Page 122 of The Broken Note

But I’m not sharing that sentiment with his father.

Instead, I lift my chin. “I have never and will never care about Dutch. Isn’t that why you trusted me with this?”

Laughter pours from Jarod Cross’s mouth. He sounds smug. Satisfied.

“Just keep your end of the bargain. Get my friend back to school and we can call this deal done.”

“Yes, I think we can,” he says, his eyes scouring my face.

I jut my chin down and turn to leave.

“Now that your eyes are open, I hope they stay that way,” Jarod Cross says to my back.

I whirl around.

“Dutch can be convincing, but never forget who you’re dealing with. He’s not to be trusted.”

I stare at the rockstar, taking note of his intense eyes. There’s a nagging feeling in my gut. A muted suspicion that’s screaming at me.

What am I missing here?I feel like I’m swimming in a current that’s smooth on the surface but full of whirlpools beneath.

“Be careful or you’ll get hurt, Miss Cooper,” Jarod Cross murmurs.

And I can’t help thinking he’s warning me about himself as well as his son.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

DUTCH

“She’s not here,” Finn says, meeting my eyes. He’s lounging against Cadence’s locker, eyes frozen on his book.

“She doesn’t skip class,” I growl. My heart is beating fast and I feel like I’m getting torn up inside. “Do you think dad—”

“Would hurt her? No.” Zane shakes his head.

“He knows that would start a war,” Finn assures me.

“She’s not answering her phone.” I curl my hands into fists and smash the locker beside hers. “Why the hell isn’t she answering? What if she got kidnapped?”

“Vi got through to her. Her phone’s working. She’s fine,” Zane says.

“But her mom—”

Finn cuts me off. “Is a drug addict who can’t keep her story straight.”

“We don’t even know if her mom was right about dad. That cell phone with the ‘evidence’ on it was a total bust.” Zane scowls.

I punch the locker again, still angry about that.

Tina sent me on a wild goose chase. I’m glad I brought my brothers as backup, but I felt like an idiot traipsing into that side of town for a dud cell phone.

The musical bells chime.

First period is over.

The hallway fills with students and I spot Sol walking purposefully toward Cadey’s locker. He stops short when he sees the three of us prowling the same area. His twitch of disappointment sets me on edge.

Sol has been acting strange ever since the fire. When he broke down in the practice room after, I told myself that he was dealing with a lot. I stopped plowing through his business and gave him some space.

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