Chapter 36 Cassie
CASSIE
“You’re going to be mad,” I said. “But I’m asking you to hear me out.”
“You’re really freaking me the fuck out,” Bram said.
“Me too,” Remy said from the kitchen.
“Do you want some privacy?” Maeve asked, standing next to Bram with her hand on his shoulder. “We can leave you alone.”
I shook my head. “It’s not going to matter, and you all need to know anyway.”
If anything, I hoped that having Maeve there would be a calming influence on Bram. She had that effect on him, except when someone hurt her or did her wrong, in which case Bram turned absolutely murderous.
She sat next to Bram, her light blue eyes bright with concern.
The room grew silent. It was now or never and since never wasn’t an option the decision was made for me.
“I joined the Hunt,” I said. “While you were in Bali.”
Bram looks as confused as I’d ever seen him. “You… what?”
Maeve’s eyes were wide.
“Holy fuck,” Remy said.
Poe glared at him.
“I joined the Hunt,” I said. “I knew you wouldn’t want me to so I waited for you to leave and I— ”
Bram was off the couch.
I stood. “Where are you going?”
I hadn’t even gotten to the part about the Hawks yet.
“I’m going to end Titus.”
“You said you’d hear me out.”
“I never said that.” He was almost to the stairs. “You asked me to do it but I never said I would.”
“Wait…”
Maeve stood. “Sit down, Bram.” He froze and looked back at her. “Your sister has something she wants to say to you. Don’t you think you should listen?”
Bram hesitated, then stalked back to the sofa like a chastised Rottweiler.
He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Someone is going to die for this. But go ahead and finish.”
“I joined the Hunt and I lost.” I hesitated, knowing once I said the next thing I wouldn’t be able to go back. “To the Hawks. I lost to the Hawks.”
Bram was on his feet again, but Maeve blocked him from heading for the stairs.
“She’s not done.”
His right eye twitched as he sat down. “I’m going to rip their heads off. But keep going.”
“It was no one’s fault but mine. I wanted to win, and also I… I wanted to play.”
“Why, Cass?” There was nothing but sympathy in Maeve’s eyes. “Why did you want to play?”
I glanced at Poe and Remy, then took a deep breath. “Because I’m still a virgin.”
“Holy shit,” Remy said.
“Will you please shut the fuck up?” Poe said.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to leave?” Maeve asked. “Or maybe you just want Poe and Remy to leave.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “You’ll all know in the end anyway. And it’s partly their fault.”
Remy lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I swear to god I have nothing to do with Cassie’s virginity.”
“It’s your fault because there isn’t a single guy in Blackwell Falls who will fuck me. And you know why?”
“Because you’re Bram’s little sister,” Maeve said softly.
“Because I'm Bram’s little sister. And everyone knows if they touch me, the Blackwell Butchers will cut them into little pieces and bury them on the mountain.”
“Jesus christ, Cass.” Bram jumped up and started pacing. “There’s nothing wrong with being a virgin.”
“Easy for you to say. I’m twenty-four!”
His jaw was locked so tight I thought he might break his teeth.
“What about dating someone from out of town?” Maeve asked. “I’m not judging — at all — but the Hunt is no way to lose your virginity.”
“I tried that.” I sounded as miserable — as embarrassed — as I felt. “And guess what?”
“What?” Maeve asked.
“As soon as anyone found out I was a virgin they got all… weird. I should have just fucked someone in high school when everyone was a virgin and no one cared.”
“Can we please…” Bram looked at the ceiling. “Can you please stop talking about fucking?”
“Why? Because I’m your little sister? I’m not allowed to think about fucking or want to fuck or even talk about fucking?”
“Fuck me,” Remy said.
“I’m going to end you,” Poe told him.
Bram took a deep breath. “This is fine. I’ll tell the Hawks it’s off and that will be that. No harm no foul.”
I shook my head. “You’re not getting it. I don’t want you to tell them it’s off. I’m going to see it through, hold up my end of the bargain.”
“The fuck you are,” Bram said. “They didn’t talk to me. They let you come here alone.”
“Because I told them I wanted to talk to you first! And I’m not alone. They’re right outside, waiting to talk to you.”
“They’re…” Bram headed for the stairs again.
And this time there was no stopping him.
I jumped up from the couch and followed him down the stairs. “Please… just listen to them. Be reasonable.”
I couldn’t keep up and I was three paces behind him by the time he hit the concrete loading dock outside.
When he didn’t see the Hawks in the parking lot, he hooked a left toward the security gate, climbed the fence like a maniac instead of punching in the security code, and vaulted onto the concrete on the other side of the wall.
I would have been impressed if I hadn’t been so terrified.
The Hawks, were standing outside, right where I’d left them, Vigo parkour-ing off the brick building while Hawk paced and Jagger leaned against the wall.
They must have seen Bram coming in their peripheral vision because they turned toward him all at once.
Jagger straightened and Hawk stopped pacing as Poe, Remy, and Maeve emerged from the building on my side of the fence.
Vigo tried to be conciliatory. “Dude, we tried— ”
It was all he managed to say before Bram punched him in the face.
Vigo staggered backwards and Hawk stepped forward with his arms out, trying to drive Bram back.
It was like trying to move a mountain. Bram kept coming, and Jagger landed a punch to his jaw before Bram rang his bell with a punch to Jagger’s nose.
Blood spurted onto the pavement.
The gate slid open and Poe and Remy hit the pavement at a run, Maeve and I on their heels.
And then it was a blur of muscles and ink, a melee of punching and kicking, grunts and shouts.
“Motherfucker…”
“I’ll fucking kill you.”
“… ow, fuck!”
I stood helplessly by, at a loss for how to stop the mayhem.
Finally Maeve stepped in front of Bram, put her fingers in her mouth, and let out a piercing whistle.
“Get your asses upstairs.” She glared at Bram, who was bleeding from a cut under his eye, a minor injury compared to the bloody noses and bleeding lips on the other guys. Then she turned her gaze on the Hawks. “All of you.”