Page 50 of Don't You Pucking Dare

"Thanks for the invite," Amanda calls as I head for the door.

I pause, hand on the doorknob. "I mean it. About going alone. Take a plus one."

The knife weighs heavy in my pocket as I climb the stairs to my dorm. Bringing it seems dramatic now—Amanda practically tripped over herself to spill Brody's secrets. All it took was dangling the right bait.

The pieces scatter in my mind as I walk. A wannabe Reaper with a crippled brother. A high school queen bee still desperate for his attention. A political dynasty hiding behind perfect smiles. It should make me pity him, understanding why he changed. Instead, it just makes him more dangerous because he has a clear motive. I need to find out who did that to his brother… if that’s even possible.

Kiah barely glances up when I enter my dorm room, lost in her homework with her headphones blocking out the world. I pull out my textbooks, pretend to study, but my fingers are already typing "Governor Black" into my phone.

Governor Black's face fills my screen—campaign photos, military service, charity galas. The resemblance to Brody hits like a punch. Same jaw, same cold confidence, but the governor's smile reaches his eyes. Every article paints him as a family man, a veteran, a public servant. Photos of him helping disaster victims, speaking at veterans' rallies, championing education reform.

I switch to TikTok, where real dirt usually surfaces. But even there, between clips of his speeches and political commentary, he comes across as genuine. Intelligent. Even kind.

My psychology textbook sits unopened beside me. I should be studying for tomorrow's exam, not falling down this rabbit hole. But something doesn't add up. How does a seemingly decent man raise a son capable of the things I've seen in that underground chamber?

Or maybe that's the point. Maybe the whole family's mastered the art of wearing masks, but where the fuck do I come into play?

Then it clicks: tell your father I say hi.

Duh! Ugh. I lay my head on my textbooks. My dad did something, and he wants revenge. I sit up quickly. Did my dad beat his brother? Maybe. I definitely cannot rule that out.

Shit, if Rick Kemper crippled his brother, I would gladly help Brody get revenge. But he’s simply not asking me like he gets off on stalking and torturing.

I tap Kiah on the shoulder and she pulls of her headphones with a smile.

"I hate to ask this," I press my lips together, "but can I have Jack’s number?"

Kiah scoffs. "Are you fucking serious? After the shi––"

"I’m serious, Kiah. I think I’m in trouble, and I think Jack can help me."

She stands, grabbing her phone. "What kind of trouble?"

I take a deep breath. "On the night he pulled the gun on me, Jack said that it wouldn’t make sense, but I would be glad to have fucked him, to have him on my side."

"What?" she asks, touching my shoulder. "I’m not letting you walk into the devil’s den, Lola."

I smile. "Really, Kiah? Because you’re the reason I went to the Reapers party in the first place, which kicked this all off. So please, just give me the Jackasses phone number."

Tears fill her eyes, and I pity her for being so fucking weak but trying so much to be hard. It’s ridiculous. "Fine," she mocks. She taps away on her phone and then shows me his number.

I touch her shoulder and force a smile. "Thank you."

As the night falls and Jack's number sits in my phone like a loaded gun, I'm paralyzed by the possibilities it brings. What would I even say? Ask for protection from the man who promised to keep me safe? Brody kept his word in the chambers, and he made me promise not to mess with Jack.

But Brody's gone silent. After all the stalking, the chamber, the way he marked me as his in front of the Reapers— now nothing. The bastard knows exactly what he's doing. Late at night, when I should be practicing or studying, my mind drifts to the garden maze, to his hands, his voice, the way he made me feel both terrified and alive. He hooked me like an addict, then cut off my supply.

I look at Jack's name on my screen again. One text could change everything. But would it be smart or desperate? Would it make me look weak or prove I'm learning to play their game?

Days pass, and the information I've gathered sits like poison in my veins. Brody Black, the governor's son, trying to earn his Reaper mask. His brother Jackson, who had one before his accident. My father, suddenly taking interest in my life after years of nothing but signed checks.

The pieces start shifting, forming a new pattern. If Brody wants to ghost me, fine.

My fingers hover over Jack's number one last time before I give up. I don't need his help or Brody's protection. I know exactly what my next move should be.

Time to find out where Rick Kemper is after all this time.

Chapter 21

---