Page 17 of The Demons We Hide

He shuts his mouth and glares. This time, my laugh is genuine. I point to Gio. “I get that G couldn’t have done anything,” I say, then lower my hand and offer him a sympathetic grimace. “I honestly do forgive you for not taking me to Hansgard yesterday. But you two…” My head snaps back to keep both Nolan and Lex in my sights. “You two have no alibi.”

“No alibi? Fuck, I was here all night, Princess,” Nolan says, gesturing around the somewhat messy hospital room. There’s a discarded Silverwood High jacket over the chair behind him and a woman’s knitting ball and needles on the other chair.

“Sure,” I say. “All night.” I cut a look to Gio and back. “With one of your brothers who was unconscious the whole time and another that would cover for you at the drop of a hat.”

“Baby.” I jerk away when Lex lowers his arms and reaches for me.

“Donottouch me.”

“Prep Girl, they would never take that from you,” Gio tries, and though it’s hard to keep him in the same category as his friends, the fact is—he’s theirs. Not mine. He might be innocent in forgetting his promise, but when it comes to the Scorpion Kings, his blood is just as venomous as theirs.

With Lex further into the room, the door is free game and I turn, dodging for it before either Nolan or Lex can stop me. I’ve got it open and I’ve stepped into the hall—in clear view of the full nurses’ station not twenty feet away by the time they realize what I’ve done.

“Juliet.” Nolan’s voice is a warning, one I don’t heed.

“I’ll come by later to get the rest of my things from your house,” I tell him before casting a look at Lex. “And I’ll bring your clothes back to you.”

“I don’t want them back,” Lex replies. “I told you that I like you wearing my clothes, baby. Anything that I have is yours.”

A snort escapes, the sound indelicate and unladylike. “Anything but the truth, huh?”

“Juliet.” Nolan barks my name, stomping towards the door. “Get your ass back in this room, now. We need to talk about whatever it is you think we’ve done.”

“I think I’m done talking, Nolan,” I say, shifting back another step and then another and another until I’m a good distance away from the reach of his arms. I wouldn’t put it past him to snatch me up and drag me inside, and when he casts a look down to the nurses’ station, I know I’ve made the right call.

Oh, I still want my revenge on them, and I’ll get it, but I can’t stand here and pretend like they aren’t more jailers wanting to lock me down.

“You don’t have anywhere else to go,” Nolan reminds me.

I grit my teeth. Those words are a practical confirmation of guilt—that’s why they did it. Because he really thinks I don’t have anywhere else to go. “I didn’t have anywhere to go when my life fell apart the first time either,” I tell him. “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. I always do.”

Turning, I take five steps towards the elevators only to come to a harsh stop as a firm hand curls around my upper arm. “You have no idea what you’re doing, Juliet,” Nolan hisses at me. “There’s more that you don’t know. If you want that information, then you need to get your fuckable little ass back in that hospital room without making a goddamn scene.”

I contemplate his words for a moment. He’s smart, I’ll give him that. Dangle the carrot in front of the horse and she’ll follow it. Offer to give me information that he has no intention of releasing just to get me to do what he says. Jerking my arm away from his grip, I lift my cold eyes to his.

“Fuck. You.”

Cinnamon red-brown eyes flare and his lips turn down. “Oh, Princess, you have no idea how much I would do that right now if I could—if we were in a place other than my mom’s work.” He moves closer, but I don’t back down. I won’t allow him to intimidate me. There’s no point anymore. I can’t sink any lower.

“You think this little tantrum of yours will keep us off you?” he asks, lowering his voice so that none of the bypassing staff or visitors can overhear. “Believe me when I say that no matter where you go, who you go to, we will always find you, or have you forgotten that you owe us for getting rid of your little problem?”

There it is—what I’d been expecting ever since they’d taken my attacker’s body and disappeared with it. The blackmail. The leverage. Before I can shoot back something else, a familiar gruff voice calls out my name.

“Juliet?”

I pull away from Nolan as he lifts his head. “Dr. Pillard…” I stare back at my ex-boyfriend’s father, a tall slender man with dark brown hair streaked with gray. He’s dressed in his doctor’s coat and a pair of navy-blue scrubs and holding a clipboard. His eyes go from me to Nolan and then me again. He seems to come to a decision and marches forward, cutting between us and forcing Nolan to back off.

Despite the physical barrier, Nolan’s eyes glare at me over Dr. Pillard’s shoulder. I ignore him and focus on the man standing before me now.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “I thought you were working out of one of the cities.”

“I was—still am,” Dr. Pillard says. “Outside of my department, though, I stop in to offer assistance here when they’re low on medical staff.” No doubt the hospital pays him a mint to be here, considering his reputation as one of the best surgeons in the state. “What are you doing here?” He glances over his shoulder at where Lex hangs back in the doorway of Gio’s room and Nolan remains against the wall.

“Visiting,” I deadpan. “But I’m heading out now.”

“Where are you heading?” he asks.

“Uh…” I have an idea of where to go, but I certainly don’t want to say it in front of the Scorpion Kings. No doubt, it would take them no time at all to call around and lock me down.

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