Page 11 of The Vipers' Vow

“To get Lex back. You’re the only person we know who has a way of contacting Jarl Olsen.”

Angelica’s pretty complexion drains of color. “I can’t contact Jarl and ask him to return Lex.”

I want to ask why not. Her reaction is a bit extreme. If she’s friendly enough with him to invite him here for a tête a tête with Vani, surely, she can at least ask him if Lex is okay.

“That’s not what we’re asking. We just want you to give us the number,” Vani explains. “We’ll be the ones who speak to him.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t do that either.”

Fucking bitch. I bite back my temper, but I won’t last long before I explode the way this is going.

“Yes, you can,” Vani insists. “For me. We’re friends, right, and you wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to a student because of something you did. It’s just his number, that’s all.”

“I don’t want to get into trouble with Jarl!” Angelica worries at her lower lip with her teeth.

I get the distinct impression she’s acting. Patience snapped, I lean in. I pound my fist against the table, and Angelica jumps.

“Lex is already in trouble!”

“Heistrouble!” she throws back. “Everyone knows what the three of you did to Reagan.” She shakes her head at me.

I’m going to wrap my hands around her pale neck and squeeze. If I do, though, I won’t have any leads on getting my brother back, so I try to restrain myself. I growl, “We arenothaving this conversation again.”

“Maybe Lex is only getting what he deserves.”

Vani gasps. “Angelica!”

“Sorry, but it had to be said.”

“No, it didn’t. Lex is innocent, and he does not deserve this. None of them do.” Vani’s voice trembles as she speaks.

Angelica shrugs. “We’re allowed to have a difference of opinions. I happen to believe they are utterly up to their necks in what happened to your sister. That’s my choice. We can agree to disagree.”

“Not on this!” Vani declares. “Not on whether or not my sister died because of them. I’m not saying the Vipers are perfect—far from it—but I believe I know them better than anyone now.” She pauses to gaze over at us, and Zane and I give her a tiny smile and a nod, permission to show others that we’re close. “I don’t believe they were behind Reagan’s death.”

Angelica shakes her head, but her eyes narrow dangerously, and she keeps glancing between Vani and us, the color on her cheeks growing. “What do you know? You’ve barely been here five minutes. You didn’t even know Reagan. We did! You weren’t here when he—” she glares at me with murderous rage, her cheeks tinted deep red now, "was leading her on, making her think they had something. I don’t know…maybe they did something terrible to her, and then they thought she was going to talk, so they lured her to the top of that tower and pushed her off.”

Why is she so convinced about this and so emotional? She’s acting like Reagan was her sister, not Vani’s, and she’s looking at me with such an odd mix of emotions swimming in her gaze.

I grind my back teeth. “None of that happened, Angelica. It’s all in your head. We didn’t harm Reagan, and I certainly wasn’t leading her on. Jesus.”

“Not just my head. It’s what everyone was saying!” Her expression turns sullen, and she glares at me, but as I hold her gaze, she drops hers.

“It doesn’t mean you have to believe it.” I sigh. “People gossip, Angelica.” I try to reason with her. “You know this. College is full of endless gossip and intrigue. Doesn’t mean it’s all true.”

Angelica doesn’t look at me, and I want to tear my hair out with frustration at the way this is going.

Vani crouches next to Angelica’s desk to bring them to eye-level. “Please, Angelica. I’m not asking you to do it for them—do it for me.”

Angelica nibbles at her lower lip and seems to consider what Vani is asking, reluctance all over her face. “What do you need from me?”

“We just need Jarl’s number.”

“Jarl is not going to be happy about me just handing it over to you. He’ll figure out it came from me. I’ll be the one who gets in trouble.”

She seems anxious, and I guess that’s understandable. Jarl is a complete psychopath. Who knows how he’ll react to us being the ones who make contact with him first, instead of it being the other way around.

“The Vipers will protect you,” I offer.

---