Page 152 of Tempting Little Thief

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb.” She grunts. “Who’s the girl you’re worried about making it or not?”

And there it fucking is. She doesn’t know about Brielle, so she can’t possibly know anything about what happened to my mom.

“They didn’t tell you …” I realize. “I almost thought they’d brag.”

“They’re not the type.” She defends her crew. “Well, maybe Royce, but …” she jokes of the hotheaded brother.

A small grin forms on my lips and I look away a minute, coming back with a squint. Fuck it. She’s good people.

“My sister.”

“Sister.”

“Yup. Your boys, they stepped in when the people around us failed.” Or some suit-wearing fucker did on their behalf. “Got us out before worse could happen.” I trace the tattoo on my left fist.

Like before, I could come to and point the smoking barrel at my mother’s head and pull the trigger for a third time.

“Got you out …” she trails off, glancing at Maddoc once more. “Like they saved you?”

I saved me, saved my sister, so I don’t say anything. This isn’t a shit-talking chat, and it’s starting to sound like too much of a therapy session for me.

Maybe I smoked too much tonight.

Maybe I know my time here is almost up ’cause there’s somewhere else I’d rather be. And that selfish part of me I never knew I had is burning a bigger pit with each passing day, melting the single-minded side that has only ever wanted one thing, my sister happy and safe in a life she chooses.

I want more now.

I want for me.

And I want to fucking stab myself for it.

“So where is she? One of the girls in the home?” she asks of the group home, wondering if she’s met my sister without realizing it.

“Nah.” I shake my head. “She’s away from here, as she should be.”

“Bass—”

I serve her with a pointed look. Nope. Not doing this shit.

I said what needed to be said to find out what I needed to know—the Brayshaws didn’t tell their new queen anything about me, so chances are they don’t know more than I do. We were only kids when I was brought here, so why the fuck would they?

If there’s someone I’m going to ask about the woman who brought me into this world, it’s becoming clearer it ain’t them … but maybe their dad can help if I can get him to accept my visit.

The hairs on my neck stand in the next moment, my muscles growing stiff, and I know.

I’m about to jump up, but Raven’s words make me pause, confirming what I already figured out.

My rich girl is here.

“And, uh …” I can hear her fucking grin without looking at her. “How about the chick who looks ready to castrate you while also looking like someone pissed in her Pradas?”

I scoff, keeping my face blank and forcing myself to joke with her. “You even know what Prada is?”

“Fancy shit, Collins told me all about it.” She grins.

A low, forced laugh leaves me, and I wait several seconds before slowly looking the way she did.

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