Page 133 of Chaos at Westbrook High

“Yeah.”

His teeth clench. “I hate him.”

“I hate him too.”

“I…” He shakes his head. “I could have known you my entire life. I hate that he took that away from us. I hate how much he’s taken from you, baby.”

A wobbly smile touches my lips as I bury my face into his neck. “We’re together now.”

“Are we?”

“Yeah.”

“For real?”

Tightening my arms around him, I nod, feeling his racing pulse beat against my lips. “Yeah. Yes?—”

A throat clears, and we both look up, finding Levi standing awkwardly in the open doorway. “Hailey, uh…”

My hackles raise. “What is it?”

“Derek’s gone.”

Derek

I know what I’m doing. Don’t come for me. Stay with him. Promise me.

I sneer at the text message on my phone.

I’m not promising him shit.

Exiting the elevator, the receptionist behind the desk doesn’t try to stop me this time. She doesn’t even get off her seat, frozen in place as the Kingstons and I head toward Elijah’s office. I don’t knock. Barging inside with Kai at my back, I walk right up to the desk and take the cell phone Elijah’s holding to his ear, glancing down at the screen. It’s James, who just so happens to be missing as well.

Derek wouldn’t have been able to get out of here on his own. This place is a fortress, crawling with guards who watch our every move.

Pressing the phone to my ear, I glare at Elijah, speaking to them both. “Where the hell is my brother?”

Chapter 43

HAILEY

“Hailey, calm down and listen—”

“Dad.” Kai shakes his head, casually leaning back against the huge window with his arms crossed over his chest. “Don’t tell her to calm down.”

Elijah sighs. I pace back forth in front of his desk, resisting the urge to throw something at him.

“I need you to trust me, Hailey,” Elijah says. “I won’t let anything happen to him.”

I scoff out a laugh. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

Damon glances from his dad to me, his jaw set tight as his eyes drop to his feet. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him look guilty about almost killing Derek.

“I have a plan,” Elijah announces.

Sick of his shit, I stop pacing to face him head on. “What’s your plan, Elijah? Use Derek as a pawn to get our mother’s killer to go ahead with his plan?”

“Maverick won’t come at me without Derek by his side. He won’t do it alone. He needs him.”

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