Page 121 of Hidden
My heartbeat echoed in my ear and my skin grew warm. First thing tomorrow, I would be ordering a sidecar racer.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Bianca
Defeat
Titus and I had barely crossed into Damen’s living room before Bryce—who’d apparently finished working out and had been waiting for us—started his antics.
“I challenge you,” he said, pointing at me.
My breath hitched, and conversation in the room halted. Anthony was visiting, conversing with Julian in the window seat. Finn was on the couches with Damen and Miles.
Meanwhile Brayden, who’d been sitting cross-legged on the floor, turned to Bryce in horror. “What are you talking about?”
“Yes, do explain.” Damen stood, his fists clenched at his sides. “You have no right to—”
“I’m not challenging herposition, you moron.” Bryce rolled his eyes but didn’t spare Damen a glance. His attention was still fixated on me. “She owes me.” He pointed at the television. “We have a deal!”
I sighed—I’d forgotten about this. “Fine.”
Why he’d waited until now to bring this up, when I’d had the console for a week already, I didn’t know. But if he wanted his butt kicked in front of all these witnesses, who was I to argue?
Damen was still frowning at Bryce. “I still don’t have—”
“I’d like to change the terms,” Bryce interrupted with a wave of his hand. “I overheard you talking to Titus earlier, and I don’t approve. No one in the Dubois family is a quitter. If I win, you need to stay in school. If I lose, I won’t protest and you can still keep your stupid system.”
“You can’t tell me what to do anyway.” I wasn’t sure if my fists were shaking from fury or from being thrown off guard. The last thing I expected was this sudden bit of drama.
“I’m not finished,” he continued. “You’ve skipped all your appointments with Do Yun this week. You need to go.”
“No.”
Bryce shrugged. “Well, if you win, it’ll be your choice. And I won’t ever mention it again.”
“Fine.” All my pent-up anger and frustration was causing my vision to bleed red. He’d been pushing my buttons forweeksnow, and now it was time to murder him.
“Hold on.” Brayden stood between us, hands outstretched. “What is this challenge?”
“We’re going to battle it out,” I answered, pushing up my sleeves. “First-person shooter style.”
Finn, who’d been watching the scene with barely concealed curiosity, almost fell from his seat. However, he regained his bearings quickly enough and moved to us. But when he spoke, his focus was on my brother. “Bryce, you really don’t want to—”
“Shut up, Finn.” I pushed past him, stalking toward the television. “No one asked you.”
Everyone else, I’d noticed, only stood back. Watching, but—outside of Damen’s initial outburst—not interfering.
Apparently, they’d decided to let me deal with Bryce. At least, so long as I was handling the situation. Good. My heart swelled at the knowledge that they thought I was capable.
HowdareBryce listen in on a private conversation between me and Titus. Who did he think he was? And did it mean he’d beenstalkingme?
This was not going to fly.
My anger quietly built as Brayden, still wearing his befuddled expression, handed me a game system controller and proceeded to instruct me on how to use it. I was barely listening. My focus remained zeroed in on Bryce, who’d plopped himself elegantly on an ottoman wearing an expression as if he was so perfectly brilliant.
I was going to throw my controller at his head.
“You got that, Bianca?” Brayden’s question cut through my silent rant, and I blinked at him.
