Page 85 of Claim

“I never left her out on purpose. I only gave you the important details.”

“You took the youngest of us on a half-assed, amateur-style vigilante break-in and didn’t think it was important information?”

“When you say it like that, it does sound bad.”

Lucian crossed his arms across his chest. The vein on his forehead pulsed, and for the first time since I was young, I realized I’d pissed him off beyond what he could handle from me.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear you’re sorry. I want you to go through every fucking detail, from what you wore, who you met, what you said. Don’t leave a single thing out.”

I swallowed, closed my eyes, and recounted every minute detail.

“Do you realize how much danger you put Lizzy in?”

“I know.” I glared at him. “Don’t you think I feel guilty enough?”

“Guilty or not, it was a dumbass thing to do. How did she handle the aftermath?”

“She’s fine. Baby or not, she isn’t as delicate as you think. Yeah, she had that panic attack at Damon’s, but I think it was just the adrenaline.” I pursed my lips. “She swiped all the alcohol from my place to take back to school with her if that tells you anything. She’s a normal college kid.”

The crease between his brows told me he wasn’t convinced.

“The thought of someone doing to her what Randolph did to you.” Lucian clenched his fists. “None of this would have happened if you had told me from the beginning. I would have taken him out back then.”

“I know. I was scared and didn’t want his blood on your hands.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Maybe if I’d been stronger and fought back or gotten one of you involved, he wouldn’t have continued to harass so many other girls. He was such a monster.”

“I fucking wish I’d been the one to kill Randolph with my bare hands. The bastard deserved to die.”

“Will you be quiet,” I exclaimed. “We’re in a police station. You don’t want to call out wishes of killing anyone, especially being who we are.”

“Does this look like the face of someone who gives a shit? Besides, he’s already dead. Wishing I killed him doesn’t mean I did anything to him. And for the record, if Pierce killed him, I’m glad he did. The predator needed to die.”

“You just got through saying you told Damon to handle Keith last night, not over thirty-six hours ago. Besides, I know he’s innocent. He may have beaten Keith to a pulp, but he wouldn’t have murdered him.”

“You’re so sure.”

“I am.” I glared at him. “I know you’re fine with it, so stop pretending otherwise.”

“Fine with what?”

“Pierce and me.”

He grunted in response, making me smirk.

“I’ll never fit into any standard mold. That’s why I get into trouble so much.”

“You get into trouble because you don’t conform to the rules of society, and you have this inability to listen to good advice from your wiser oldest brother.”

I shrugged. “I won’t deny it.”

The doors in the back of the waiting area opened, and my heart skipped a beat.

When the officer who exited moved toward another group of people, the urge to pace again coursed through me.

“How long do you think we’ll have to wait? I’m going stir-crazy. They haven’t given me any information since I got here. Until you told me, I didn’t even know when Keith died. I still don’t know how he died.”

“I’ll tell you in a moment. First, let me see if I can get anything out of them. I’m sure I can convince at least a little information out of someone.”

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