Page 10 of The Knight

I roll my eyes, because despite the insult in his words there's a mirth to them that makes it clear he's not serious. "I'm not leaving Coleridge until I get what I want."

Blake asks, "And what is that?"

"Revenge. Just like before. Only this time, it's Hass I want to take down—and those two men. And if you get in my way," I warn them, heart beating fast, "I'll keep digging until I find enough dirt toreallytake you down. Especially you, Cole, you heartless bastard."

He smirks, throwing his hand over the left side of his chest. "Be still my beating heart. I think she loves me."

"We can help you take down Hass." The offer startles me, because it comes, of all people, from Blake. "Ferdinand Von Hassell should be rotting in prison. I don't mind helping make that happen if it gets you out of here faster."

"Seriously?"

"I doubt I look like I'm kidding."

His face is so serious, cut into severe lines just like his father starring in an action film, but somehow twice as intimidating. Looking at him, though, all I can think about is the memory of our kiss in the haunted house—and how it set me on fire more thoroughly than my own destructive anger.

The deal he offers is one I have to tread lightly with. His help—the help of all the Elites–could be what I need to get Hass arrested. Especially if there isn't information on my brother's laptop that could take him down. I know there are secrets they share with the other boy, secrets that might very well be the reason Lukas is getting their shared tattoo lasered off his ankle. One of those secrets could take Hass down for good.

But I don't dare to accept Blake's offer of help unless it comes with support. My eyes flick to Tanner, the wildest of the Elites and most likely to say yes to this just to rebel against Cole's missive. If I can get half of them to make a deal with me, even a tentative deal, the others might very well crumble.

Trusting them is impossible.

Using them would be a gift.

I'll have to tread lightly if I do this. Even the snake, curled in a ball beneath the long grass, knows better than to bite the wolf's paw when the pack is together. Divide and conquer—that's the only way forward for the small predator turning carnivores into prey.

"How would you like to send a rich boy to jail?" I ask Tanner, tilting my head at him curiously. "I mean, it can't compare to getting a blowjob from—"

"I'll do it," he says, interrupting me but somehow doing it casually and slowly, as if he just didn't care to listen to the rest of what I have to say. I can see through him; he doesn't want Cole to know he's been fucking his little sister's tormentor, even if he claims to have done it as a type of revenge. "I like games, and you know that. Just tell me who to seduce and I'll take care of it."

Cole frowns. "I don't like this. What if—"

"And you?" I interrupt him by looking directly at Lukas, letting my eyes flick meaningfully to his ankle and back up to his face. "Do you want me gone so badly that you won't let me stick around long enough to lay this final demon to rest? It's what he deserves, after all. Unless you're still so loyal to yourformerbest friend that you wouldn't—"

"No." Stiffening, Lukas stares me down. "You won't baselessly smear me a second time."

I feel the real prickle of shame deep inside me, traveling up my throat and freezing my tongue. It takes me a long, tense moment of silence to say, "I shouldn't have said that."

We lock eyes for a moment, both of us tense. Finally, Lukas breathes out slowly. "I guess that's as close to an apology as you're capable of now."

"Remember, Lukas, she almost died. So we're supposed to be nice to her," Cole taunts. "Or isn't that what you said?"

Lukas ignores his best friend, and I wonder how it even is that theyarefriends, given how incredibly different they are from each other. Even oil and vinegar mix when shaken hard enough, but these two are more like cars facing in opposite directions, hurtling towards each other on a one-way highway.

Blue eyes meet mine steadily, and slowly the anger drains from Lukas's expression. "I want to take down Hass as much as you. Maybe even more."

"I doubt that."

"You have no idea," he says, the words encapsulating everything I don't know about the four of them. "I'll rest easy as soon as he's put away, and do anything I can to help you. As long as you promise that you'll leave Coleridge of your own free will the instant he's arrested."

I consider his offer. "People like Hass get arrested and released all the time. I'm only leaving when the job is done. He has to be sentenced to prison before I'll leave."

"That could take ages," Lukas protests. "The justice system doesn't run smoothly."

"I can probably help speed it up." Tanner's offer is surprising, but he just shrugs. "From what I've accidentally learned by being a member of my unfortunate family is that everyone is quite up in arms about what the Governor did to get his son out of trouble. Prosecutors are looking for a rich young asshole they can make an example of to show that the state reallyistough on crime. Since Yates only got a slap on the wrist, they want the next one to get a tough sentence. Or so I hear."

It's more use than I thought I'd get out of the rogue senator's son, given his typical penchant for not giving a shit or knowing anything worthwhile.

"Alright, so we just have to get enough evidence to prove Hass is who he is—an unrepentant asshole who probably had something to do with what almost happened to me tonight—and we can get the District Attorney to put him in prison ASAP. Right?"

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