Things have changed.
Maybe for him, but not Carter. My stepbrother still had every intention of hurting me.What things? Because we slept together? That’s bullshit, Taylor, and you know it.
Perhaps. But it doesn’t change my decision.
I grabbed a pillow and shoved it into my face, letting out a scream. God, he drove me crazy. Fine, if he wouldn’t help me, then I’d go around him.
I still had Mads and the other guys. Some of them were bound to agree with me. And I’d start with my best friend and her cousin. Grayson should be the easiest of the four to convince. Kenna was his sister, after all. He would grab any means necessary to get justice for her.
My phone rang a few minutes later. It was Mads. “Hey,” I answered, plopping onto my bed.
“So how was it?” she asked, fishing for juicy details about my weekend with Brock.
“Dinner tonight was a goddamn nightmare,” I replied, knowing that wasn’t the information she was looking for, but I couldn’t stop myself from tormenting her.
“Josie!” she squealed. “Did you or did you not fuck Brock’s brains out?”
Thank God I didn’t have my phone on speaker. “What kind of girl do you take me for?”
“The kind who knows what she wants and goes after it.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“You know me so well,” I grumbled, wishing some of Mads's happiness would rub off on me.
“So, how was it?” she asked, toning it down, sensing something was wrong.
My chest rose and fell as I let out a deep breath. “I’ve got to tell you something. You’re not going to like it. And if you’re mad at me, I’ll totally understand, but I promise you, it was an accident. I didn’t mean for it to slip out. He just made me so fucking mad.”
“Brock has that effect on people. Look, you don’t have to apologize. No one better than me understands how frustrating dealing with the Elite can be, especially Brock.”
Her quick acceptance had my eyes narrowing. “You already know.”
“That you mentioned Kenna? Yeah. Brock chewed my ass out for telling you.”
“What a prick.”
“You like him. That’s the real problem,” she said.
Maybe. But I wasn’t ready to admit it. Not out loud, at least. “I totally don’t deserve a favor, but I am going to ask anyway.”
“I’m not going to like this, am I?” I could hear her frown.
“I need to talk to Grayson. Alone,” I emphasized. “Without the others. Can you arrange it? I want you to be there too.”
“This sounds mysterious.” The pitch in her voice changed, going quieter.
“More like I’m going behind Brock’s back.”
“I’m in,” she agreed, no hesitation. Just like that. And that was why this woman was one of my closest friends and only friend at the Academy. I hated keeping Ainsley out of the loop, but I didn’t want her mixed up with Carter, and after what I learned he was capable of, she needed to stay as far away from me as possible.
Tucking a pillow underneath me, I leaned on it, keeping the phone pressed to my ear. “Okay. Text me the time and place, assuming Grayson agrees, but I think he will want to hear me out.”
“This has to do with Kenna, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Are you in danger?”
“All the time,” I admitted. But it wasn’t just Carter I had to worry about. My mom. Brock. Steven. The Elite. It seemed as if I had very few people in my life I could trust. Ainsley was the only one who I knew without a doubt always had my back. I was pretty sure Mads was the same, but I couldn’t discount who her family was.