Page 57 of Tag

“Kyle Anderson, huh. What the fuck was he doing getting mixed up in something like this?”

“You know how half the Huntsmen come to be. They play just so they’re acknowledged for once in their life.”

Rook chuckled. “Kid probably thinks if he wins, someone might actually remember his name for something other than that time he cried during his famine presentation.”

“Or when he puked all over that blonde chick during the charity run freshman year,” I added with a laugh.

Nick made a sound of mock sympathy. “Poor lil dude. What he lacks in all areas of his life, he’s trying to make up for in theatrics. Xan found out he was gunning to outbid two legacy players for a certain Marked.”

“Sanjana,” Rook supplied, like I needed the double clarification.

I wasn’t surprised our names were put up at the first opportunity. People liked the idea of hunting us. The potential bragging rights on top of thinking they would get to see us sweat for once. All it took was one dumb fuck to start the bidding, andwe were ripe for picking. The irony was that things had changed with The Hunt this year. The rules were shifting, and thanks to that, we would use them toouradvantage. Like I promised, Sass, it would be handled. We hadn’t spent years keeping them untouched just to let strangers turn them into casualties.

“And DeAndre?” I asked, remembering the other guy Nick mentioned.

“He chose Ari.”

Rook made a sound, something between a laugh and a scoff. “Probably thought she’d be an easy target.”

“Then they underestimated her,” Nick volleyed, voice hardening, “and us.”

No shit, they underestimated her.

Ari might’ve been shy and quiet, but she was steel wrapped in cotton with a brain full of knowledge. That didn’t make a difference for us, though. No one was going to fuck with any of them.

“I'm heading out there.”

“Hey, I wanna come,” Nick called out before I hung up.

I laughed, shaking my head. Nick had a taste for chaos that rivaled my brothers. Missing out wasn’t something he tolerated well.

“I’ll be there in five.”

I disconnected the call and circled the block to get to our house. When I pulled up in front a few minutes later, the porch light came on. The door opened, and Nick jogged out first. Rook followed, and then Cade stepped into view, Angela B, his metal bat resting across one shoulder.

I reached across to my passenger seat and moved the candy Sass had bought me, so it didn’t get crushed. The plastic crinkled beneath my fingers and reminded me of the pregnancy tests. When I saw those boxes—fuck. I never wanted to experience that feeling again. It was like a cold, sharp blade, driven straightthrough the organ in my chest that belonged to her. Pulverizing everything in its path. She’d shut that shit down fast, thankfully.

The lapse in control was not my finest moment, but considering I was barely keeping it together, knowing someone else had been touching her at all, I handled it better than I could have imagined. I owed some of that credit to Xan. When I’d been in my feelings the other night while we rode around looking for whoever was outside of Ashton’s spot, pissed all over again that she was with him in the first place, he looked me dead in the eye and said,“You can’t expect her to have stayed this pure, untouched virgin when you’ve been slanging your dick around.”That last bit was overkill. We both knew I was close to a saint when it came to that, but the point was made.

Nick, Rook, and my brother piled into the truck, each of them humming with the same volatile energy as I was.

Nick claimed the passenger seat while Rook and Cade slid into the back, Angela B. wedged between them like she belonged there.

“Everyone ready?” I asked.

“Let’s do this,” Nick prompted, twisting his ball cap around on his head.

Rook gave a silent nod. My brother caught my eye in the rearview mirror, and I knew his answer. I dropped the truck into gear and got us rolling. The old Miller Pub was located in a remote part of town without too many prying eyes, perfect for however this panned out. I needed the distraction it would offer, a chance to let loose some of the shit I kept reigned in that was clawing beneath my skin. Sassy had me twisted up in ways that made breathing feel optional, and until I could have her the way I needed, this would have to be enough.

We sat in the parking lot, the truck’s engine off, windows slightly cracked so we had some airflow. The glow from the pub’s neon sign pulsed weakly, flickering like it was barely clinging to life. A steady stream of people shuffled in and out. Most were loud, drunk, and blissfully unaware of their surroundings.

Cade had one foot propped up against the rear door, softly rapping along toRegulateunder his breath while aimlessly scrolling his phone. His energy was coiled tonight, but not in a dangerous way.

Rook took a long pull from his blunt, holding it like it held the answers to every question he didn’t want to ask. He exhaled slowly, watching the crowd. Every now and then, I watched him study Kyle Anderson’s black Genesis. It was parked two spots over, sporting a scratched bumper and cracked undercarriage.

Nick shifted beside me, breaking the silence. “How is this place so packed on a Tuesday?”

“Bored college kids. Bad decisions don’t keep a schedule,” Rook answered as he leaned forward, his attention caught by one of the patrons. “I don’t think she’s supposed to be here.”

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