"Wait." Knix held up a hand. All eyes moved to him. "Let's go in order. We will get to that in a moment." He looked at me again. "Were you drinkingtonight?"
"I had a few drinks," Iadmitted.
Knix sighed as though it was difficult for him to stand there and be the disapproving one. "You're underage,Harlow."
"I know it was wrong," I said, "but I'm eighteen. It's not like I'm twelve. I'm old enough that, if I wanted to, I could go into the army and go towar."
"And if you were in the army, they would let you have a beer on base, but Harlow – none of us were there with you tonight. Not only are you underage, but you're a woman. As much as I hate to say this, you need to be morecareful."
I bristled. "I was withErika."
"Yea? And where is she now?" he replied. I bit my lip and looked away. Knix sighed again. "I know it's not fair, Harlow. I know it's not right. But you are a woman and you are eighteen, not twenty-one. Not only is it against the law, it's not safe, especially for you. You're young and pretty," I blinked at that, "someone could have slipped something into your drinks and taken advantage of you." That reminder rockets through my core. I saw pale, pain-filled eyes and the broken expression on the girl from earlier as her sobs echoed in the quiet, cold dance club bathroom with a total stranger. He was right. I didn't want that to happen to me. But I didn't want it to happen to anyone elseeither.
"Okay," Isaid.
"Okay?" Knix frowned. "Okay,what?"
"I knew it was wrong," I said. "I did it anyway. I won't do it again. Or if I do, I'll do it with one of the guys. I know it's notsafe."
Knix shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harlow. That's not good enough. You broke therules?"
"Therules?"
"'Iris members will not enter into dangerous situations without the permission and approval of the team or team lead,'" he quotes. I remember the line from one of the packets Texas had given me when I moved in and had officially started mytraining.
"I was in public," I stated, "with a friend and you knew I wasgoing."
"I said you could go to a dance club to dance, Harlow. Not todrink."
"So, what?" I snapped, standing. "You're my father now? My parent? I've taken care of one parent and I don't have the other, Knix. I don't need athird."
"Well, you need someone to look after you," he saidsternly.
"No, I don't," I said through clenchedteeth.
"Hey," Bellamy stood and held his hands out to the both of us. "Harlow is still new," he said, looking to Knix. "She's stilllearning."
"She was given the packets and the information regarding Iris that she wanted. She asked to be in and now she is," Knixreplied.
"Information?You'vegivenmeinformation?" I ask, incredulous. "You haven't given me anything! I'm still in the dark and I technically work for Irisnow."
"And you went out tonight and drank with strangers," Knix replied, stepping forward. I didn't back down. Instead, I tilted my head up and met his hard gaze head-on. "You're obviously not ready formore."
"Knix, I agree that Harlow shouldn't have been drinking – especially not without anyone there to look out for her," Marv interjected. "She's admitted her mistake and agreed not to do it again without one of us present. I think you're being tooharsh."
I looked back at him, surprised by his willingness to back me up. He wasn't looking at me, though. His gaze was on Knix who heaved a frustratedbreath.
"She has admitted to and agreed not to do it again," Texas saidquietly.
I looked over at him. I was angry that he had been the one to facilitate this, but he was unusually quiet in the group. He sat in the corner of the couch, with his arms folded across his lean chest and his chin tilted away. The dark strands of his hair fell over one side of his face as if he had rolled out of bed to come getme.
Silence stretched through the room. Knix's body was just as tense as mine. Bellamy looked like he wanted to come between us, but he held back. "One penalty," Knix finallysaid.
"One penalty what?" Iasked.
"A penalty is a punishment from the team," Bellamy explained. "It's when a team member does something that's against the rules or that the team doesn't agree with as a whole. It usually means you've lost a measure oftrust."
"How have I lost your trust?" I demanded. "You knew I wasgoing!"