Page 85 of Twisted Legacy

“I mean, the night we found you traipsing in the woods. After you punched Pax and ran off, we followed you, and saw how much of a teacher’s pet you are.”

“What do you want?” I stiffen my spine, waiting for him to tell me what hoops I have to jump through to keep him quiet. I’m not worried about my reputation. I own my shit, but I won’t drag Wolfe down with me.

“Pet, I don’t want anything.” He quickly amends. “Okay, so that’s not true. I want something, but I’m not going to use this as a way to get it. What I want, I want you giving freely and willingly.”

“So you don’t want me to do anything in return for keeping quiet about what you saw? Why? Why wouldn’t you take this chance to get something out of it?”

Wolfe speaks up. “It’s because you’re a legacy and the perception is they don’t do anything to cause a scandal. Telling anyone would go against that mandate.”

“Is that true? Are you keeping quiet because you think it’s going to force me to be alegacy?” Could I do it? Accept that stupid title and conform to keep this a secret? I’d have to talk to Wolfe and see just how bad the damage would be if it came out.

“This has nothing to do with being a legacy. I don’t want to force you to accept that title. I want you to embrace it on your own, because it’s who you are. I’m not going to say anything, because I want us to be friends, and I don’t hurt my friends.” Looking to Wolfe, he says, “I don’t let other people hurt my friends either, so if you’re just fucking with her because she’s a hot young piece of ass…”

“What I’m doing is none of your fucking business.”

I see this about to turn into a pissing match, so I say, “Wolfe and I are on the same page about it being none of your business, and all you need to know, is he’s my trainer at his gym, and he’s my friend.” I pause, letting that sink in, before saying, “I think you’re familiar with how far I’ll go when someone hurts my friends.”

With a curt nod, some of the tension oozes from Finn’s body.

Wolfe says, “You’re taking this calmer than I thought you would, LaReaux.”

“I’m the opposite of calm, but this is just one more incident I don’t remember, so I’m putting it in the box with the other one.”

Finn’s face morphs as he and Wolfe share a look. “What now?”

Finn’s blade makes an appearance when he says, “I think it’s suddenly occurred to us both that your inability to remember what happened that night might be more than a trauma response.”

I catch on quick. “You think it’s because I had these same drugs in my system? Wouldn’t it have shown up on a toxicology report?”

“No. The way this cocktail synthesizes it would have burned through your system without a trace by the time you got to the hospital. That’s why it’s so popular around here.”

“You’re suggesting whoever was there wanted to make sure I wouldn’t remember?” My eyes drift to Finn. This could be his buddy’s doing. “I wonder who’d be smart enough to plan that detail out. Maybe someone who drugged me during a chastity vow ceremony?”

Finn’s already shaking his head. “It wasn’t Holden.”

“You-”

“Yes, he gave you a beta blocker, but trust me, he did you a favor. And you remember everything about that night, right? When it comes to things like this cocktail, he has his own issues with being drugged and losing control of his body. He wouldn’t do that to you.”

Chapter49

Thea

I’m not alone. I reach under my pillow, grabbing for my steak knife. I’m in bed, but I’m wide awake. Hearing Finn and Wolfe recount what happened was painful, especially since I don’t remember any of it.

I hate to think I was so out of it I would have fucked a stranger. I mean, sure, I’ve done it plenty of times, but I’ve always been cognizant of it. The choice has been mine. Being under the influence of whatever drugs I was given, takes my choice away, so in that regard, I’m glad Deacon was there to supervise Finn and the head Coxsucker while they helped get me over the worst of it. I hate them, but if anybody had to see me vulnerable like that, who better than the devil, you know, right?

The figure in my room walks over to my bed and stands there. Just staring at me. He doesn’t say anything, but I feel the anger vibrating off of him. I turn over in bed, letting his herbal scent waft over me, but maintain my grip on my knife.

He was unaccounted for at the party, and he’s already admitted to chasing me through the forest like I’m some helpless little bunny. I don’t care what Finn says. Holden’s at the top of another suspect list.

“What are you doing in my room, Holden?”

“I heard what happened, so I came to check on you.”

“You heard? Or you’re responsible?”

His gaze drops drown to my knife, his jaw ticking. “I heard.”