Page 134 of Crew Princess
I moved to face him and squared my shoulders. “One that sends his cousin to mess with my relationship. One that came back to set me up. One that’s involved with a whole mastermind plotline that I can’t quite get my head wrapped around.” I paused and leaned forward, dropping my voice to a hiss. “Am I missing anything?”
He was riveted, growing absolutely still. “No. Keep going. What else do you know?”
“Did you tell the cops about District Weekend?”
“Yes.”
I startled. I hadn’t expected honesty so quickly. But I read his face again, and he’d spoken the truth. He really was going to tell me.
“Everything?” I asked.
His eyes darkened, right along with my thoughts. “Everything. Next question.”
“Were the cops coming to arrest me?”
“Yes.” A beat. “But not just you. I know what Alex thought, and he wasn’t altogether right. There was an alliance between Neeon, his cop wife, and Broghers. They just want the crews out of Roussou. That’s all. The TV thing wasn’t going to interview students, but suddenly they figured a way to get all those waivers signed. And no, the TV people didn’t know that part. No one could tell them, and they never questioned it.Of course people want to be interviewed—that’s how they think.”
“So the TV thing wasn’t a plan to distract my crew?”
“No, it was, just not one set in motion by dear old Kenneth Broghers. My boss wanted you to get arrested so you’d be shipped off to juvie. When that didn’t happen, it was strongly suggested to Principal Broghers that you be assigned as their assistant. You and your crew being distracted was plan B for my employer. The guy they have on the FC police force is the one who suggested the idea to Broghers’ sister. He just cemented it when you weren’t arrested that night.” He turned to watch my house. “He was just doing his job.”
His job.
“Did you burn the Frisco school down?”
“Yes.”
I blinked.What?I hadn’t expected that. Again.
And before I could continue my questions, he said, “And yeah, I got two punks from FC Public, gave them Alex’s name, and told them to burn your school down. Said I had a cool grand for each if they did.”
“You set your brother up?”
“You say set him up; I say more like removing him from the equation so my employer couldn’t use him against me.”
My mouth dropped. “You were trying to protect Alex?”
He didn’t respond.
“He could’ve been beat up at school.”
“I told my crew hands-off, and I knew you and your boy toy wouldn’t feel right about it. I thought you guys would question him, just didn’t realize it’d be thenextmorning. Jesus. You two just fuck and roll out of bed? You do the whole sleeping part after the job was done?”
Nope. Old Bren was rallying.
But.
Iwasn’trising to the bait. Iwasn’tgoing to react.
He was answering questions. That’s what I wanted.
“Was the intention to get drugs into the Roussou school?” I asked. “Is that why Frisco’s school was burned down?”
“Yes and yes, but not the way you’re thinking. My employer didn’t have a seller in Frisco school. He does in Roussou, and he does in Fallen Crest. He wants drugs in both schools and only the schools. When Frisco students go back, he wants the drugs to go with them. He’s already worked someone to handle distribution and selling there.”
“So it hadn’t started before then?”
He shook his head, yawning. “Nope. None of this started till a couple months ago.” He glanced over at me, holding, waiting.
