A few blocks after he dropped off my cousin, Brock pulled the Land Rover up to his house and helped me get Ainsley inside. As I covered her with a blanket, I thought back to that day in the bathroom when Mads came up with the idea for me to be one of the Elite. The idea seemed preposterous then.
I was not exactly an Elite, but I had their protection, which was supposed to make me untouchable.
So far, that had not been the case. If anything, the closer I got to the Elite, the more dangerous my life became.
I brushed a strand of hair off the side of Ainsley’s cheek as she slept on the couch. Tingles radiated at my neck, signaling Brock was near. I turned around, finding him darkening the doorway. Only a small lamp provided light in the spacious room.
“Thanks for letting her crash here. I know this isn’t how you thought to spend your night.”
Brock crossed one ankle over the other as he leaned against the frame. “It’s not the first time someone sobered up on that couch.”
“Still, I appreciate it. She’s family.” I knew he would understand the importance. Sometimes people with no blood relation could be more family than those with whom you shared DNA with. Brock and I both had that. Me with Ainsley. And him with the Elite.
He forked a hand through his hair. “I get it.”
“Are you sure this fine?” I couldn’t help but pick up a ribbon of unease or agitation from him, like he was living a bad memory.
His mouth tightened. “It’s not your friend I’m worried about. You’re in danger, Firefly,” he stated.
My shoulders relaxed as I exhaled. “You don’t have to tell me.”
The look on his face was born from years of pent-up anger toward my stepbrother. “Don’t discard Carter’s threats. He is desperate, which makes him unpredictable. I don’t know when he will strike next.”
I scowled inwardly, understanding seeping into my already overtired brain. “I’m the easy target.”
His features grew more serious if even possible. “Yeah, but we put that target there.”
Walking around the coffee table, I closed some of the distance between us, not wanting to disturb Ainsley. That’s what I told myself. It had nothing to do with this irrational need to be near him. Not. At. All. Chewing on the inside of my lip, I hesitated over telling Brock about Carter blackmailing me. If I was going to trust him and I wanted him to trust me, then I needed to tell him.
Fuck it. No more secrets.
“I think Carter knows why you’re protecting me.” My voice came out just over a whisper.
In the dimly lit room, his brows drew together. “What are you saying? That he knows who you really are?”
I tugged the sleeve of my hoodie over my hand. “He’s implied that he knows.”
He made a low growl. “Firefly.”
“Look, I was going to tell you,” I snapped back. “Don’t get your boxers in a wad.”
“Tell me what exactly?” he prompted, his patience growing thin.
I huffed, wishing I had chosen to sit in one of the chairs rather than stand. It had been a long-ass night, and my legs weren’t thrilled about supporting my weight. “When I went home last weekend, he commented that if I didn’t help him get the thumb drive, he would tell my little secret.”
Brock swore. “You should have told me.”
“I was working on it.”
The light from the table lamp reflected off the center of his eyes. “Trust doesn’t come easy for either of us.” Brock shoved off the wall, his gaze flickering to Ainsley. “We aren’t the only ones with secrets to protect. I bet Carter’s father wouldn’t be too thrilled with his son’s after-school occupation.”
It was known around the Academy that if you were looking from some extracurricular activities, Carter Patterson had the hookup. I just assumed he knew someone. But was it more than that. Did Carter sellthe stuff,mostly pills, more than just frequently? “That’s assuming Steven doesn’t already know,” I replied. “He is very well versed in covering his son’s tracks. I get the feeling he’s been doing it all of Carter’s life. Without his father’s protection, Carter would be up shit creek.”
Tension lines his body. “Then we need to find a way to shatter that shield of fatherly protection.”
I shook my head, unable to believe the turn of events. This was not how my evening was supposed to turn out. “I don’t know what she was thinking. She knows better than to mess with Carter. She knows what he is capable of.”
A frown marred his lips. “She most likely didn’t even know he was there. Remember, he’s been at this a lot longer than you have.”