She laughs. “Bones can’t be the only lucky son of a bitch to hit that ass.”
I roll my eyes and turn back to my car, picking up the blanket that my mother made me put in there just in case I’m ever stranded in the winter. She forgets we live in fucking Vegas. “Aha,” I say, finding it hiding under there.
“Did you hear about Oak Grove?” she asks as I throw it over my shoulder.
Oak Grove is the Baptist Church that Cross’s father preaches at. “No. What about it?” I slam my trunk shut, and we begin to walk toward the school.
“It burned down last night.”
“What?” I gasp, coming to a stop.
She nods and looks over my shoulder. I turn to follow her line of sight.
The Kings all stand by Bones’s car. He has both of his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans and a white hoodie on. Titan stands facing him with a cigarette between his lips, and Cross has his ass leaning against the front passenger door. His bag lies at his feet. He has his right ankle crossed over his left. His left hand is in his pocket while the other flips his Zippo lighter open and close.
I look back at her.
“Now Father James is missing.”
“No way,” I breathe before looking back over at Cross. His eyes are on mine, and I wonder if he can hear us all the way across the parking lot. He snaps the lighter shut and then opens it again.
“What are you girls doing?” Trenton, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, gets our attention as he comes up to us with his best friend.
“Talking about what happened at Oak Grove last night.”
“The police suspect arson and murder.”
“How do you know that?” she asks him.
“Heard my father talking about it this morning. Guess a witness called the police and said that they saw Cross enter the church with his dad an hour before and then saw him leaving. Alone. Just before the place went up in flames.”
She covers her mouth with her hand. “His dad was left inside?”
He nods. “So they say.”
His friend Liam snorts. “I heard it was suicide.” Then his eyes go to Cross. “I mean, wouldn’t you kill yourself if Cross was your son?”
My eyes narrow on him. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
He shrugs.
Trenton just shoves him. “I’d like to see you say that to his face.”
Jasmine laughs, and he throws his arm over her shoulders and walks her toward the school along with Liam.
I turn back around, but the Kings are no longer standing by the car. Taking a look around the parking lot, I see a few people standing around. A couple are on their phones. Others are walking to classes. It’s early on a Monday. Jasmine and I have class, but the Kings have ball practice to get to. Turning back toward the door, I go to take a step but run into a hard body. “Sorry …”
My voice trails off when I look up to see it’s Bones. “Hey,” I say, trying to slow my racing heart.
He takes a quick look around. “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself.”
I ignore that statement as he grabs my hand in his. “What’s going on with Cross? I heard about what happened with his dad …”
He yanks me to a stop and spins to face me. The look in his eyes has me taking a step back. “What did you hear?” he demands.
I swallow. “Uh, that … just that there was a witness who saw him at Oak Grove with his dad and then him leaving right before it burned down …”
He steps into me, and I shut my mouth when he grabs my upper arms, digging his fingers into my skin. “Dillan ….”
“Don’t say a fucking word, Em. To anyone. Do you hear me?”
“What?” My eyes search his. “I don’t know anything … It’s just a rumor …”
“Who told you?”
“Tr …?” I stop myself before I finish that sentence. I don’t wanna throw Trenton under the bus. No matter how much I dislike the guy. And I’m not sure if the Kings are involved in the death of Cross’s dad. But I don’t wanna be responsible for anything that happens. “Dillan …”
“Who the fuck was it, Emilee?” he snaps, using my full name.
“I … I don’t remember,” I lie and hang my head.
He steps into me and grips my chin in his hand. I try to pull away, but it just tightens. “Ow, Bones …”
“Lying to me isn’t going to save him, baby.”
I dig my nails into his forearm as he holds me in place. “You’re hurting me,” I whisper as tears sting my eyes.
His blue eyes search mine for a little longer before he lets go, and I take a step back from him until my ass bumps into my car. Then he turns and walks into the building, leaving me standing in the parking lot all by myself and confused as to what the hell just happened.