Page 67 of The Devils They Are
"I don't know where the line is anymore," he admits firmly.
I stare at one of my oldest friends, trying to decipher what's going on in that head of his. Ry is right though—Hunter wouldn't like this at all.
To him, Spencer is still the enemy. And he hasn't forgiven Ry yet for forcing us into a truce.
As for me, I'm completely bewildered. First Sophia, and now Rylan. Spencer has managed to dig her claws into everyone around me.
"I should have known," I say lightly, trying to break the tension. "After all, you've taken up the habit of stalking her."
A pained expression crosses Ry's face. "Takes a stalker to know a stalker. But about that—I don't think we're going to be on friendly terms anymore."
I nod. "Because of her mother?"
He looks at me, surprised. "You know?"
Shrugging, we move out of the way as some joggers pass by. "After I checked the hospital footage, I did a quick search of her name in the system. Nothing on Bexley, but there was a patient there with the same surname."
"Her mom," Ry answers, confirming what I already know.
Despite the desire to know everything, I didn't delve too much into the personal information. It wasn't relevant and even I have boundaries I won't cross.
"Hunter's going to flip his shit."
"We're not going to tell him," Ry says.
My eyebrows shoot up into my ashy headline. "You can't keep secrets, Ry. It's bound to come out."
"I'll tell him—eventually. But right now, we need to figure out how to handle this. I'm going to speak to Dad to find out how the repairs are going at Cedar Heights. We need to get things back to normal as soon as possible."
"I can agree with that. Sophia already chewed me out for destroying Spencer's books."
Rylan gestures for me to walk with him as we start to head back toward the parking lot of the mountains. "Think Sophia would do me a favor?"
Fighting back a smirk, I shake my head. "If it's to do with Spencer, fat chance."
He sighs. "Fuck."
"So, circling back for a moment. When will the warehouse be finished?" I ask, ignoring the overwhelming curiosity at this so-called favor.
"We can fight this weekend," Ry answers. "And I'm getting in the cage."
That almost makes me pause, but instead, I keep walking, giving him a frown. "Things that bad?"
It's been ages since Rylan has jumped into the cage. It always coincides with his need to let out steam—usually when his dad is riding his ass.
"Yeah," he confesses. "And things are going to get worse. I need your help keeping Hunter under control."
"He won't go rogue," I say confidently. "But if he finds out what you did, you'll likely find yourself in the cage with him."
A smirk appears on his face. "No complaints here. An actual challenge is what I need right now. Someone to make me work for it."
Shaking my head, I snort. "Dividing us right now is going to cause nothing but trouble. You need to push her away. Whatever drama is going on, let it unravel on its own. Let Cedar Heights implode among themselves. We can still remain amicable but separate from the mess. It will help to keep control and pick up the ruins. We might even be able to make some of them fall into line."
When he doesn't respond, I glance over at him. Whatever is eating at him is starting to bleed through the cracks, and he knows as well as I do, that we need to keep doing damage control.
If shit is happening in the ranks of Cedar Heights, it will give us the perfect opportunity to capitalize on their weaknesses. But for whatever reason, Rylan seems hesitant.
Doesn't he realize thatshe'sthe one causing a rift between us? This is probably some ploy to separate us, to make us appear vulnerable.
