My fingers clenched onto the fork in my hand. He wouldn’t dare. But his drawn brows said otherwise.This asshole.
“What are you talking about, Carter?” my mother asked, her eyes bouncing between Carter and me.
“Carter, you know the drill. There are no secrets in this house,” Steven said, gaining his full attention.
I snorted, unable to control myself, regardless that I was about to be outed by my stepbrother. I didn’t even care, and I glared at him boldly, lifting a brow. Go for it, asshole.
The scheming scum set down his fork and looked at Angie and his father. “She spent the weekend with Brock Taylor, and considering the way he feels about this family, I’m afraid he might be using her to hurt me.”
The entire table fell silent as Carter just grinned at me.
Fuck, I hated him.
“Josie, is this true?” Steven asked sternly, a look of disbelief and disappointment shining in his blue eyes that looked so much like Carter’s.
I wanted to tell them why I spent the weekend with Brock instead of at home, but it was a waste of breath. The truth would fall on deaf ears. “Yes,” I said, meeting Steven’s gaze head-on. I refused to flinch under his disapproving eyes.
Steven took a drink, but the wine didn’t calm the anger burning in his eyes. He was unhappy with me and doing his best not to lose his cool. “I know this has been a difficult adjustment for you, but I’ve done all I could to help you. Brock and his friends might be exceptional football players, but off the field, Josie, they are dangerous boys. It might not seem like it, but I am protecting you.”
What a joke. I snorted, not meaning to do so out loud.
“Josephine,” my mother scolded. “This is serious.”
Carter continued to look smug in his seat across from me and it was nearly impossible to refrain from hitting him in the head with the pepper shaker.
“You leave us no choice. You are grounded. That means no parties, no car,” Steven announced. “Edmond will drive you to and from school each day.”
Like hell. “Are you shitting me?” I shrilled, my hands coming down on the table harder than I intended.
“Josephine,” my mother hissed, smoothing the napkin in her lap to gain some semblance of control.
I bit down hard on my lip, fighting back the accusations that wanted to fly from my lips, but if I did, I would only dig myself a deeper grave.
“Fine,” I bit out, shoving back from the table. “But when I turn eighteen, I’m leaving. I won’t spend another night longer than I have to under the same roof as a monster.” My eyes pinned Carter’s. “And if your son lays one finger on me, I’ll end him. I’ll end you both. I won’t run like Kenna.”
Boom.
I dropped the bomb.
So much for staying silent. I couldn’t let Carter intimidate me. I wasn’t weak, and I was damn tired of being afraid of the jackass.
I tossed my napkin onto the table and stormed out of the room, leaving them gasping in my wake.
Good. I didn’t have any more fucks to give when it came to thisfamily.
* * *
It took an hour for me to calm down and stop pacing my bedroom floor. Finally, I took out my phone and opened my text app. I sent one to Mads, telling her to call me, and another to Brock.
I want in.That was the message I typed out to Brock. I stared at his name in my phone, my finger hovering over the send button. If I did this, helped the Elite take down Carter, there was no turning back.
I hit the button.
Whatever they were planning. I wanted in on it.
The phone buzzed a minute later.No.
Gah! He was so damn frustrating. He didn’t even ask what I wanted in on, but it was safe to assume he guessed it had everything to do with Carter and those files I had found.You don’t get to decide for me. He needs to be punished. I can help bring him to justice.I was giving him the okay to use me. It had been his plan to begin with. The only difference now was I knew about it and was giving him my fucking blessing.