Page 90 of My Brother's Best Friend

When Spencer stumbled back, Blaise stepped into the house and grabbed a diamond lamp sitting on a side table. Blaise swung the lamp right at his head, sending him flying backward and into his parents’ bookcase. Books flew across the wooden floorboards. Spencer scrambled to his feet, hurling his fist back toward Blaise.

But Blaise sidestepped him, grabbed him by the jacket, and slammed his head into a glass window so hard that the thick glass cracked. “That’s for bullying Vera Rodriguez freshman year, you piece of shit.”

“I didn’t bully her, prick,” Spencer spit, grasping his head.

While I fought during games, I didn’t like it outside of the rink. And besides, before Blaise killed the guy, we needed to at least find out where Maddie’s brother and my—ex?—best friend was being held. I wanted to be logical. Then, I wouldn’t feel so bad about kicking the shit out of Spencer.

“Where’s Oliver?” I asked.

“Probably fucking your mom,” Spencer growled as Blaise hurled the lamp at him.

Spencer ducked out of the way, letting the lamp hit the wall behind him and shatter to pieces. I glared at him, not letting him get the best of my emotions. He knew how to play the manipulative game.

But how had he known about my mother and Oliver? Had Oliver told him?

“Where is he?” I repeated through gritted teeth.

“Doesn’t matter.” Spencer smirked, the scent of wildflowers drifting through my nose from behind. “You’re here, which means Maddie’s now mine.”

My stomach twisted, heart racing. Something didn’t seem right.

So, I twirled around just in time to catch sight of locks of blonde hair before the person swung a bat at my head. My vision blurred for a moment, and then suddenly, everything went dark. Blaise shouted in the distance, but then his body hit the ground beside me.

CHAPTER56

MADDIE

“It’s so late,” Vera said, yawning on João’s couch. “Blaise!”

I ran a hand over my face and stared down at a tablet that Kai—the tech wiz of Poison—must’ve programmed for João because I didn’t think that João was smart enough to code anything like this.

For the twentieth time tonight, I rewatched the security camera footage that Kai had sent over to João earlier.

The cops had pulled Oliver over blocks from the school, but instead of any police officer exiting the car, Spencer did with a gun. When Oliver realized what was happening, he tried to get away, but Spencer shot out one of his tires and pulled him out of the car, tied him up with the help of … someone I couldn’t quite make out, and threw him into the back of his Jeep.

“Blaise?” Vera called again from the couch, yawning. After a moment, she hopped off it and padded into the kitchen. “We should get going.”

“I need to find Oliver,” I said desperately.

“It’s almost three in the morning,” Vera said. “We’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours, Maddie. We’re not going to find him tonight, especially not when we’re almost falling asleep. Let Poison do the hard work for you. That’s what you’re paying them for.”

“Yeah, get the fuck out of my house,” João said, half-asleep while leaning against the wall near the kitchen table. He crossed his arms and yawned. “Ana is going to be up in two hours, wanting breakfast.”

“Blaise!” Vera called again, glancing around the room. “Where did he go?”

“They left.” João said.

“What?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “When?”

Ana padded from the back room, clutching her teddy and crying. “João! I want Imani!”

“About four hours ago.”

“Where did they go?” I asked, glancing out the window to see Alec’s car was gone.

I furrowed my brow because Alec would never hang out with Blaise just to bullshit. They had to be doing something together, right? But to stay out this late and not tell me at all? Not even a text?

“Don’t know, but listen, I can’t help you right now,” João said, heading toward the hallway, where a wailing Ana stood. “You gotta figure out where your little boys went off to yourselves. Now, get out of my house.”

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