Page 20 of The Vipers and Their Vendetta

“You think that’s what I’m angry about?” He sounds utterly incredulous. “I’m not mad that you got out of there. It was the right thing to do. I can look after myself, Vani.”

“I’m totally pissed off that you ran off in the first place. You could have been killed. You came off your bike, and you could have been dead by now. Do you even have any idea of the kind of people who roam around these woods at night? You’re an idiot.”

He spits out the wordidiotas if it tastes bad. His words mirror what Zane told me, only he’s much angrier.

“Why should I listen to anything you say ever again? You’re a liar, Saint. You lied to me. All of you.”

“What the hell did I lie about?”

“Your involvement with Reagan.”

“I know what you were told, and it’s all utter bullshit,” he throws back. “It fucks me off that you believe some girl over us.”

I glare at him. “What possible reason have you given me to make me want to believe you? Remember how you all basically blackmailed me into spending the evening with you? Imagine if I was a little more emotionally fragile—the damage you could have done?”

Zane taps his arm, but Saint shrugs him off. He’s pissed, and probably high on adrenaline, the way I am. Or was, before Zane helped me out with that. Guilt steals over me at what we justdid. That was sick, because he might have helped kill my sister, despite his denials. I have no clue anymore who I can trust.

“Get in the car, Vani,” Lex sighs. “We’re all exhausted and liable to say shit we don’t mean. It’s best we head home.”

I don’t want to go back there. To the college. To the secrets and lies, and the manipulation, the nasty girls, and the arrogant men. I don’t belong there. The sad reality hits me that I don’t belong anywhere. Not really.

I have a home with my father, but his real family is the club, and I’ll never be one of them because I’m a girl.

Zane walks off, as though he can’t be dealing with any of us right now. He’s half hidden by the shadows, standing under a tree. He lifts his hand to his face, and a burning light glows red in the dark. He’s lit a cigarette—something I’ve only seen him do once before. He takes a long drag, blows the smoke out, and fixes me with his gaze.

“Anytime tonight, Zane,” Lex says sarcastically.

Zane doesn’t move and takes one, two, three more leisurely drags before he drops the butt on the ground and grinds it out with the toe of his boot.

He walks over to a larger utility vehicle and opens the back door.

“Get in,” Lex orders.

I want to argue and tell these men to get lost, but my stomach roils, and I don’t think it’s only nerves. My head is still splitting, and I’m starting to worry I might have a concussion. I can remember everything; I know where I am and who I am. Everything feels woozy, though, like I’ve just gotten off an elevator that’s fallen thirty floors. I walk toward the car door to do as Lex says, but I stumble and fall to the side.

Big arms come around me and hold me upright. Zane grabs me by both shoulders and looks into my eyes. He shakes his head and moves me carefully toward the car, his touch gentle butfirm. He guides me into the back and closes the door. Lex climbs in the other side, reaches over me, and fastens my seat belt in place. He sits back in his own seat and looks up at the ceiling as if he can’t bear to even glance in my direction. Zane gets into the driving seat, and Saint sits in front next to him.

The car starts and glides smoothly through the night as we head down the road and then turn right onto the drive leading us back to Verona Falls. Back to God knows what. The minute I walk back behind those walls, I’m never going to speak to these men again. I owe it to Reagan. I can’t let them drag me back into the sick and toxic dynamic we have or back under their spell.

The moment I think of the wordspell, I suck in air and turn to Lex. I might be livid with them all, but I don’t want them to turn into frogs or newts.

“Lex, I know you’re pissed at me, but listen. You’re in danger, all three of you. I was taken back to the water tower, and there were two of the men there, and they carried out a strange … incantation. It sounds stupid and far-fetched, but that’s what they did. Roman carried out a magic spell, for want of a better phrase, and it’s aimed at you three.”

“They had her stripped down to her damn underwear.” Saint snarls the words like a guard dog.

I jump as Zane bangs his fist on the steering wheel. Clearly, he doesn’t like that idea.

“Well, they just started a war, then, didn’t they?” Lex shakes his head and glances over at me. “Not because of their dumb rituals but because they’ve seen you in your underwear. Did they touch you?”

He doesn’t sound concerned for my well-being, more like he’s concerned that someone dared to play with what he sees as his.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I shake my head and turn to look out the window.

Strong fingers grasp my jaw and pull my face back around until I’m forced to look at Lex.

“Tell me the truth. Did they touch you?”

“No, they didn’t. It’s none of your business, but they didn’t. I’m trying to warn you, though, because they did take some of my hair and some of my blood from the cut on my arm and they’ve made some weird potion with it. The stuff they were chanting, it’s aimed at you guys. You in particular, Saint.” I roll my eyes when Lex shrugs. “Fine. Don’t blame me if you wake up tomorrow and you’ve turned into a rat or something.”

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