Toxic (Denazen #2)(51)

“Jade said—”

I held my hand up and pushed off the door. “Do not finish that sentence.”

“You threw her out a window?”

My rational mind heard a simple question. My emotions, however, heard a bitter accusation, and I snapped. “I saved her ass—and mine!”

His eyes narrowed. With careful, measured steps, he came a little closer. “From what?”

I bit my tongue. Shit. Open mouth, insert entire damned leg. What the hell was wrong with me today? There was no way he’d let it go now.

“Dez,” he said, inching closer. “Saved her from what? Tell me what happened last night. It has something to do with those Sixes in the park. That’s where you hit him, isn’t it? He was at the party?”

I backed toward the door.

“Dez.”

“Yeah, he was there. I think the cops were called as a distraction so Denazen could slip in.”

He blinked. “How would they even know we were there? It wasn’t one of Ginger’s parties.”

“Exactly, Kale. Think about it. How did they know?” I waited. When he didn’t say anything, I continued. “Because someone told them.”

“Someone?”

I rolled my eyes.

“You think it was Jade?”

“Duh.”

He shook his head. “No. You’re wrong.”

That pissed me off, and I couldn’t be sure if it was the poison making me go borderline bitch or the fact that he was actually defending her. “Whatever. I gotta go.”

He went to grab my arm but froze. Stepping back, he asked, “Where?”

I shrugged, trying to play it casual. “Stuff to do.”

“I’ll come.” He sidestepped me and pulled the door open.

“No need.”

“I’m not stupid.” Arms spread wide, he said, “This is still very new to me, but I have eyes—and I know you. I know you’re hiding something. You’re avoiding me. You never avoid me.”

“Not you. I’m avoiding your shadow.” He started to say something, but I cut him off. “I can’t deal with her, okay? Not now.” My voice rose, and I struggled to keep it together. “Everywhere I turn, there she is. With you. All over you. In order for me to touch you, she has to be there.”

“She’s not here now.”

“And I guess that means I can’t touch you. Not without agonizing pain and gut-wrenching nausea. Or, ya know, death.”

He flinched but said nothing.

I looked around his shoulder, expecting to see her pop out from behind the desk or around the corner. She had the inconvenient-timing thing nailed. When the lobby remained silent, I sighed and kicked at the carpet. Snapping at Kale was stupid. This wasn’t his fault. “I’m sorry.”

“I want to go with you.”

“You don’t even know where I’m going.”

“I don’t care.” He pulled his sleeve down tried to take my hand, but I jerked away. The gesture was sweet, and somewhere in the back of my mind, a tiny voice raged. Why are you so angry? What the hell is wrong with you? This. Is. Kale!

Sighing, I pulled out Ginger’s keys and dangled them in front of him. “Have it your way, but be advised you’re now officially guilty of grand theft auto.”





19


“You haven’t told me where we’re going.”

I pulled Ginger’s ancient car up to the curb two blocks from the Phillipses’ house. The whole ride over I’d been debating what to tell Kale. Keeping secrets from him was hard enough, but actually making up a lie? No way. He’d see right through me. He already knew something was going on with Able.

I settled for getting as close to the truth as possible.

“We’re here to search Layne Phillips’s place.”

He unbuckled his safety belt and shifted in the seat. “The girl from the news?”

I nodded.

“Why?”

“I think she was Supremacy. I think Denazen was behind her death.”

“What makes you think she had anything to do with Denazen?”

“Gut feeling,” I said, pushing the car door open. “We should hurry. Her parents both work down at the town hall. They’re only open till one on Saturdays.”

I could tell he wanted more of an explanation but thankfully didn’t push. A few months ago, I could have gotten away with simply saying I’d gotten an anonymous tip. Kale was newly free, and as far as he knew, stuff like that happened all the time. Now, though? Now he’d question it. He’d see it as a total Dez thing—his explanation for the things I did that everyone else on the planet seemed to find incredibly stupid—or inexplicable.

We walked for a few minutes before either of us spoke.

He pulled his sleeve down and took my hand. “I’m looking forward to Monday.”

“Me, too,” I said. My fingers twitched, enclosed in the thick material of his hoodie.

When Kale asked me to the homecoming dance, he’d been disappointed to find out that without an actual school, there was no actual dance. He felt like it was his fault I was missing my senior year and was determined to make it as authentic as he could. He’d done hours of research, according to Rosie, and eventually went to Ginger for help. In honor of homecoming, she’d made reservations at Flavour, Parkview’s own dinner and dance club, and also extended the invitation to all the Sixes that lived at the Sanctuary. That meant Kiernan would be there. Knowing Jade would be all over Kale—probably wearing some slutty dress—I was thankful.