Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
CASSIE
I’m not gonna lie, I’m super excited to be moving in with The Elusives and not just because of Frankie. There is a freedom here not enjoyed by anyone living in the dorm and its luxury on a grand scale.
I’m no stranger to living well, but it’s more modern than anything and minimalistic. Frankie and his family obviously enjoy wealth on an obscene scale and I’m seduced by it. I’m seduced by him and living under his roof is an adventure I never saw coming.
Then there’s Jack. He also lives here, which will calm my father the fuck down if he finds out. It makes perfect sense, even I’ll admit that and so as we trip back to the party, I am trying hard to disguise my happiness with the turn of events.
The noise is deafening as the thump of music plays out and the people in the room are making the most of their time here. Couples are everywhere, kissing, laughing and drinking and some doing stuff I’d rather not see.
It’s a den of vice and has definitely opened my eyes and as we help ourselves to more beer, I glance around with interest.
I notice River with his arm around Autumn’s shoulders as she laughs at something he is saying. He is chatting with his group of friends who have adopted similar poses with their girl of the night.
My mouth twitches when I see Kennedy obviously arguing with Amos, and I feel sorry for them both. She obviously detests him and he can’t believe his luck. I decide to help out a little and say to Frankie, “I’m just grabbing a word with Kennedy.”
He nods, but his eyes follow me as I make my way across the room and the relief in her smile when I ask for a minute with her tells me she is grateful for the intervention.
We head to the bar and she groans. “I’m losing the will to live. Amos follows me everywhere, and it’s seriously creeping me out.”
I note him hovering on the sidelines, gazing at her with adoration as he waits and a pang of sympathy hits me.
“He’s not that bad.” I attempt to reassure her, and she rolls her eyes. “If you like creepy guys who trail after you, then be my guest, take mine.”
“I don’t know, Kennedy. Maybe take a closer look.”
She turns to find him and scans his face for the briefest moment before she turns back and makes a face.
“Still not interested.”
I shrug. “He is probably considered hot by association?”
“In whose world?” Her eyes widen and I nod to a couple of girls nearby who are staring at Amos with newfound fascination.
Kennedy sees what I’m getting at and takes another look at Amos and she says slowly, “I mean, there may be something there. He’s got good bone structure, I’ll give him that.”
“Disregard the clothes he’s wearing.” I add, warming to my subject. “His hair could use some styling and with new clothes and possibly a workout or three, he could be kind of hot.”
Kennedy turns around and I’m guessing is now seeing things differently because she nods, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“I’ll see what I can do with him. God knows he needs my help.”
She turns back to me. “What did you want to talk about? Because I don’t think for one second it’s Amos Sam’s makeover.”
“No, it’s The Claiming, actually.”
“What about it?”
“When I left you in the room outside of the tunnels, who was the last one to go into them?”
“It was Autumn, I think.”
She taps her finger on the side of her glass and shrugs. “Yes, it was. Abigail was first, then me.”
“When we left you, you were checking out the door, but we hadn’t got far in our tunnel before we heard a scream. If you were second into the tunnel, Autumn was still in the room when Abigail screamed. It was too soon after we entered the tunnel.”
“You’re right.” Kennedy’s eyes widen. “I went in soon after you and Autumn were going to take the other one. If Abigail was caught by the centurion, he was surely already in the tunnel because nobody passed us. We heard them coming, we all did, but nobody was in the room when they arrived.”
We fall silent and Kennedy whispers, “Fuck. It wasn’t one of the five guys chasing us. Who was centurion number six, and how could he be in the tunnel when there is no other entrance? Santi would’ve seen him because he was the only one in the chamber for the entire challenge.”
“Unless there’s another way in that we haven’t discovered yet.”
I grab another beer from the cooler on the bar and hand it to her and as I grab one myself, I touch her bottle with mine.
“Thanks, Kennedy. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
She turns and catches Amos’s eye and smiles. “Same.”
Before she goes, I ask quickly, “Has there been any word from Abigail?”
She shivers. “Yeah, she’s in a bad way. They made her go through all kinds of tests and examinations. She even had to take the morning-after pill, just, well, in case.”
I am disgusted by what she endured and rest my hand on Kennedy’s shoulder and say sincerely, “If there is anything I can do to help, you only have to ask.”
Her eyes brighten with grateful tears and she whispers, “Find the bastard and give me five minutes with him—armed with a knife.”
She hisses, “Castration would be too good for him, but it would be a start at least.”
“I can’t agree more.”
Her eyes widen as a hand slips around my waist and pulls me close to someone who has been firmly rooted in my thoughts since coming here and Frankie drops a kiss on my cheek and whispers, “Enough talking. I have something to show you.”
Kennedy sighs and offers me a faint smile before heading back to Amos, who smiles hopefully as she approaches.
My heart quickens as Frankie pulls me after him and as we leave, my heart drops to the floor when I witness Jack kissing Siri in the corner of the room.
It’s as if my world stops spinning as I witness the guy I grew up with and gave my virginity to, making out with my best friend as if the world isn’t watching. I can’t process my emotions. It’s as if I’ve lost something valuable and my past crashes into the wall of my present and alters my future—the one I always hoped was mine, anyway.