Page 114 of Liars

Great. More fucking eyes on me.

Brock meant well. I knew that. But this this felt dangerous. A risk. What if Donovan found out? Something told me he wouldn’t like my cousin’s interference, no matter how well-intentioned it was.

Brock squared his shoulders. “And I’m going to do some more digging into the Corvos.”

That had my pulse stalling. “Brock, no?—”

He cut me off with a sharp look. “I appreciate you looking out for me, I really do, but I’m okay. I’ll be fine. And besides, as your older cousin, I should be the one who takes care of you. Let me.”

I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself, but I had to believe it.

I had to.

“Brock,” I called after him as he turned to leave.

He glanced back, his fingers already twining with Josie’s, the two of them an unshakable team.

“When will I see you again?”

His expression softened just a fraction. “I’ll be around. I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone.” His voice dropped slightly, a warning laced beneath it. “And Kay—be careful. Watch what you do and say on your phone. Keep your head down.Andtry not to cause trouble.”

The lump in my throat was impossible to swallow. A huge part of me wanted to go with him. He was safe. He was family. He was home. But no matter how much I wished it, I couldn’t ignore the cold truth slithering through me.

Regardless of my budding feelings for Kreed.

Regardless of the warnings.

Regardless of my longing to escape.

I was already in too deep.

And I wasn’t sure if there was a way out.

29

KREED

Something wasn’t right.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that settled in my gut like a lead weight, a slow, gnawing sense of unease that only grew stronger as the minutes ticked by.

Like all my problems lately, Kaylor was at the heart of it.

She was up to something. I’d bet my fucking car on it.

Glancing at the clock, I did a mental rundown of what class she was supposed to be in at this hour. Math? Or was it lunch?

My knee bounced under the table as I tapped my pen against my desk, my jaw tightening. I didn’t know what exactly, only that it was enough to make me restless, my focus drifting as my teacher droned on about some historical event I couldn’t bring myself to care about.

Kaylor might still be pissed at me, might be giving me the silent treatment, but that didn’t mean I trusted her to stay out of trouble. She had a habit of walking straight into danger, and something told me today was no different.

The bad feeling turned into an itch, one I couldn’t ignore.

I couldn’t take it.

I had to at least check to see if she was safe.

Shooting out of my seat without a word, I dashed down the aisle, Mr. Spearow eyeing me as he continued his lecture. When he saw I headed for the door, he halted his riveting speech mid-sentence. “Mr. Corvo, where do you think you’re going?”

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