Page 25 of Wicked Games

Usually that would get my hackles up, but right now it’s comforting to not be alone.

“Did you see anything on the cameras?” I ask, not liking the warmth spreading out from my belly.

He shakes his head. “We got hacked.”

“Hacked?”

He nods grimly. “And whoever did it is on campus.”

“They are?” I ask, my voice higher than usual.

I have no idea why, but knowing there’s a hacker skilled enough to fuck with the Rebels’ system walking around campus is just as terrifying as knowing someone tried to kill me.

“Yeah. Axel and Jace are working on reverse engineering the hack to find out who they are and exactly how they got in, but this wasn’t a remote job. They had to either physically link into the system or piggyback off the house intranet, and both of those methods mean they had to be close to the building.

“Jordan and Nico want to talk to you,” he continues. “I told them everything you told me, and they’ve seen the footage, but they have questions.”

I nod. That’s not surprising. As the leaders of the house, it would be weird if they didn’t want to get the full story directly from me.

I don’t really know Jordan, Axel, or Nico beyond their reputations and what Eden’s told me, but they’re the last guys I’d ever want to fuck with. If the rumors are true, all three are ruthless and brutal and have no qualms about doing whatever is necessary to get the job done. They’re also an incredibly tight-knit group, and if one of them is involved, then the other two aren’t far behind.

According to Eden, they’ve been best friends since they were babies and were raised like brothers, even without having any blood or marriage relation between them. They do everything together, and everyone knows that if you mess with one, then you’re fucking with all of them.

“Are they mad?” I ask before I can stop myself.

“They’re pissed as fuck, but not at you. At least not yet.”

“Not yet?” I ask warily.

“They agreed to let you live here because of who you are, and because my dad leaned hard on them to not fight it,” he says. “If it turns out that whatever happened is because you fucked up or did something to bring your shit into our house, then you’re going to pay as much as the assholes who’re doing this to you.”

I swallow compulsively as a shiver of fear shoots up my spine. I’ve lived in his world long enough to know that’s not an idle threat.

“Can you think of any reason someone would target you?”

I shake my head.

He purses his lips like he wants to call bullshit.

“It’s true,” I blurt. “I’m not involved in any of your dad’s business, and I’m just the stepkid. Your dad isn’t going to be too broken up if I get taken out, but he’d burn the world to the ground if something happens to you. There’s no advantage for one of his enemies to target me.”

“What about your mom’s side?”

It doesn’t surprise me that Killian doesn’t know much about my mother’s family. He’s not exactly her biggest fan, and my mom is too concerned with playing the part of the dutiful wife to worry about getting along with Killian. “They’re social climbers, but not really involved in anything that would put a target on me. They don’t have the power or the influence to really be a problem for anyone.”

He chews on the corner of his lip in a way that makes my stomach tighten.

The fuck?

“What about your dad’s family? Or your stepmother?”

I shake my head. “Doubtful. My stepmother’s family is even less powerful than my mom’s. And they all hate me. They’d be the first to celebrate if I got offed.”

“And your dad?” he presses. “Could someone be trying to get back at him by going after you?”

“It’s possible, but not exactly a winning strategy considering he’s dead,” I say in a flat voice. “And even if he weren’t, hurting my stepmother and half siblings would be the way to get to him. He’s barely been part of my life since he and my mom split up. He’s their dad, not mine.”

Killian makes another thoughtful face.

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