Page 35 of Forged in Rain

“Hey,” Jig says from the front seat, and I grunt, unamused by it all.

Not only am I stuck with them, but now I know I can’t trust them, and to top it off, I’m being targeted by Cyn’s bitches as a result.

“What’s up?” Cyn growls.

Glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I mutter, “Nothing.”

“Why the pissy attitude?” he asks, raising a brow.

“Really? Your bitches attacked me yesterday, Cyn. Maybe you oughta get them in line,” I sneer, gasping when he grabs my chin and pulls me around.

“I handled it,” he says silkily, “but maybe if you hadn’t had a tantrum and banned them from the table, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Really?” I scoff. “This isn’t my problem! I’m not the one leading them around.”

Smirking, he runs his finger over my bottom lip and says softly, “Jealous?”

“Don’t be stupid.” I push his hand away and ignore the tingle on my lip.

This guy may have been communicating with John, and if he was, it can’t be for anything good. Is his concern over John’s abuse even real?

Cyn’s smile drops from his face. “Did you search her room?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because she was home all night,” I say, clenching my fists in my lap.

I’m like a damn mouse in a cage, and I don’t know who’s the bigger threat, the python in the corner or the fucking poisoned feed.

“Fine,” he sighs. “We have a job after school.”

“Oh goody,” I mutter, and Cyn eyes me speculatively.

I turn away because if I’m not careful, he’s going to catch on that I’m hiding something, and I stare out the window until we arrive, glancing at my phone absently when a text comes through. It’s Iris.

Meet me in the girl’s locker room

When?

Now

Cyn plucks the phone from my hand before I can respond, and with a huff, I turn to him. “Do you mind?”

“Nope. What does she want?” he asks, perusing the messages.

“How should I know?” I ask through clenched teeth as he looks up from the phone with a furrowed brow.

“You met her at the bridge?” he asks.

“Yeah, so?” I shrug, sweat forming in unmentionable places.

Leaning into my face, he says, “I told you not to leave. I told you to stay home if you weren’t with me.”

“You also told me to spy on Iris,” I exclaim, shoving my face closer to his. “Which is it?”

“Since you didn’t think to share what your little rendezvous was about, I’m going to assume you’re having cramps or something and about to claim temporary insanity.”

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