The Revenge (The Insiders Trilogy #3)(63)

Fitz’s head went down and he was talking, but in a rushed, panicked way. I knew he was giving Kash a report on what happened, and with a searching look at me, Fitz nodded when Kash told him to go. I didn’t hear his instructions for him, but I knew there were some. The rest of the arrivals started.

Torie first. Melissa was right after.

Tamara came with them; she started fixing my hair. Her eyes were worried. She was biting down on her lip in a fierce way, but she couldn’t sit. And she couldn’t stop touching me, so my hair was fixed one way and then another. My shirt was righted. She swept over my top, making sure the creases were all smooth. When she went to my ears, to fix my earrings, she had to pause. I didn’t have earrings, and she shot me a wry look.

“Oh God, girl.”

I held my arms up and she crumbled. She buried her head into my shoulder, her arms wound around me tight, and I held her as she cried.

Torie came over, reaching around her roommate and took my hand. She was blinking back tears, giving me a shaky smile, and I saw the concern from her, too.

I mouthed to her, “I’m fine.” I patted Tamara’s back. “Help her?”

Torie blinked away more tears, clearing her face before she patted Tamara’s back. “Hon. Tam. We gotta go.”

Tamara let go of me, reluctantly, but she was nodding as Torie grew more insistent. “Yeah. Okay.” Tamara eased up from the couch but looked back at me. “If you need anything—anything—you’ll call us?”

I nodded, my throat swelling.

I think I’d been in shock, but now emotions were starting to swarm up.

I rasped out, “I will.”

Melissa came in, but she just gave me a quick hug. She cupped the back of my neck and whispered, “I’ll see you later in class, but hang in there. I’m here if you need anything. Call me. Promise, please? ”

Again, my throat was damn near choking me. I whispered, “I promise.”

Matt was next.

He pushed inside, Chester, Guy, and Tony behind him.

At the sight of the last three, a growl came from Kash, who was standing halfway between me and the door. He was surrounded by guards. Matt and the guys all stopped short. Everyone stopped short.

The growl was primal sounding. Savage.

Matt’s eyebrows went up, but he indicated for them to hold back. He went to Kash first. Their heads bent together. After a nod from Kash, Matt headed over to me.

“Hey.” He sat next to me, pulling me into his arms.

Okay. It hit me then.

Not the emotions. Those were there, but I was stuffing them down.

All these people coming up here, they were the emotional ones. They were the ones needing to be reassured I was okay. They were coming over, hugging me, and that was all for them. Kash was ready to rip someone’s head off, but I knew he was handling business until it was just him and me. As if he could sense I was thinking of him, I felt his eyes on me. Looking over Matt’s head, I met Kash’s gaze, and whoa.

Pinned. Down.

His eyes were smoldering.

He swallowed to get control of himself.

“Oh, Bailey.” Matt pulled me closer and shoved my head into the crook of his shoulder and chest. He started petting me. “I’m here for you. I’m here for my sister. I’m so sorry. That’s so scary.”

Yeah. It was. But my hands started shaking.

It was building in me. Fury.

I was pissed.

My mom was alive, and I hadn’t said one word to anyone. Kash caught me up, whisked me here, and I’d been too stunned to start talking. Everything happened at a whirlwind pace, but now thoughts and emotions were catching up together. They were syncing, and I was livid.

I tore out of Matt’s hold. “I need my computer.”

I swung around.

The room had gone quiet.

I said to Kash, “Raccoon.”

His eyebrows snapped down together. He took one step, made one bark. “Out! Everyone out.”

Everyone scrambled.

In two seconds, we were alone, except for Matt.

He lingered, standing slowly. “Uh, guys—”

“You, too.” Kash nodded toward the door.

“But—”

“Matt.”

My brother pointed between me and him. “We’re Team Ba—”

“Not the fucking time!” Another one of those growls.

“Okay.” He turned for the door. “I’m going, but honestly.” He whirled one last time, his hand on the doorknob. “Are you okay?”

I was already standing, but I felt myself rising inside.

I tipped my chin up. “I’m good.”

He paused, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll leave it at that.” He pounded the door with his palm before leaving, then the door was shut.

Kash moved to lock it. “What’s going on?”

I felt alive.

My body was trembling with the feel of it, and I was fighting to stop from pouncing on him. We didn’t have time for that.

“Remember that guy that tried to kidnap me with Arcane? The one who was in on the first attempt but not the second?”

His frown was fierce. “Chase, right? That’s the name you told the police.”

“Well,” I locked eyes with him, “your twin brother is Chase, and my mom is alive.”