Page 93 of Soul So Dark

DALLAS (6:17PM): Whatever, you’re probably on your way to prom with Aiden

She’s still angry I’m not playingDark Soulswith her tonight. I already made plans, which involve her brother, so she’s even more red-assed about it. But after last night, I almost made something up and ditched them in favor of seeing her. Colson’s one of my best friends, and I’d take a bullet for him, but I also would’ve set up house in the backseat of that rat’s nest in the woods if I could’ve stayed there with Dallas longer.

I slide my phone back into my pocket and follow Aiden up the front walk to the towering cathedral-style door. “Apparently there’s a deadline, now,” I mutter as he rings the doorbell.

Prom.

He looks over his shoulder with disgust. “For Col and Mase? Couple of simps.”

Aiden’s one to talk, but I’m not going to mention that.

“Then why are we even doing this tonight?” he continues. “That only leaves a couple of hours.”

“We’ve wrecked more shit in less time,” I remind him. “Plus, I think it’s how they’re pre-gaming.”

The massive door swings open and Gianna Wilder appears. Her face lights up as soon as she sees us and she extends her hands with their perfectly manicured nails.

“My boys!” she greets us in her deep Italian accent.

This is what I admire about Mason’s mom; it doesn’t matter if I saw her yesterday, she always greets everyone like she hasn’t seen them in a decade.

Gianna gives Aiden a couple of rough pats on his shoulder blade as he steps inside and then reaches for me. She looks like she stepped straight out of some high fashion spread, with her perfectly styled, long black hair, linen jumpsuit, and gold jewelry that probably costs more than one of the cars sitting in their garages. But when I hug her, she feels like a mom and she’s the only one I’ve felt that with since the last time I hugged my own mom.

“No tuxes? No suits? Where are your things?” The words come at me so fast that they barely register.

“No, not tonight,” I reply.

“No prom?” she gasps, her eyes darting back and forth with an incredulous look.

Aiden flashes a smarmy grin at her. “I was actually going to see what you were doing tonight. Is Reed still out of town?”

Not missing a beat, Gianna delivers a sharp smack to Aiden’s torso, making him flinch. She purses her deep berry lips with exasperation and turns around with a shake of her head.

“Don’t tell me he’s rubbed off on you, Alex,” Gianna calls back to me.

“Something like that…” Aiden quips, making a jerking motion with his hand.

I’m going to fucking punch him before the night is over.

“Absolutely not,” I call back as I shoot him a look.

“You’ve not been skipping school and getting in fights?”

“No, ma’am. Perfect attendance,” I reply as we follow her through the house to the back door. “The fights are another story.”

I conveniently leave out the part where I’m actively avoiding my pseudo-ex, I’m surveilling Rory because he’s in a feud with Colson’s sister, and I’m pretty sure Gianna would disapprove of what we’re about to do tonight, anyway.

Mason, Colson, Josh, and Rory are already lounging by the pool waiting for us. Fortunately, there’s no mention of Rory’s bruised cheekbone and he doesn’t make the mistake of drawing any attention to himself. Once everyone is accounted for, we head for the garage and pack into Mason’s Avalanche, some in the backseat and some in the bed of the truck.

“What happens if he calls his goons on us?” Josh asks.

“They don’t know us,” Mason scoffs. “They can’t arrest all of us if we don’t talk.”

This is the most excited I’ve seen Mason in weeks, probably since before he and Colson found Evie. So much so that he actually smiles—for real. Not even Jay Rhinehardt’s family of police officers or the threat of being hauled into Canaan by Tate Garrison is enough to deter any of us. Tonight, we’re hunting for Bowen. The incident at the skate park was a threat, and now we’re leveling up.

“You don’thaveto talk to the police, no matter what they say,” Aiden sneers before he pulls a furry white rabbit head mask over his head and takes a look at himself in the truck’s window. “If you’re not under arrest, get up and leave. And if you are, say you want a lawyer and shut your mouth.”

I’m still not sure where he got the rabbit head, but it checks out. While everyone else looks like they’re auditioning for the starring role in a 90s teen slasher movie, Aiden chooses a cute fuzzy animal with a pink nose. But it also makes him look the most deranged.