Page 83 of PET

“Then I can’t tell you shit either.” Billie leans back in her chair, bringing her hand up to stare at her cuticles like she has all the time in the world.

Dana lets out a rush of air, looking over at us for help, but we’re not her ally. I hope Billie rips her apart and makes her start working for us. After all, she wouldn’t be getting half of this information without our help. We’re the kids of the elites—the next generation to take over.

“Your grandfather found this bunker,” Dana rushes out as she sinks into her chair because she knows she’s going to be there for a while. “In the 1960s, I believe that is what we figured. They abandoned the place when Holden’s father took over the Reaper Chapter, and it’s sat empty for years from what I can tell. As far as I understood, nobody knows about this place but the elders and Mr. Van. The Agency has known of its existence since the late 1980s.”

She waves her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes when she pulls a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. When the hell did she start smoking? After she lights it, blowing out her first puff, she looks between us with a snarl.

“What? I smoke when I’m stressed out, okay?” She takes a few more drags before continuing. “This was my first task—the never-ending task. I’ve never had another case because this one doesn’t seem to have an ending. But don’t sit here and think I’m enjoying this. I’m unwillingly in this mess right alongside you three.”

“Why don’t you just quit?” Christian bluntly asks.

“I’ve thought about it,” she admits, looking off into space at a distant memory. “But I’m too invested. It’s like being a mother for nineteen years and then saying you don’t want to do it anymore.”

Billie chuckles. “But isn’t that exactly what you did to Lauren?”

I can’t stop the deep laugh from coming out. “That’s a fair question!” I holler.

“I’m obviously not the greatest person in the world, am I? I was sleeping with my daughter’s underage boyfriend. See? Head case.” She inhales a deep hit of her cigarette, which gives me a great idea.

Pulling out my flat case from my back pocket, I take a pre-rolled joint out and pinch it between my lips. After I light it, I hand it to Christian. Dana whips her glare over, astonished by what she’s witnessing.

“You can’t smoke that in here! Are you crazy?! I’m a federal agent, goddamn it!”

I laugh, taking the joint back from Christian to take a deep inhale. She needs us, so there won’t be any arrests tonight.

“Are they crazy?” she repeats to Billie, who simply shrugs and then nods.

“Marijuana is the least of your worries right now, Dana. I need to know if there’s any way for this to be fixed. Why the fuck is my uncle a lunatic? And what do we do next?”

She laughs like I asked the most ridiculous question. “The only way to take back control is if your daddy magically came back from the dead. He’s the rightful leader after Van, but—”

I share a glance with Christian before I ask, “Why does it have to be a Lucas? Why can’t it be a Veradin? Who’s in power already…”

Dana turns her eyes on me before rolling them. “Because…” She twists her top lip up, looking at Billie with a curious gaze. “Because your father is the last actual pure bloodline. One of the good ones, my boss would say. He wanted to turn the society back to the way they ran it before their grandfathers—to a time when the society was meant for good. But after the Van’s took over, greed and their eagerness to gain more power infected them like a virus. It’s been shit ever since, and when your dad said he didn’t want to do that anymore… they kill—”

“Yeah, I got it,” Billie blurts out, stopping Dana from finishing. “So, that’s it? My dad is the only person on the planet who can stop these madmen?”

“Weeellll,” she draws out. “I’m not quite sure it’s amanrunning the show around here at all, but I have no idea who it might be right now. I’m working on it. Anyway…”

“What if one of us married Billie after graduation? We could take control of the society and turn it back to the way it was, right?” I inquire before I take another pull from my joint. When I pass it back to Christian, I look at him longer, wondering who Billie would choose to marry.

She shakes her head. “No, that won’t work. I mean, it works to gain the power in this chapter, but we need a current generation leader to turn the wheels back. It has something to do with the sacrifices made during each ceremony to exchange power.”

“How the hell do you know so much about asecretsociety? Aren’t most wives supposed to be blind to knowledge like that?”

“Yes, but not for me. Remember, before I married into the Fairfax’s, I was a damn good FBI agent.”

I snort. “How would you know? You’re still working on your first case ever.”

She throws me afuck youstare before giving me the bird. Whatever. I’m super over this bullshit. It’s killing my buzz. “I’m gonna go lay down, bro.” I tell Christian as I roll off of the couch and walk to our bedroom like a snail. I’m wickedly stoned and need to lie down away from Dana’s voice.

Thesilenceoftheroom makes my head dwell on the memories of what we did in the car. Fuck, I’m getting hard again just thinking about it. Letting out a groan, I reach down and grab my dick through my pants—it’s rock fucking hard, loving the attention I’ve just given it. But I can’t.

Putting both hands behind my head, I blow out a breath and try to think about anything but Christian’s blue eyes. I fucking love when the hue actually darkens when he cums. And he was looking right at me. Those eyes are going to destroy me.

Damn,my dick is throbbing.

The door creaks open and I steal a peek at who’s coming in.Christian.Shit, he’s going to see my massive erection through my pants. It’s getting choked the fuck out by the tightness, so there’s no way he won’t see it. I’d also be fucking lying if I said I didn’t want him to…

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