None in the student clinic, either. The police would make us aware if they knew anything, too.” Running his palms down his black trousers, he stands. “My father and I will find him today . And whoever has him…they will pay.”

I give him a nod. “Good.”

Without a parting word, he leaves as slyly as he arrived, taking with him the chill in the room. When I’m around Aiden Cardell, I feel like I’ve just interacted with a robot, or, more accurately, a serial killer.

I skip my classes, not wanting to interact with anyone. But after a shower and change of clothes, I get hungry enough to venture toward the student center to pick up lunch. They have well-cooked food, and I’m craving something homey, more than a frozen dinner or a sandwich, which I have at home.

Home…

It’s become that now but feels empty without Ryan. The absence of him is too much. My heart has been sucked into a black hole.

Gwen.

Mitch.

Ryan…

If someone is coming for me, why don’t they take me instead? Maybe the goal is to weaken my resolve so much that I long for death. An image of Ryan in pain enters my mind, but I quickly push it away.

It’s easier to focus when I enter the cafeteria and see Oz sitting with some Delta brothers, including Apollo.

My jaw clenches as I spot them, and the two exchange glances, as if actively trying to ignore my presence.

Heat lights up my face as I think about scolding them like children for their antics on the roof the other night.

After grabbing some hearty stew and sourdough bread, I balance a bottle of water on my tray and skirt toward their seats. Both lean across the table, talking in low voices, but as I approach, they straighten and greet me.

“Hey, sis,” Oz says, and Apollo nods politely, but shyly.

As I set my food down, Apollo takes a big stretch with his arms wide, his black button-down shirt coming untucked from his trousers. He always dresses like a miniature mafia boss.

“Well, I gotta get ready for tonight. Good to see you, Pip.” With a toss of his longer black locks, Apollo stands abruptly and leaves in a hurry on his leather loafers.

“I didn’t even get a chance to speak to him,” I complain to Oz, then shovel in a big bite. The heat of it soothes my rumbling belly.

“Yeah… You know, with the game going on tonight, things are hectic. I should probably go soon.” His eyes shift from side to side as irritation makes my neck tight. I can’t hold it in any longer.

“It’s been almost two weeks since we actually talked . Then you shoot up my boyfriend’s party last weekend!”

“Sorry, but we’ll do something soon.” My twin looks as if he’s debating on staying or going while his eyes focus on something behind me.

I glance over my shoulder at a group of Betas , including Chase and Logan. “Worried about taking them on tonight?”

Oz scoffs a laugh and stares down at my tray. “No.”

“Will you stay with me, please? I-I need company. Plus, I want to know what you were thinking by coming to Luminescence.” I’m not quite sure how to keep something as important as Ryan’s disappearance from him, but if I keep stuffing my face, maybe I can keep my mouth occupied.

“O-okay.” He watches behind me some more, then glances toward the food lines. And around the room. Then my tray.

“Why aren’t you looking at me?”

His light brown eyes widen as he mocks my stare. “I’m looking right at you.”

“Is something going on?”

Reaching across the table, he grabs half of my bread, then shoves it in his mouth and chews while saying, “No.”

He’s lying. I set my spoon down with a clang. “You fucking know something.”

“Lower your voice, Pip. Vengracurus! ”

I’m not sure what that means, but have a feeling it has to do with the Delta god.

“What is it you know?”

Oz leans in closer and pretends to take some more bread, but his eyes lift to capture my gaze. “Who took him.”

Tears sting my eyes, and my voice cracks. “Where is he?”

He only licks his lip and stills, then glances around the long table. No one else is nearby.

“Please, Oz, tell me.”

“What is our motto?”

My brow crinkles. “ Delta’s ? Um, Fidelitas vindicta. ”

“And what does that mean?”

“Why are you making me translate Latin right now?—”

“Loyal retribution.”

“Revenge… Who wants revenge on my boyfriend?”

“When Valen cleaned up your electronics and made sure your boyfriend hadn’t hacked them anymore, he also got into his system as a safeguard.”

With a rapid pulse, I whisper, “What did he find?”

“Your video.”

Mortification makes the stew churn in my stomach, my face flushing hot. “Which video?”

Oz sits back and swallows, but he won’t look me in the eye. And now I know why. I wouldn’t want to see him do that, either.

“Oh,” I say. After a moment, I have to wonder… “Who would want revenge for that, though?”

“Pip, I understand why you did it. I mean, I get what was going on in the clip I saw, I think. Maybe… Whatever. But, uh, Adal was not pleased.”

“ Are you telling me that our brother took him ?” The entire sentence is almost spit with venom, but I maintain a lowered voice, glancing around the room. A few students watch, but quickly return to their own conversations.

“I tried to tell them that you can totally take care of yourself and would have cut the guy’s dick off if you didn’t really want to, but they didn’t care.”

“ They ?”

Quietly, he murmurs, “Oh. Uh. Nico saw it, too.”

I stand and hold out my palm. “Give me your gun.”

He balks, head rearing back. “What?! No.”

“Give it to me, now , so I don’t have to go home and grab mine.”

His jaw drops. “Are you seriously going to kill our brother over him?”

Shoulders back and with a full chest, I say, “I’m hoping it won’t come down to that. I could take Nico out first as a warning.”

I give him the look . The one only he and I share when shit gets serious. It’s our twin thing. And he stands his ass right up.

“I’m going with you.”

“Fine. But I’m holding the weapon.”

Glock loaded with one in the chamber, I don’t hesitate to bust into The Underpass’s inner hall that used to be a place for city equipment storage. I’ve never been allowed in the back room, but that’s about to change.

Oz trails behind my right shoulder, but at a far enough pace away that it doesn’t appear as though he’s on my side. My baby cousin, Wyatt Donovan, Ashlyn’s younger brother, stands in front of the door like he’s the guard.

“Move, kid,” I say before I even reach the end of the hall.

“Uh…” His big blue eyes glance at Oz, who doesn’t say a word.

“Wyatt, seriously. Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”

“We’re on fall break.”

“How many fucking breaks do you guys get?”