Page 178 of Tag

The screen changed with an incoming FaceTime call.

I hit accept, and the screen split into squares. The guys were all together on the sectional at their place, half-distracted, voices overlapping. Rook was stretched across the far end, a hoodie pulled over his head, while Nick and Xander sat perched near the middle, tablet tilted just enough to catch everyone else in the frame. Cade and Ryder had a separate square to themselves, both reclining in the private suite at the country club our families belonged to.

Roxxi was in the room at her grandmother’s again, a fuzzy blanket slung over her legs. Cloe and Ari were together now, side-by-side on Ari’s bed, surrounded by notebooks and pillows.

“Did I miss the summons for a cult meeting?”

Xander didn’t blink. “I told everyone we needed to talk Hunt.”

I rubbed my brow, already over whatever was coming. “What about it?”

“I want to preface this by saying I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

“That’s what Ari said earlier.”

Rook’s voice cut in, low and skeptical. “You don’t agree?”

“No.” I was the one who didn’t elaborate for once.

Cloe leaned forward in frame, her expression sharp. “She was targeted by that loser in a giant bird costume in a locker room. I think that gives cause for us to worry.”

“Not if we do what I said and group up,” Xander countered calmly.

“I wasn’t exactly alone,” I pointed out. “I had Brittany with me. Who lied about the whole thing, apparently.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed a little. “Yeah. Heard about that.”

“She’s not answering any of my calls or texts,” Roxxi chimed in, voice edged with heat. “Trust me, I had plenty to say. And while I’m glad Dennis is gone, and Ryder made him get on his knees for his queen and apologize, hot, by the way, I think he got off too light.”

His queen?

I wasn’t touching that one.

“Geez, Rox,” I said instead, trying not to smile. “He’s already getting expelled.”

“He’s definitely getting fined too,” Cloe added, tapping at her phone screen. “It’s in the fine print of violation consequences.”

“See?” I said, shrugging. “His whole life was essentially ruined because of his insecurities.”

Roxxi arched a brow. “I’m sorry, are we moping for that fucking idiot?”

A few of the guys laughed.

“What else do you want, Rox?” Ari asked. “Them to break his kneecaps?”

“I wouldn’t have been upset about that,” Cloe said casually, bringing an iced coffee into the frame.

Roxxi was quick to agree. “I’ll do it myself. I know Cade has a bat I can borrow.”

Xander let out a low laugh. “Roxxi, you own my heart.”

Nick cut in, smirking. “Have we ever let you girls down when it came to handling problems?”

Roxxi tilted her head, the gleam in her eye already spelling trouble. “I think you and I need to have a chat, Nicholas.”

I sighed. “That’s not even his name.”

Nick grinned. “Time and place, Vixen.”

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