The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (46)
My mind raced until one question pushed through the chaos. “Why?”
“We were trying to take out Shane and Wren, make it look like a job gone wrong, but there was a last minute change of plans, and Shane sent you in instead.”
“And you helped Harlan escape,” Franklin accused. “Why?”
“I told you I didn’t want to be responsible for anyone dying. Vaughn thought he could trust you,” I lied. “Clearly, he was wrong.”
Vaughn had actually been against telling his father anything, warned me not to trust him, but like a fool I had insisted.
Rage deepened the lines marring Franklin’s face as he leaned over his desk with his fists planted against the wood. “Don’t lecture me about my son. His loyalty should be to me and me only. I couldn’t give a shit what you wanted.”
“Then find someone else to be your mole.”
“Kid…I’ll have your brains splattered on the wall before you can take your next breath.”
“Then do it. If I were afraid of dying, I wouldn’t be Exiled. I wouldn’t be hunting Fox, and I wouldn’t be telling you to go fuck yourself as I am right now. You came to me because you obviously need me. Siko and Eddie are dead as far as Fox is concerned and getting someone else that close to him will take too long. So here’s the thing—I don’t work for you, so I don’t take orders from you. You want my help, then convince me to spare the fucking time or else, in two seconds, I’m gone.”
The room fell so silent that you could have heard a pin drop down the hall. Any second now, I expected Siko to send a bullet through my skull and end it all. Franklin seemed to stare right through me as if he’d been transported to another place.
Just as some of my bravado started to slip, and I begin to think I really was going to die, Franklin sighed as he sat back down. He nodded to Siko, and I felt the pressure from the gun lift. “I’m not going to kill you.” He waited for a reaction. I didn’t give him one. “Because you’re right. I do need you, but you also need me. You’re in over your head.”
I shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“If you agree to be my eyes and ears, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you stay alive. It’s the least I can do for my son.”
“Don’t pretend you’re doing it for him. Thirteen comes first, and it always has. Just ask him.”
“Enough, kid. You’ve made your point.” He waved me off, making it clear he had no intention of changing. “We’re finished here.”
I didn’t waste time making for the door just in case he changed his mind and decided to kill me.
“Son.” My hand fell from the knob, but his leaden tone warned me not to turn around. “If you succeed, you’re going to find a lot more than what you were looking for.”
“I told you I’m not afraid of dying.”
When he didn’t respond, I ripped open the door, ready to bolt, but then he sighed and said, “You’re going to wish it was that simple.”
One Month Later
IT WAS HOMECOMING, AND TYRA had succeeded in dragging me to my first Brynwood football game. I didn’t understand where her sudden fascination came from, but anywhere was better than another evening in the palace. It had been a month since Ever tried to spank me and when he failed, kissed me instead. We’d pretty much gone back to pretending the other didn’t exist, but there had been a lingering look or two.
The band and the cheerleaders were working hard to get everyone pumped. Jefferson High certainly couldn’t compete with Brynwood’s morale and talent. It was a packed house, so I didn’t think we’d get seats, but I followed Tyra to the bleachers anyway. She was scanning the front row, and I started to tell her it was a pipe dream until two guys I usually saw following Ever, Vaughn, and Jamie around rose from their seats behind the team bench. I thought it was just luck until they nodded and took off. Tyra didn’t seem surprised as she sank into one of the seats and started texting. Perks of being the coach’s daughter I guess.
A deafening roar came from the crowd, and Tyra’s head shot up from her phone when the team ran out to meet their opponents on the field. Vaughn suited in a jersey numbered seventeen was the last to emerge with his arm casually thrown over Ever’s shoulders as he laughed at something Ever said.
Tyra’s sharp inhale drew my attention, but she was back to rapidly texting on her phone, so I shrugged and watched the most wanted boys in school separate. Ever went to stand on the sidelines with the coach while Vaughn jogged to join the huddle. The game began soon after that, and I was happy to have something to focus on. Keeping my eyes off Ever, however, became impossible as the game went on. He wore blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt with his red and navy letterman jacket. Because his back was to the stands, I couldn’t see his face, but I noticed his shoulders tensed when a play went south or one of our players was tackled. Thanks to a smooth pass off from Vaughn, our team made the first touchdown of the game, and Tyra, along with the rest of the homestand, stood to cheer. I shrugged and stood as well to clap and cheer.
Big mistake.
Ever turned, and his determined gaze searched the stands. It wasn’t me he was looking for. No way could he have picked my voice out of the crowd.
But then he caught me watching him, and my fingers dug into my jean-clad thighs when he said something to the coach and headed toward the stands. He didn’t bother to take the stairs, though. He hoisted himself onto the platform and climbed through the rails.