Page 21 of Kings & Chaos

“More like arsenic,” Neo muttered, shoving past us and stalking toward the stairs.

He’d been waiting for us after school, looking like a rich James Dean (I’d watchedRebel Without a Causewith Oscar) as he leaned against the Hummer, a scowl darkening his beautiful face.

“Pffft,” Reva said. “He’s like the little boy who put gum in my hair when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Ended up dating him all through high school.”

I was torn between trying to figure out whatknee-high to a grasshoppermeant and explaining why it was bad to teach girls that some boys showed their affection by being mean.

I ended up doing neither and basking in the glow of Reva’s unadulterated adoration instead. Because I was a spineless jellyfish with mommy issues.

Obviously.

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I said. Because while I didn’t trust myself to keep my hands off Neo if we were alone, actually caring about him? Having some kind of — I could hardly think the word as it applied to Neo —relationshipwith him?

That was a fucking fairy tale.

Make that a nightmare.

She patted my cheek. “Hate is easy. Trust is hard.” She stepped away and went back to her chicken. “This chicken piccata will be ready to go in the fridge. Just put it in the oven for forty-five minutes. I made some green beans too. With almonds! Can you believe it!”

She was obviously delighted by her culinary prowess.

“You made… green beans amandine?” Rock asked. His voice cracked on the last word and I nudged him hard with my elbow while she wasn’t looking.

“Sure did,” she said, clearly proud. “Found it on a fancy recipe website.”

Now I was scared too. I’d learned the hard way that the fancier Reva got with her cooking, the worse everything tasted.

Lasagna? Bad, but edible. Barely.

Chocolate chip cookies? Like tiny little doorstops, but if you dipped them in coffee, you could manage a couple without chipping a tooth.

But coq au vin? Better eat that one near a bathroom.

Unfortunately for us, Reva loved nothing more than trying fancy dishes to impress Rock, and today Exhibit A was green beans amandine.

“Wow…” Rock said, like he was looking at a ten-car pileup. “Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure, darlin’,” she said, covering the sheet pan of chicken with foil and putting it in the fridge. “You know I love taking care of you.”

I’d seen enough. “Thanks for cooking for us,” I said. “I can’t wait to try everything.”

I knew the second she pulled out of the driveway Rock and Oscar would dispose of the food, and I never had the stomach for dumping all of Reva’s hard work in the trash, even though I didn’t have the stomach for eating it either.

I know. I was a fucking coward.

I was going to use the stairs off the kitchen, but that was before I realized Rock and Oscar were busy talking to Reva. It was the opportunity I’d been waiting for, and I circled around to the foyer off the living room instead.

I didn’t hesitate to open the drawer in the console table. I didn’t know how much time I had, and I was tired of being vulnerable without a weapon.

The gun I’d taken to the cabin had been returned to the drawer, but it was too risky — too obvious — to take it again. I looked in the back of the drawer instead, hoping that the Kings kept more than one weapon near the front door.

I found what I was looking for in what appeared to be a small switchblade. I pushed the button on the polished white handle and the blade flew out with a soft click.

Good enough for me.

I slipped it into my pocket and climbed the main staircase to the third floor.

In my room, I hid the knife in my dresser and slipped into sweatpants and a long-sleeve T-shirt before pulling my hair into a messy bun. It was a relief to be comfortable and warm, and I settled on the sofa in my little sitting area to work on an essay for English.

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