Page 64 of Break You

I felt what I acknowledged was an irrational pang of jealousy—he was her fucking brother, for Christ sakes—but that didn’t stop me wanting to punch his lights out, and then some, for having his arms around her that way. More ridiculous than that, though, was the fact that I was a jealous rage over a girl who technically wasn’t mine.

Rocky’s voice hitched. She was crying. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen or heard it, and it definitely wasn’t the first time I’d been the cause of her tears, but that didn’t make it any easier to witness. I shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

“…video of ‘me’ kidnapped and tortured?” He finished for her.

She nodded through her tears. “Yeah. I honestly thought I’d lost you.”

“They sent me the same thing of you. Even had your voice begging them not to hurt you and shit like that. I was ready to put a bullet through his brain, just for making me think they’d done something like that to you. I told you to let me get you protection at school. I’m so angry I let you talk me out of it.”

I’d had the foresight to record the whole incident at the Swan Club, and we’d put Drew’s AV skills to good use, splicing some of the sound from that video onto the “hostage” footage we’d hastily shot of the cygnets that morning. It was a pretty convincing job, if I said so myself. That, added to Zed’s friend Dillon’s tech skills in being able to make the calls look like they’d come from Pixie’s phone to Rocky’s, and vice versa, and we had the perfect fake-kidnapping scenario.

“I told you I could handle it.” She pulled back, staring her brother down. It was funny to see them in a room together. They looked totally different from each other, but their mannerisms were so similar, it was almost scary. The two of them made stubbornness an art form.

“Yeah, and look how that worked out for you. Mixed up with this clown, of all people.”

“I’m not mixed up with him.” She sounded like a petulant toddler, arguing over popsicles with her parents.

“You could have fooled me. You’re obviously fucking him.” He sounded like the protective older brother that he obviously was.

“Jesus, P, really? You want to do this right here, right now?”

“When else would you suggest? We’re all here now, ain’t we? You’re screwing him, right?”

I could tell without looking that she was rolling her eyes. She folded her arms. Clearly now that she realized her brother wasn’t dead or dying, he was on her shitlist. As was I, no doubt.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything. You of all people know that.”

“It doesn’t mean anything to me. It sure as hell means nothing to Mom, but to you it means something.”

“Not this time.”

“So, that’s why he called you his girlfriend before? Because there’s nothing serious between you?”

“Actually, he called himself my boyfriend, and I don’t know why he said that, but if he believes it, he’s deluded. Making shit up that’s not there.”

“Bullshit. Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?”

“I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. It is what it is. And more to the point, in all of this shit, why is this what we’re focusing on? I shouldn’t be the one answering questions, when the two of you are the ones staging kidnappings and threatening to blow people’s brains out. One of you needs to start talking, and fast, before I lose my ever-loving shit.” Neither Pixie nor I moved or spoke. “Now!”

The huge sound reverbed around the cavernous empty space.

When we still didn’t volunteer any information, she jabbed her finger into her brother’s chest. I bit the inside of my cheek in silent laughter. Pixie was the biggest dude I knew—as tall as he was wide, and as mean as a motherfucker, but the way Rocky spoke to him, showed that unlike, pretty much everyone in the entire world, she wasn’t even the slightest bit intimidated by him. As if to make my point, she reached out and prodded her brother’s gargantuan chest again.

“You! Start talking.” She crossed her arms again, tapping her foot impatiently. Not only was I impressed at her balls, but something in my chest tightened at the way she handled herself. There were no fewer than ten guns in the room, and she hadn’t even flinched.

“He was one of my boys, a few years back. I found out he was skimming. I can’t let that shit lie. He’s lucky I didn’t just kill him. You can guess the rest.”

“I can, except that doesn’t explain all the shit that’s been going on with me. How do I fit in the picture?”

“Don’t look at me. You better ask lover boy over there about that.”

She spun to face me, her features contorted angrily.

“So?” She raised her eyebrow. Sick of holding my arms up, I made to lower them slowly, which triggered a flurry of activity in Pixie’s goons.

“I told you, I’m not armed. He’s not either. Frisk us if you don’t believe me, but I’m not standing here with my arms up like a dick any longer.”

Pixie motioned to two of the muscle heads. They moved forward and frisked Drew and me, then nodded their approval to Pixie. He, in turn, tipped his chin at me, giving me the go ahead to lower my hands.

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