Page 15 of Duke
Lennon’s brow furrows. “I guess I didn’t get to meet Hunter.”
“Right. You came in just as things got started. He ended up near the drink table.” Duke shrugs. “By the time we saw him after the chaos, you were already missing.”
I exhale, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Kin, do you remember anyone coming to your room?”
There’s a long pause while Lennon sits very still. She closes her eyes, breathing deeply. Her tongue peeks out, wetting her lips before her eyes fly open. “I’m not here to hurt you.” She blinks, looking around.
Duke’s eyes dart to mine, then to Bear’s. “Wait, what?”
“I do remember something. This big guy. He was looking for Elliot.”
“That was Cannon Cole,” Bear murmurs.
“He was frantic.” Lennon swallows, frowning. “Talked a little funny?”
I clench my teeth. “Yep, that’s him. He said you were giving off a strange vibe.” My eyes drift back to her hand, which is definitely moving almost subconsciously over a spot dead center on her chest. “Bear.” I nod toward what she’s doing.
“Lennon.” He places his hand gently over hers stilling her motion. “What are you doing?”
Her eyes flick around the group, and she begins to shake. “No. Nooo.” Her breathing has become ragged in no time flat. “He h-had a knife.” She stutters, eyes squeezed closed.
Duke launches from the couch at the same time I do, and we’re both in front of that goddamn chair on our knees in a split second.
“Cannon held you at knifepoint?” Duke snarls, his hands on top of his head as if he’s trying to keep it from popping off. I lay a hand on his shoulder, squeezing.
Meanwhile, Lennon’s eyes have gone from nervous to wild. “No!NotCannon.” She shakes her head. “He said we’d met before.” Fear coats her features.
“Let’s have a look,” I suggest, trying to keep my cool, even though I want to rage. Duke’s already out of his mind. Bear is working with a hairpin trigger today. I’m the only calm we have. Hilarious, if I let myself think about it, but we don’t have time for that. I jut my chin toward Bear’s hand, and he removes Lennon’s along with his so I can lift her shirt up. My ears immediately get hot in response to what I’m seeing, and chaotic rage threatens, no matter that a moment ago I thought I was calm. Sure enough, there’s a small cut dead center between her breasts that I hadn’t noticed while we were in the shower, and none of us had seen while her shirt was off earlier either. The surrounding patch of skin is an angry red from where she’s been massaging it with her fingers. Summoning all the control I can manage, I murmur, “Lennon? Did you know this was here?”
Shock floods her features as she looks down at a pinprick mark marring her skin. “I-I guess not. He had a knife.” She sucks in a breath, her features close to crumbling. “I remember the glint of the blade where the moonlight was hitting it.”
“You can’t remember who it was? At all?” Duke’s jaw is so damn tight he’s going to crack a molar.
She shakes her head, her face screwing up in displeasure as she yanks her shirt back down. “I-I can’t remember. I’m sorry.” She turns toward Bear, taking several gulping breaths.
He runs his hand up and down her arm. “It’s okay, Little Gazelle.”
“Wait.” Her head snaps up, then she springs to an upright position. “He was wearing a fucking mask. I remember.” A look of horror washes over her features. “He threatened to kill me if I told whoever came into the room that he was there. Before we knew it wasn’t you, but rather Cannon, he threatened to hurt you, too. Called you—” She scrunches her nose, like she’s trying hard to call forth the memory, and presses a few fingers to her temple. A moment later, she nods. “He called you my ‘lover boys.’”
My eyes widen, my voice lethal. “Wait. First. Are you telling us he was right there in your room when Cannon showed up?”
“Yes.” Her answer is emphatic. She swallows, then continues. “I’m remembering more now. He hid behind the curtain.” Her shaking hand makes it up to her mouth to cover it. “Oh god. That’s what I saw the second I opened the door to my room. The curtains on the far side of the room. I had direct line of sight from the doorway. That must be why I freaked.”
“I don’t fucking like the fact that he knew enough about us to assume that we’re your lover boys.” My jaw works back and forth as I connect with Duke’s and Bear’s gazes in turn. They don’t like it any more than I do, I can tell by the stiffening of their postures.
Duke’s eyes crash shut, his head bowing. “Who the fuck?”
Bear growls, “I don’t know who, but the threats explain why Cannon thought you were acting a little off.”
Duke reaches out, cupping Lennon’s cheek for a second before he stands back up and begins to pace. “I still don’t fucking get why my fucking father first brought you to us to see if having you stay here would help you… then all of a sudden for auction night, he’s hell-bent on teaching you some sort of lesson. It makes no goddamn sense.”
“Since when does half the stuff our fathers do make sense?” I shake my head. “The Elliot thing made no sense either. I’ve asked before, and I’ll say it again. What the fuck does an eighteen-year-old girl with ties to Hawthorne Hall have to do with my old man and getting him out of prison?”
Slowly shaking his head, Bear grits out, “Their plan was not for us to take Elliot like we did. It was probably for Hunter to bid on her, but then he wasn’t around, and we created the diversion to get Lennon the fuck out of there and ended up helping Elliot escape at the same time.” He huffs out a laugh. “Do you think they’d apologize for trying to go toe-to-toe with us if they knew we’d actually kept their girl from the OGs and whatever they needed her for?”
Lennon shoots us a small smile. “I don’t know, but I like that you were able to help her, yet still make it look to your fathers like you were doing their dirty work. Smart not to blow that cover.” A moment later, though, she begins thoughtfully chewing on her lip. “There’s gotta be a connection. You just aren’t seeing it.” She pauses, inhaling deeply. “Have you… considered doing a little detective work of your own?”
Duke winces. “I think we figured it was best to ride this out, graduate, and then deal with the alum from the inside.”
