Page 163 of The Ruthless Note

It’s possible they sent someone else to start it.

My instincts tell me that Dutch wouldn’t leave such a complicated task to anyone else. Not when, one wrong move, and it would implicate all of them.

“Vi, I need you to go and pack your bags.” The words scrape past my throat, burning like hot stones down to my lungs. I’m trying hard not to fall apart even as my mind pulls me in a thousand different directions.

“What?”

“Pack your bags.” I struggle to keep the urgency out of my voice, but it slips through. “You’re going to stay with Breeze over the weekend.”

“Why?” She scrunches her nose.

“Because I just remembered I have a school trip, and I don’t want you to stay here all alone.”

“I’m not a baby.”

“Vi!” I realize I shouted and try to calm down. “Just listen to me.”

My sister gives me a weird look, but the desperation in my gaze must read loud and clear because she stumbles to her room without mumbling.

In the silence, I hurry to the bathroom with my phone and call Breeze.

“Hey, girl.” She sounds upbeat.

I wish I had the ability to sound like that, but there’s a real possibility that I might not make it out of Redwood Prep alive. Not after what I did to The Kings.

Before, when I thought it was their fault, I was okay with that.

But now…

“I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you watch Vi over at your place for the weekend?”

“Is something going on?” Her voice is immediately alert.

“No, of course not.” I force a laugh.

Serena already got tangled in this violent web. I don’t want Breeze anywhere near this.

“I’m going on a school trip tomorrow, but I’m really not comfortable with leaving Vi here alone.”

My best friend doesn’t ask any more questions.

“Of course. Bring her over.”

I feel a rush of gratitude that Breeze is in my life because right now, it feels like I’m drowning.

“I’ll walk you over,” I tell Vi.

She clutches her overnight bag and studies me. “Are you acting like this because I did a collab with The Kings?”

“We’re going to talk about that later,” I say in a hard voice.

She shuffles away guiltily.

“But no. I really do have a trip tomorrow.”

“Then you could have just sent me to Breeze tomorrow,” she grumbles.

“I have to leave early tomorrow morning and I don’t want to deal with trying to wake you up when I have a bus to catch.”

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