Page 50 of This Blood That Binds Us

“Maybe, but we don’t have another choice. If we want to know if Danny is our guy, then we have to get closer to him. This is the best way.”

Her blue eyes were fixed, set on her intention. She wouldn’t be taking no for an answer.

“Plus, it’s the perfect setting. There are tons of people here.”

“Fine, but we need a code word, something we can work into the conversation if we’re feeling uneasy and need to bail.” I cast a quick glance at the glass doors in the lobby.

Danny would be there any minute, according to the swim schedule posted on the school bulletin.

“Good idea! What about. . . pineapple!”

“Why pineapple?” I smiled.

“It’s the first thing that came to mind. Plus, it’s my favorite fruit.”

Learning one of Kimberly’s favorites felt like a privilege not a lot of people got to know. I swallowed, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering. Luckily, the footsteps outside distracted me.

Danny strolled in on time, duffle bag in hand, and we watched him head toward the locker room. The way he walked and breathed all seemed normal to me.

Kimberly and I decided not to talk, in fear it might give us away. If he was a vampire, he’d be able to hear us in the lobby.

She raised her eyebrows at me, waiting for my approval. Another look toward the locker room, and I held up a thumbs up. We started walking. A singular force.

Danny spotted us immediately and turned on his heels. Kimberly and I exchanged looks before running in front of Danny and blocking his path.

“What’s up, Danny? Got somewhere to be?” I stuffed my hands in my pockets. I tried to take every note on how to be threatening from what I’d seen Zach do. Step one: be casual.

“I’m not talking to you. I don’t want to be seen with you. Leave me alone.”

Danny moved to go around us, but Kimberly and I had our hands firmly on the glass doors that led to the pool.

“What? Why?” Kimberly said.

Danny met my eyeline. “Your brothers made it very clear that I need to stay away from you guys. Especially you.” He stepped back, eyeing Kimberly. “Zach threatened to break my arms if I didn’t. Plural. That dude’s a psycho, so I don’t want to see if he’s bluffing.”

He probably wasn’t. It looked like Zach had done enough threatening for the both of us, but I wasn’t going to let him off that easily.

“We just want to talk to you.”

I kept my shoulders pulled back and chest out. Step two: stay calm and act like the coolest guy in the room.

“Listen, I’m sorry I grabbed you, okay? Won’t happen again. I was really drunk. I don’t even remember being in the living room.” He went for the door again, but Kimberly stepped forward, and he flinched away from her proximity.

I wasn’t getting any good reads on the guy other than the fact that he genuinely seemed scared of my brother.

“You don’t remember? Kimberly said.

“No. One minute, I was out by the pool, the next, I was sitting next to you. I was really drunk.”

I understood what Kimberly was getting at.

“What about after my brothers threw you out? Where did you go?”

Danny reared his head. “I called an Uber to get home...why?”

“Can we see your Uber receipt?” Kimberly said, her eyes daggers.

The gym bag dropped from Danny’s shoulder onto the ground, and he sighed. “Will you stop talking to me if I do?”