30. Kaylor
30
KAYLOR
I thumped my book against my forehead. What possessed me to hurtle over the seat and climb onto his lap like I couldn’t keep my hands off him? Desperate wasn’t a look I wanted to wear, yet somehow with Kreed, it seemed inevitable.
To make matters worse, if Kreed had been a minute earlier or Brock and Josie had lingered a bit longer, the outcome of today would have been very different. It would have been fucking chaos.
I didn’t want to see Kreed and my cousin go head-to-head. They were both forces to be reckoned with. I had a feeling they would tear into each other if given the chance, neither letting up.
And the fact Kreed was so damn perceptive. How annoying.
For someone I didn’t know well, Kreed sure as hell was able to read me like an open book. It made me realize I needed to work on my poker face and perfect my ability to lie.
Brock told me to stay low, not draw attention, and let the police do their job. He was looking into what he could regarding my parents’ murder and would let me know when he had answers.
Except he should have known I couldn’t sit by and do nothing. It wasn’t in my nature.
These were my parents. They deserved better. They deserved justice, and I had my first lead. I couldn’t go about my day and pretend life was fine. I was sick of being afraid—of being watched—of being alone.
The police were definitely more equipped to uncover the truth, but it was taking way longer than I had the patience for.
Not that I thought it would be easy. Between Raine, Kreed, Maddox, Mason, and Evan, I didn’t have a minute alone. It was like I had my own personal entourage.
But I had an idea. A loose plan.
The big championship game was happening Friday night. The perfect chance to escape and see Rusty, my father’s business partner. This might be my only opportunity to talk with him and get answers to some of my questions. I still had Evan to contend with, but one guard was better than four Corvos…I thought.
I found Poppy between classes. She was on board without knowing all the details. All she cared about was I needed help and, in doing so, it would piss off Kreed. Her friendship meant a lot to me, and I didn’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t met that first day.
The week dragged on. After our last kiss in the car, it seemed as if Kreed avoided me more than usual, but I didn’t have the time to dwell on it, my head so full of detailing Friday night. Kreed’s avoidance worked in my favor, giving me time to plan and look for plot holes. Until I caught a glimpse of him, I couldn’t deny my attraction. Whether I liked it or not, I found him impossible to resist.
Maddox would barely look at me since he found Kreed and me kissing in the school parking lot. It might have been in my head, but I swore Raine kept trying to find ways for Kreed and me to be in the same room, which neither of us wanted. And Mason constantly looked as if he was carrying a secret, one he was desperate to share.
But keeping my distance was my best strategy. It gave the four of them less opportunity to notice something was up. As much as I would like to say I honed my skills to lie flawlessly, it just wasn’t true.
By some grace of God, I made it to Friday without creating a lick of suspicion. As grateful as I was, there was also this kernel of disappointment in Kreed. He’d been eerily good at reading me. Either the Raven Crew’s devious ways were rubbing off on me, or Kreed just wasn’t paying close attention to me.
I didn’t have time to analyze why that hurt.
The house buzzed with an electric energy I’d never felt before. I’d never been a big football watcher, but it was difficult not to get swept up in the excitement when every single person in the house was feeling it except maybe Kreed.
Maddox and Mason were bouncing off the walls, hyped up on adrenaline and anticipation. They cracked jokes at the dinner table, playfully shoving each other while scarfing down protein-packed meals, their excitement practically vibrating off them.
Raine smirked, encouraging the twins’ mischievous behavior.
Kreed, on the other hand, was stone. Or smoke. Or something equally unreachable. He sipped his drink like nothing in the world could touch him, that veil of cold composure drawn tight across his face. While his brothers fed off the game-day hype, he just absorbed it in silence, like he was already locked in, already playing the game in his head.
I did my best to act like everything was normal. As if I planned to sit in the stands with Poppy tonight, cheering them on like everyone else. But in reality, I had a completely different plan.
I refused to let myself dwell on how pissed Kreed would be when I wasn’t in the stands. I had bigger ghosts to chase—answers buried in the wreckage of my parents’ past. This was bigger than football, bigger than Kreed’s anger, bigger than whatever tangled mess of emotions was between us.
Maddox shoved his chair back with a loud scrape, flashing a cocky grin at Kreed. “Hope you’re ready, big bro. You choke under the pressure, and I’m taking over your spot as QB.”
Kreed didn’t even glance up from his coffee. “You’d have to make a pass first.”
Mason snorted as Maddox flipped Kreed off.
Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my bag, feeling the weight of the night ahead pressing down on me. By the time they realized I was gone, it would be too late. The Crew would be too busy on the field to think about me for once.
Thank God.
I touched the scar on my shoulder. It still ached once in a while, and that pang traveled directly to my heart. As afraid as I was to find the answers I sought, I had to do this for my parents…and for me. I would never be able to move on with my future if I couldn’t complete the final chapter in my parents’ book of life.
Glancing at my reflection in the mirror one last time, I checked my appearance, making sure I nailed my part.
Dressed in Public school colors with black jeans and a maroon hoodie I borrowed from Mason, my long platinum hair was half up in a pair of space buns, messy waves flowing over my shoulders. I’d added heavier makeup to my eyes, lining them thickly with black liner, making the icy blue of my eyes pop. Taking that same pencil, I detailed the corner of my cheeks with the white lines of a football. It was the most school spirit Public would get from me.
It was hard not to think about my old school. For the first time in years, Public wasn’t going against the academy in the championship game. During his time at the academy, my cousin had taken the trophy all four years.
The selfish part of me was disappointed Public wasn’t playing the academy. That would have been a game I considered staying to watch. It was probably better that they weren’t competing against each other, but it would have been an easy excuse to see Carson and Kenny.
Satisfied, I stood and grabbed my phone, shoving it into my back pocket. I headed toward the door, swinging it open as three quick honks beeped outside.
That would be Poppy.
I rushed down the stairs, Evan waiting for me at the bottom. My silent shadow said nothing but stood stick straight, waiting to follow me out of the house. Kreed, Mason, and Maddox had left a few hours ago to warm up or whatever jocks did before a game. I honestly didn’t want to know. What happened in the locker room should stay in the locker room.
Doing my best to ignore Evan, I bundled into a puffer coat and stepped outside. Poppy’s car was parked in front of the house, her music blasting loud enough to shake the windows. I grabbed my bag, throwing one last glance over my shoulder before heading outside. Evan’s black sedan was already idling, warming up from the cold.
Sliding into Poppy’s passenger seat, I let out a breath. She shot me a grin, her bubblegum-pink lips parting in excitement. “You ready for your first Public football game?” she asked sarcastically, knowing damn well neither of us had any intention of staying for it. “Go Ravens. Rah. Rah. Rah.” Poppy’s stunning deep-red hair was tied into two low ponytails. Her outfit was as unique as she was but not what I would have classified as winter appropriate. She was going to freeze her ass off in that tulle skirt, opaque tights, and combat boots, but at least she had half a mind to wear a coat. A cigarette dangled between her fingers, and the window was cracked to dispel some of the smoke lingering in the car.
I didn’t mind the ashy smell. I’d always kind of enjoyed the scent, especially when mixed with cologne or, in Poppy’s case, her sweet perfume. “Oh, absolutely,” I said dryly, clicking my seat belt into place.
As she pulled away from the house, Evan’s car followed. I didn’t even need to look back to confirm it.
“You sure we can pull this off?” she asked, tapping her long black nails against the wheel.
“We have to,” I murmured, watching the streetlights blur past.
It took us fifteen minutes to get to the school, where the parking lot was already filling with students and parents decked out in school colors. Poppy slowed the car, scanning the area.
“There’s no way we can park close,” she muttered.
“Good. Park somewhere away from the lights,” I instructed. “I don’t want to make it easy for Evan to spot us when we duck out.”
She smirked. “So sneaky. You’re becoming a regular criminal living with those boys.”
After another few minutes of circling, she finally pulled into a darkened area on the far side of the lot, tucked between two trucks. Evan’s sedan rolled in behind us, keeping his distance but still too damn close.
We slipped from the car into a night steeped in adrenaline. The crowd’s roar swept over the lot in waves, buzzing beneath my skin, curling tension through my gut.
“All right,” Poppy said, looping her arm through mine. “Let’s go pretend we care about football before we vanish into the night.”
I forced a smirk, but deep down, I knew this wasn’t just about sneaking out. This was about finding the truth. And I had no idea what I would learn or if I’d be able to accept it.
After sitting in the stands and watching the first quarter of the game unfold, I concluded I wasn’t the biggest football fan. It was different than watching the guys’ practice, more intense and a hell of a lot louder. I wasn’t big on crowds and being sandwiched into the stadium like packed sardines, and the eagerness to leave grew inside me with each passing moment.
I must have been nibbling on my nails, and Poppy noticed. She reached for my hand just as Kreed threw a long pass down the field. The ball spiraled through the air. “Let’s go,” she said as Mason jumped and his fingers closed around the ball. He had it secured to his chest before his feet hit the ground.
I nodded and followed behind as she led us down the aisle, and we watched Mason race toward the endzone. We weren’t too high, perhaps five or six rows, so by the time he crossed over the line, scoring Public another touchdown, we were heading for the exit, using the wild crowd as cover.
It was like a breath of fresh air, sneaking out of the game to the parking lot. Laughing, we dashed through the rows of cars, weaving in and out, the lights from the football field lighting up the school grounds. Our breathless giggles were drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Evan was somewhere behind me, doing his best to keep an eye on me, but I didn’t mind, not with the taste of freedom making me lightheaded and a bit reckless.
I missed this so much.
Poppy cranked the engine in her car before even closing her door. The tires were rolling as we clicked on our seat belts, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt like this. Like I was seventeen.
“Holy shit. That was thrilling. Is he still behind us?” Poppy asked.
I glanced over my shoulder out the back window, seeing the familiar sleek black car pull out of a parking spot. We were turning onto the main road. Evan had a bit of catching up to do, but I didn’t doubt he would. It was a long shot thinking we’d lose him. “Yeah, but you can bet your ass he’s cursing my name.” I’d been a thorn in my guard’s backside since I came to live with the Corvos. He should ask for a raise.
I leaned back in my seat, watching the trees blur past the window as we made our way to meet her friends. Behind us, the black car carrying my security detail trailed at a steady distance.
“Okay, now that I’ve got you alone,” Poppy said, tossing me a mischievous grin as she reached for her pack of smokes in the cup holder, “you and Kreed? Something’s up. Spill.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “I made a dumb mistake.”
“When it comes to the Crew, every girl in this school has probably had the same thought.” She put the slim white stick between her lips, using her free hand to control the car and keep us on the road.
“Even you?”
She sparked her lighter, her gold eyes flicking off the road for a second. “Even me.”
“You’re talking about Nash,” I guessed.
Her lungs drew in a deep puff of smoke. “It’s a lot easier to agree to keep things casual until you’re actually casual.”
“I know what you mean,” I muttered.
She spared me a quick glance before her eyes returned to the road ahead. “I thought you might, but I have to say I’m surprised you got yourself tangled with Kreed. I had my money on Mason.”
“Seriously, Mason? I mean, he’s good-looking. They all are, but he’s?—”
Poppy grinned. “Not Kreed. I get?—”
The loud roar of an engine cut her off.
I turned just as a dark, definitely bulletproof sedan came speeding up beside us, swerving aggressively into the other lane, matching our speed, and it wasn’t Evan. My detail still trailed a safe distance behind us.
“What the hell?” Poppy muttered, glancing in the side mirror.
A weird chill ran down my spine. The car was too close, almost like they were?—
The driver jerked the wheel, the car swerving toward us, its tinted windows making it difficult to see in the night.
Poppy gasped and gripped the wheel tighter. “Okay, seriously, what is this guy’s problem?”
I turned to get a better look, my stomach dropping when I saw them.
Two men.
Wearing masks.
My breath left me in a sharp exhale. I swore if this was Kreed’s or Maddox’s idea of a sick joke, I was going to kill them, but then I remembered. Unless they forfeited the game of the season to play a prank on me, it couldn’t be them, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t gotten one of their sick friends to do it.
“Poppy,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
She saw them too. The color drained from her face. “Oh my god.”
Panic clawed at my chest. They weren’t just messing with us. They were here for me.
The sedan veered closer, forcing Poppy to swerve to avoid them. My heart pounded. If they ran us off the road—if they got their hands on me…
Grabbing my phone, I quickly found Kreed’s number, my fingers trembling as I pressed it. Did he keep his phone on the sidelines? I prayed he was on the bench while the defense took to the field. Would he see my name flash across the screen? It was a fucking long shot, and if I had time to think of it, I would have wondered why Kreed was the first person I thought to call.
Evan was in the car behind me. I might not have his phone number, but surely, he would do something to stop this car from killing us.
Before I could hit send, BAM!
The sedan rammed into us.
Poppy screamed. The car jolted violently, skidding toward the shoulder. She fought for control, her knuckles white as she gripped the wheel. “No, no, no—” she chanted, slamming on the brakes.
The car fishtailed before jerking to a stop. My breath came in ragged gasps, my pulse hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat, but before I could process what just happened, another impact shook the road. My security’s black car slammed into the masked men’s sedan at full speed.
I turned just in time to see the other car spin out of control, tires screeching as it whipped across the shoulder, plowing into the embankment with a sickening crunch of metal. For a second, everything was silent. Poppy and I sat there, stunned, wide-eyed, our chests rising and falling in shallow, panicked breaths. Then reality crashed back in.
I snapped out of my daze and turned to Poppy, urgency surging through me. “Go.”
Poppy blinked at me. “What?”
I grabbed her arm. “Drive, Poppy! Now!”
I didn’t want to stick around to see who would be the first to crawl out of the wreckage.
Her foot slammed onto the gas, and her car sped off down the road. I glanced over my shoulder, making sure no one followed us.
“I can’t stop shaking.” She held out one of her hands for me to see while keeping the other tight on the wheel. “Fuck, I need a cigarette.” The other one had fallen out of her hand, probably somewhere under her seat.
“Here.” I reached for the pack before she could. “I got it.”
The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins, my hands gripping my seat so freaking hard my knuckles ached. Poppy’s breathing was ragged beside me as she inhaled deeply, taking the smoke into her lungs. Her fingers were clutched the steering wheel like she was afraid to let go. “What’s going on? Are you in danger?”
“I’m sorry, Poppy. I never should have asked you to take me tonight. I should have anticipated something like this might happen.”
“It’s not the first time, is it?”
I shook my head. “I wish it was.”
A few miles had passed since my security guard rammed into the other black car, and for a second, I thought we were in the clear. My pulse was just beginning to settle when the familiarity of the northern part of Elmwood washed over me. The newer houses, the shopping plazas, and the brick-patched streets—I’d spent so much of my life here. A sharp pang of longing hit me. I missed this part of town. I missed the way it felt like home, but that moment of nostalgia shattered the second Poppy tensed beside me.
She sat up straighter, her fingers flexing on the wheel. “Holy shit,” she said, her voice tight.
My head whipped toward her. “What?”
Her eyes repeatedly darted to her rearview mirror. “We have company. I think there’s another car following us. Scratch that. Two cars.”
“Are you kidding?” I turned, catching the hard set of her jaw before my gaze flicked over my shoulder, spotting two black cars. Close. Too close.
I twisted in my seat just as the cars rolled up on either side of us, boxing us in.
Shit.
“What are they doing?” Poppy shrilled.
Nothing good. I glanced at Poppy, and my heart hurt. If anything happened to her…I’d never forgive myself. Looking past her, I stared into the car that kept pace with us. I had to cooperate, or they could shoot Poppy just like they did my parents, and I couldn't let another person in my life die.
“Pull over,” I stated.
Poppy flung her cigarette at the car to her left before her eyes whirled on me. “What?”
“Pull over,” I repeated. “This has gone far enough. I won’t let them hurt you. It’s me they want.”
Poppy shook her head fiercely. “No way in hell I’m handing you over to them. Firstly, you’re my friend. And secondly, Kreed would kill me. So, either way, I’m screwed.”
She was right, and I was left with only one choice. I made my decision in a split second.
Reaching over, I gripped the steering wheel and yanked hard.
“Kaylor, what the hell?!” Poppy shrieked as the car swerved toward the ditch.
Tires screeched as she slammed on the brakes, the force throwing us forward. The car jolted violently as we hit the dip, dust and dirt kicking up around us. My heart hammered in my chest, but I was already reaching for the door handle.
“Kaylor, no!” Poppy grabbed my arm, but I pulled free.
I shoved the door open and stumbled out, my hands up in surrender as my entire body trembled, but I forced my voice to be steady. “Don’t hurt her,” I pleaded, stepping forward. “I’ll go with you. Just let her go.”
Two masked men emerged from their vehicles, one of them adjusting the strap of the rifle slung over his shoulder. A silent exchange passed between them before one jerked his head toward the waiting car. “Get in.”
Poppy shouted something behind me, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.
Swallowing hard, I climbed into the back seat, praying Poppy would be okay and that I hadn’t made the biggest mistake of my life.
One of the masked men slid in beside me, and before I could so much as take a breath, the tires spun, kicking up dust as the car shot forward, leaving Poppy standing helplessly on the side of the road.
I stared straight ahead, trying to slow my breathing and not freak the hell out.
I was in deep shit.