Page 102 of Whistle

“I’ll bring your change,” she said.

“Keep it,” Rush told her.

She smiled. “Thanks, Rush.”

“That was an awfully big tip,” I said when she walked away.

“Yeah, and I didn’t have to stand in line like everyone else. Guaranteed, this coffee is hot and these breakfast burritos are fresh.”

I did like a breakfast burrito.

Rush peeled back the foil to reveal the end of a neatly wrapped burrito and took a massive bite. When he pulled it back, steam rose from the top. He made a loud sound of appreciation. “Bro, this slaps! There’s about to be no crumbs.”

Laughter rang around us.

A lump formed in my throat, and I lifted the coffee, taking a sip of the lightly sweetened latte. Not caramel, though. Kinda wished there was caramel. Kinda felt like I needed a trauma latte for this conversation.

“Look,” Rush said, his cheek puffing out with food. “Lars got caught up in a bad relationship back in Sweden. The guy really fucked him over, and yeah, Elite is pretty protective of him.”

“Like the guy beat him?”

Rush dropped the burrito onto his plate like he’d lost his appetite. Some egg and potato fell out. Grabbing his coffee, he looked at me. “Yeah, like that.”

A split second of regret pummeled me. I felt sorry for that blond-haired life-stealer. As much as I hated him, not even I would wish abuse on him.

I opened my mouth to ask more, but Rush cut me off with a shake of his head.

“That’s not my story to tell, so don’t ask. I’m just letting you know if you back off him, you’ll have an easier time with Elite.”

“Like I care,” I muttered.

“Watch it with Wes too,” Rush said. “Jamie and Ryan are his guard dogs. And you definitely don’t want to get on Max’s bad side.”

Yeah, I’m already there, I thought, recalling the way Max, Win, and Arsen found me in the locker room.

“What about Prism?” I questioned.

Rush scoffed. “Bro, Kruger will be like a hemorrhoid on your ass if you even look cross-eyed at Prism. And Arsen is pretty cool, but when it comes to P, he doesn’t play around.”

“You get along with all of them,” I observed.

Rush took another bite of his breakfast. “Wasn’t always that way.”

“So what changed?” I pressed.

“This isn’t what we came to talk about.”

“I’m talking about it anyway.”

His lips pursed. “You really wanna know?”

No. I nodded.

“They found out I was accused and arrested of murder, and they believed me when I said I didn’t do it.”

I just had to bring it up, didn’t I? “She’s my sister,” I said, voice tight.

“She was mine too.”

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