Becoming the master of Ignoring Things, I brush off the stares as Sebastian and I walk into the bunker together. Reyn stands quietly in the back and my eyes instantly search him out. The cup of coffee in his hand is about the only put-together thing about him. He looks terrible—dark marks under his eyes, rumpled shirt, unshaven like Sebastian. His green eyes track me closely as I come in, like maybe he’s assessing me the same way.
I take a seat between Georgia and Ben. Emory rushes in last, flustered. Annoyed. But my brother is an old school Devil, through and through. They rarely, if ever, show the weakness of emotion. It almost makes me feel a little better that I’ve been able to crack his armor. Almost.
He doesn’t waste time, jumping into the last-minute assignments for the prank.
Admittedly, with everything going on, I haven’t been totally plugged in to the details. “This is all about coordination and timing,” he says, eyes skimming over his notes. “Everything has to be done with surgical precision. It’s not just one prank. It’s two, set to go off like simultaneous bombs at the dance and the alumni meeting.”
I know that last twist had been Carlton’s idea. Why waste a good prank on the adults?
“Everything a go with the screens?”
“Yep,” Carlton says, kicking back. “Luckily, yearbook had this whole montage they wanted to play. Some lame-ass throwback to past homecomings. It’s perfect for both events.”
“What if we can’t get in the tech room? Or even the building?” Caroline speaks up. “It’s always locked up tight on the weekends.”
Reyn’s smooth voice cuts in, “That’s not a problem.”
“The biggest issue is linking the feeds and turning off all the security cameras,” Ben says. “I don’t know how difficult it’ll be to get into the network.”
“Wait, you tested it right?” Emory asks.
“Yeah.” Caroline glares at Ben like he just insulted her mother. “It’s not even over the network, it’s through a third-party streaming platform that’s about as secure as a wet paper bag.” She jerks her chin at Reyn. “If he gets us in, we’ll get it hooked up.”
“Good, good.” Emory rakes his hair back, a sign that he’s a little nervous. “Afton and Elana, you’re on the decorating committee, early access. Do you need anything?”
“We’re ready,” Afton says. “All the supplies have been ordered. The board gave us such a killer budget that I managed to insert our stuff in with theirs. They’ll never notice a thing.”
“And you’ll have everything at the ticket table?”
“Yep,” Elana says. “At both events. Whoever is working the tables will have everything at their fingertips.”
Having several of us working the welcome tables is part of the plan. It makes us noticeable and we’ll definitely need to be seen.
“Georgia and Tyson will work the table at the school. Vandy and I will be at Preston hall.” Emory nods to the boxes stacked by the door, the logo of a company on the side. “Every guest will get a sticker when they enter, and I do mean everyone.”
He continues, clarifying that Carlton and Sebastian will keep Dewey and the rest of the security team distracted, but I’m hung up on the fact Emory and I are assigned to work with one another. Last I heard, I was helping Reyn. I look at him now and he somehow knows, instantly meeting my gaze. We watch each other for an extended moment, something sure and firm passing between us.
“Are there any questions? Concerns? Confusions. Now is the time to ask.” He looks around the room, although notably, his gaze skips right over me.
I raise my hand. “I do.”
His shoulders tense. “What?”
“I’d like a reassignment.”
Tyson shifts next to me and Elana’s eyes flick in my direction, curious.
“Sorry, but no.” He shakes his head, turning away. “It’s already set.”
I give a big, fake smile. “I thought it was all set the other day when you assigned me to help break into the building.”
He shoots me a look that’s full of warning. “Well, I was wrong. Things change. Roll with it.”
“Jesus,” Sebastian mutters from his seat. “Does it really matter?”
“Yeah, let her swap out.” Ben’s dark eyes dart between us. “Who cares, right?”
“I do.” My brother’s eyes are as sharp as his voice, and when they jerk toward Reyn, his face just hardens further. “The answer is no.”