Page 117 of Kings & Corruption

It shouldn’t have been true, Maybe it wasn’t. But right then, it felt like truest thing I’d ever heard.

Chapter53

Rock

“Ican’t see a fucking thing.” I followed Neo through the woods, our flashlight beams cutting through the trees. “I’m surprised she didn’t break her fucking neck out here.”

We’d made a point of keeping Willa’s near kidnapping from everyone else at the quarry — no point drawing attention to ourselves, especially right now — but the party had broken up soon afterward anyway.

Now the woods were quiet, the faint hint of smoke the only sign of the party that had raged an hour earlier.

“She’s tougher than she looks,” Neo said, dried leaves crunching under his heavy footsteps.

“That what you tell yourself when you’re treating her like shit?”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me. “Something you want to say?”

I shrugged. “I said it.”

I wasn’t scared of Neo. I didn’t doubt that he could pummel me to within an inch of my life. I didn’t even doubt that he might do it if the occasion called for it.

But I’d take that beating if it was one he needed to give. I’d do anything for the surly motherfucker, and Drago too, just like they’d do anything for me.

“Careful,” Neo said, his voice a clear warning.

“No,” I said. “I’m not going to be careful. I’m not one of your groupies. I’m going to tell it like it is, like I always have.”

He didn’t say anything, and I braced myself to take that beating.

“Where were you?” he asked instead. “You were supposed to be with her.”

I stared at him through the darkness. “Where wereyou?”

“I’m the one who found her,” he said.

“Exactly. What was that? Luck?”

His expression hardened. “Something you want to ask me?”

“Already did,” I said.

“And I’m going to pretend you didn’t.”

He turned around and we continued through the trees, moving slowly, watching for signs of Willa’s pursuer. Whoever it was had known we’d be at the quarry, and those invites had only gone out to Aventine’s student body after Willa and I had the medals in hand.

My mind churned as I combed the bushes and trees. I’d known having Willa at Aventine would be complicated, but complicated didn’t begin to describe the territory we were in.

She was starting to feel like mine — ours — and there was nothing we wouldn’t do, no price we wouldn’t pay, to protect what was ours.

“Wait.” Neo stopped and held up a hand.

I halted my steps. “See something?”

He bent down and reached toward one of the bushes, then straightened and bent his head to look at something in his hand.

“What is it?” I asked, moving in for a closer look.

He handed a scrap of synthetic black fabric to me. I had no idea where it had come from, but the edges were torn, like it had been ripped away by a stray branch.

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