Page 52 of His Pretty Little Lies
"I don't know shit about what you all are talking about, so you know more than me," I try to offer.
"Nix, come on. You're different. We all are. The parents handle us each accordingly."
"I know." Nix lets out a small huff. "It sucks being the youngest of the bunch."
“Someone has to be, and you’re pretty good at it.” I give her a small nudge with my elbow. It makes her eyes light up.
“Oh God, I just realized we’ll be sisters! I have a sister!” She beams at me. It makes my chest grow tight. I’ve never admitted this out loud, but I always wished I had a sibling. Someone to keep me company since my parents were never around.
“Let’s not freak her out. The L word and marriage talk.” Jax shakes his head at his sister.
“Why? What is she going to do? Run?” Nix throws back her head, laughing harder than I’ve ever seen at her own joke. “Both Mom and Aunt Marks tried that, and we know how that ended up. Marino men are persistent.”
That should probably scare the crap out of me, but it doesn’t. It oddly brings me comfort. Maybe I’m a little weird, too.
Chapter Twenty-Five
JAX
All my uncles listen to Kinsley tell them the same story about the girl and the hospital. Every now and then, her eyes will flick over to my Uncle Ronan, who is doing his best to not scare the fuck out of her. His presence alone can be intimidating. He and my older brother Eros both tend to have that effect on people. You worry that at any moment they could strike.
“We need to find out who this girl is,” War says. He’s leaning up against my dad’s desk, his legs kicked out in front of him. We’re in his office.
“Because there have been whispers about a new drug floating around. One that we haven’t been able to get our finger on the pulse of yet,” my dad adds.
“I don’t know her name. My mom didn’t say it. I mean, she wouldn’t. She takes her job very seriously. All those privacy rules and stuff.” That hospital is her life.
“We know,” my dad responds. Kinsley tenses slightly. I should have asked my mom to come in so there would be at least one female in here. That might have helped. Not sure that Naomi’s presence would have helped.
“Right.” Kinsley gives an awkward laugh.
“We check into everyone,” Ronan tells her.
"Let's not freak her out," I cut in. She doesn't need to know everything at once. We can slowly let her see how crazy we all are. I’m sure my dad has an entire dossier on Kinsley already.
“I’m okay.” Kinsley runs her palms down her thighs, back and forth. I reach over, taking her hand. The need to put her at ease rides me hard. This is my family, and sometimes I find myself being intimidated by them. I need to reassure her that I won’t let anything happen to her.
“Are you?” War asks her, cocking his head. “Dead girl in one of our warehouses, now one at a party.” He watches her. “It’s a growing story, one that you might not be able to ever speak about.”
Kinsley sits up straighter. “I get what you’re saying. You’re worried I’ll run my mouth. I mean, it is kind of my thing.” She shrugs. I give her hand a squeeze. Kinsley is handling herself well. I’ll step in if I need to, but I think all of us are getting a feel for how she will handle things all around. We need to know this because she will become a part of this family. In my eyes, she already is.
"Well?" War encourages her to keep going.
"This is bigger than a story. Like you said, two dead girls and one guy in the hospital. I care more about stopping whatever this is. The point of reporting the news is to keep people informed. If the drug is stopped, then it doesn't need to be reported,butif it's not, then the public needs to be aware so people are mindful of the drugs they are taking."
“Agreed.” War’s lip inches up on one side. He’s pleased with her answer. So am I.
“Plus, people think I killed that girl. It might be nice to clear my name.”
“Not always,” Ronan tells her. “A little fear can go a long way when it’s clocked to your name.”
"I think you all have that covered." She gives a small laugh.
“So?” Dad smirks, his attention coming to me. “If we don’t have a name, how do we get it?”
“Medical records are harder to get,” I answer. They take longer. That would take a few days. “But there has to be a police report, right? The Lexus girl killed a few people. Might even be in jail already.”
“Right.” Dad gives a nod of approval, rolling his chair closer to his desk. “Let me see what I can find.” He clicks away.
