Page 26 of Gathered Sparkle

Koen’s eyes dart toward me, a frown etched on his face, and he shoots back, “Yes, you are. You hurt Levi.”

My agitation boils over, and I turn in my seat. “And it was totally unprovoked, right?”

Our eyes lock for a quick, heated second before a buzz interrupts us. Koen’s phone, sitting in its holder on the middle console, lights up. He flicks his eyes toward it, then back to the road.

“Can you check that for me? Code’s 1234.”

“For real?” I raise an eyebrow, scoffing. “That’s still your code?”

I don’t know why that’s the part that surprises me and not the fact that he makes me check his phone. Back when he got his license, he’d always make me read his texts while we drove around like I was his unofficial co-pilot.

Koen lets out a short laugh, almost amused. “Try to grab my phone without me noticing, and we can talk about my security measures again.”

I shake my head but reach over and unlock the phone. “It’s a message from Ezra,” I say, explaining, “He wrote,Dove question mark.”

Koen nods. “Please text him back.Safe period.”

I pause for a moment, glancing at Koen. “Just that?”

“Just that,” he confirms.

I type it out and hit send, putting the phone back in its holder. The tension between us lingers, but for now, it feels like a truce. A fragile one, but a truce, nonetheless.

“Shouldn’t we take him to an ER?” I ask, glancing back at Levi, who’s still not moving.

“No. Ric should be able to handle it,” Koen replies, his focus on the road ahead.

Ric… Alaric. I’ve heard the name and seen the guy a few times hanging around with the others, but I’ve never talked to him.

It hits me then—where we’re headed. Koen’s taking me to their place. To a house full of people who hate me. Five guys who probably wouldn’t care if I disappeared off the face of the earth.

And if what Rosie said is true, if my mother really…I can’t even finish the thought. But if it is, they have every reason to hate me.

Every fucking reason.

I don’t know what’s waiting for me at the end of this drive, but there’s no going back now.

The mansion gateway is already open when we arrive. Koen pulls the Bronco into the garage, the headlights bouncing off the polished cement floor and illuminating Alaric, who’s waiting for us.

As soon as Koen opens the door, Alaric steps closer, his eyes locked on Levi. “You’ve got him?”

“Glitter got him to Nico, and Nico got him out,” Koen replies, climbing out of the Bronco. He glances over the hood of the car at me as I follow suit, stepping out onto the concrete floor.

Alaric moves to stand beside me, his gaze shifting from Levi to me. To my surprise, he nods like I’m not the enemy. “Hey, man. Thank you for the help.”

“Hey, nice to meet you.” Without thinking, I offer my hand for a shake—a polite reflex, a habit by now.

Alaric’s eyes drop to my hand. Then, without a word, he steps past me toward the open passenger door, leaving my hand hanging in the air. I let it fall back to my side, swallowing the awkwardness.

So much for ‘not the enemy.’

“How is he?” Alaric asks Koen, leaning into the car to check on Levi.

“He’s got a shiner, and he’s been out since Glitter passed him over,” Koen explains, glancing at Levi’s slumped form. “We didn’t really check anything. We were hoping you could.”

“Sure.” Alaric steps back and nods. “Could you please bring him to the living room?”

I move to do just that, and Koen shifts to help me. Together, we maneuver Levi out of the back seat. Koen takes most of his weight as I adjust my grip under Levi’s arm.

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