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I nod. “Yeah, I agree. We need to take back control. This is our community—our families—we’re talking about.” Nodding to his phone in his hand, I ask, “Heard from your parents lately?”

“Nah. They’ve been in contact with Farrah, though.”

He seems bummed about it. I mean, I get it. I’d be twisted if my mom wasn’t staying in touch with me, either. It’s almost like they’ve abandoned him. And a lightbulb goes off in my stubborn head. I want to tell him he’ll always have a family in me and Billie, but I don’t because I don’t know how this is all going to play out. I don’t want to promise my best friend—the guy I actually fucking love—something I can’t follow through on.

“You’ll always have a family in Billie, dude. Never forget that.”

With a soft chuckle, he looks up at my reflection in the rearview mirror, holding my gaze for a long time.

“You know I didn’t expect you to say it back, right?” he asks, still holding our stare.

I know exactly what he’s talking about, but I don’t want to address that right now. It was really hard not telling them both how stupidly in fucking love I am with them. The look of disappointment in Zeke’s eyes punched me in the gut, and the look of acceptance in Billie’s gutted it.

He breaks eye contact, looking out the side window. “Billie’s headed this way.”

Blinking rapidly, I glance out and see our girl nearly running to us with a pissed off expression on her face. But when she looks in and sees me, her bottom lip trembles the rest of the way to us. I’m thinking she’s going to jump in the front seat so I can pull her into my arms and ask her who I have to beat up for making her feel like this.

But then she jumps into the backseat and right into Zeke’s arms.

My heart plummets as I look straight ahead, trying not to look in the mirror. When I do, I see Zeke looking at me with a look that says—don’t overthink this.He’s right. I’m being a fucking pussy right now.

Clearing my throat, I turn around in my seat and reach back, gently rubbing Billie’s back.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Zeke asks into her fiery red hair.

“My mom told me the only reason you two are even interested in me is because of some bullshit lineage pact created by the society. That your families are fighting for me.” She leans back, looking between the both of us. “It’s fucked up how well that fits. But how? We didn’t even know about the society until recently…”

That’s true for Zeke, but not for me. They forced me into it without having a say in the matter. And then I was trained into being their sex-boy.

Her gaze whips to mine, studying me. “But you’ve known about it—behind our backs. And your dad is only in power until I can take over. You’ve been forced to trick me…?”

“What?!” I shriek, looking between her and Zeke until my neck hurts. “No, no, no. Don’t let your mom put fucked up thoughts in your head, little hellfire. Look at me.”

When she doesn’t, I grab her jaw and force her to. Her whimper fills the car, and Zeke challenges me with his gaze.Chill, bro, I’m not going to hurt our girl.

“You look me in the eye and tell me you fucking believe that bullshit,” I demand.

Her bottom lip trembles, her gaze flitting across my face. “Of course not,” she whispers as fear invades her eyes.

“Christian,” Zeke says with a warning in his tone.

“Tell me we’re all done making accusations against each other.”

“We’re done,” she sobs.

“Christian,” he growls this time.

Ignoring him, I grip her jaw tighter until she stares unblinkingly into my eyes. “Tell me it’s us against those evil bastards.”

“It’s us against those e-evil b-bastards,” she whimpers.

A wicked smirk lifts my lips before I lick them. “Tell me who you belong to.”

“Christian—” Zeke barks.

I whip my hard glare at him. “Shut up, idiot. I’m trying to fucking tell you I’m in love with you guys.”

Silence fills the interior of my car—the one that was magically left outside the bunker this morning—until my heart pounds in my head.

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