Page 69 of Tell Me Why
“Someone tried to kill Eve,” I tell Lucas. “We need to find out who it was.”
Lucas doesn’t ask questions, and I’m sure that’s because he already knows what happened. Wyn is pretty connected within the Burning Crown, and she stays informed on what’s happening.
“So you want to, what, sic this psycho on the members to get information?” Lucas asks, completely fucking incredulous.
“That’s the plan,” I say simply. “But you know the drill—I need the other Sacred Sons’ buy-in.”
We know Cash—Cassian Romano—through his father, who has mafia ties and served as a fixer for the Burning Crown for a couple of decades. The old man was smart as fuck and as lethal as a coiled viper waiting in the shadows—quick, precise, and utterly merciless.
Cash is ten times more savage than his father ever was.
We spend the next half hour negotiating the price, setting down parameters—what Cash can and can’t do to get to pry the truth out of our members—before we’re all finally in agreement. Only Ash seems distrustful, questioning why Cash’s involvement is necessary. Ultimately, though, he caves and agrees to let Cash do his thing.
“Well—” Cash flicks his cigarette onto the floor and crushes it under the toe of his designer shoe. “Let’s catch ourselves a rat, shall we?”
He gathers his coat, slides it on, and heads for the door. Just before leaving, he turns back with that signature smile—the one that looks charming but can’t quite mask the predator lurking behind his eyes. “I’ll be in touch. Lock your bedroom doors tonight, gentlemen. Wouldn’t want the boogeyman to get you.”
“You’re the fucking boogeyman,” Lucas mutters.
“As I said…” Cash laughs as he strolls out the door.
“Thank God that’s over,” Lucas says, pushing back from the table. He seems more rattled than usual, which I chalk up to the jumpscare of seeing Cash sitting at our dining room table. “I need a joint.”
Before anyone can move, there’s a sharp knock at the door. Jackson opens it to reveal Jackson’s uncle, John McKnight, flanked by three other members of the senior counsel.
Lucas shoots me a questioning look.
“Before you leave,” I say, meeting his gaze. “I’ve asked the senior counsel to join us. We have one more important piece of business to discuss…”
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Eve
After class,I grab a prepackaged sandwich at the coffee shop with Diaz trailing behind me like a very clingy rottweiler. Having a bodyguard following me everywhere is beyond awkward, but it’s Christian’s non-negotiable condition for letting me out of his sight, so I just try to pretend Diaz isn’t there, which is next to impossible when everyone’s staring.
Back at Rush House, the living room is buzzing with the usual crowd, except for the Sacred Sons, who are noticeably absent. I usually head straight up to the bedroom after class, but I’m looking for Skye. I spot her by the pool table, working her charm on a couple of guys who are hanging on her every word.
Walking across the living room, I’m reminded why I don’t hang out downstairs. The stares. I get them wherever I go now. Inside the house. On campus. Doesn’t matter where I am, people are always watching me, and that kind of thing can get in your head.
As I approach the pool table, my cheeks start to burn as images of last night flick by in my head like a View-Master of shame—Christian throwing me against the table and fucking me in full view ofeveryone. But the absolute worst part was the orgasm slamming into me, full force, making me scream out. Again, in full view of everyone.
RIP to any sense of pride I had left.
But, seriously, I can’t think about that now, so I shove the thoughts out of my head and slide up to the pool table. I lean one hip against the polished edge, directly in Skye’s line of sight. She’s laughing, her head turned toward one of the guys. It’s not until she turns back to make her shot that she sees me.
“Oh, shit,” she says, jumping back. Once she gets a good look at my face, she pulls me into a tight hug. “Eve. Holy shit, are you okay? I wanted to visit you in the hospital, but the Sacred Sons weren’t letting anyone leave the house.”
“I’m fine. Just a few hives. Nothing to worry about,” I say, blowing off her concern. Then I steal a sidelong glance at the guys, smiling at her. “Having fun?”
She flashes me a smile, leans forward, and whispers, “There’s a reason why every girl on campus wants to join the Burning Crown.”
Noteverygirl. Not me. I’d like to say I’m smarter than that, but to be fair, I know a lot more about the Burning Crown than the average girl. It’s a secret society, after all, so unless the initiates have amazing Google-fu, they’d have no idea how corrupt the Burning Crown is until it was too late.
“Can you take a break from dick hunting for a second?” I ask. “I need your help.”
She glances at the guys, then back at me, blowing out a breath. “Fine. But you owe me one. The second I leave this table, another Deb is going to see it as an opening and swoop in. She’s going to benefit from all my hard work.”
I make a face. “Your hard work doingwhatexactly?”
