“You will hear from our lawyer,” Dad says as he closes the door on them and takes my arm, leading me away from the room.
We walk away until we’re out of earshot, and Dad turns to me. “Never talk to them without a lawyer. I don’t know what they’re after. That thing with Mila, it was self-defense, so I don’t understand what’s happening right now, but don’t speak to them. They can twist words. Go home, and I’ll meet you there. First, I’m going to call James and let him know the police are questioning you.”
Dad leaves, and I stand there, trying to wrap my head around what just happened. I didn’t even know we had a lawyer. But I’m smart enough to know that I need to keep my mouth shut and not speak to the police again without one. I could say one thing, and they will twist it to make it fit whatever agenda they have.
“So, do you trust your so-called friends? Have they told you the truth of whatreallyhappened?”
I spin to face Britney. She just won’t give up. Or give me up as she traces a finger up my arm, and I bat her arm away. She pouts her red lips. Ugh, why did I ever fuck her in the first place? I never should have gone out with her; she just won’t leave me alone.
“What do you know that you’re not telling me?” If she'd overheard her father, I want to know, and maybe she will tell me. Like why they’re still investigating this. This is bullshit. Self-defense, they said it was. So, what’s got them asking questions now?
“Not what I heard…what Isaw.” She smirks and turns on her heel and walks away, swinging her hips as she leaves.
I stand there, rolling her words around in my head. Not what she heard.
Then, what did she see?
* * *
Iknock on Mila’s door. I know she’s home; she walked inside with Hunter and Roman only moments before. I’d been waiting for them to come back so I could talk to them in person. I no longer trust that their phones aren’t bugged or some crazy shit.
“Jace?” Hunter calls out as I push the door, but it’s locked.
“Yeah, it's me,” I call back.
The door opens, and I see Roman’s back to me in the kitchen, where he’s eating something. Hunter waves for me to go in, but I can’t see Mila. Not until I walk closer and see she’s on the kitchen counter, and Roman’s eating her face. Fuck, here we go again. It’s been a week of this, nonstop. It’s starting to be too much. Well, too much because I’m not a part of it. I want to eat Mila… and not just her face.
“So, the cops came to school to question me.” And that was enough for them to break apart and see me standing there at last.
“Is that why you weren’t at practice?” Roman asks.
I nod.
“What did they want? Why are you even being questioned?” Mila asks as she jumps to the floor on bare feet. She’s wearing the same ass-hugging jeans as she did at school, but now she’s added Roman’s hoodie, and it makes her look so small. But incredibly sexy.
She comes to me, and I look down into her blue eyes, and my hand itches to brush her hair back behind her ear and to run my thumb over her plump lips. Fuck, I want to kiss her so badly.
“You.” Her brows furrow, and I want to touch them too, to ease her worry. Would she let me? I clench my hands as she takes a step away from me before I get the chance to try. It’s for the best. This isn’t the right time.
“What? Me? They asked you about me? The investigation’s over, I thought. It was self-defense.”
I nod. “Yeah, well, they seem to be very interested in your relationship with Hunter and Roman. The Amato family. And they think I know something because we’re friends. I don’t know shit. But Britney Montlake seems to think you're all going to prison.”
Mila gasps. Hunter wraps his arms around her as Roman paces in the kitchen. He looks to the window and the door. Fuck, what have they gotten themselves into?
“What do you mean, Britney thinks we’re going to prison?” Hunter questions as he rubs a palm up and down Mila’s arm.Ugh… it’s getting to me. Watching them and wanting it to be me holding her.
I throw my hands up to stop myself from taking her into my arms and soothing her worries. “I don’t know. I asked her what she’d heard, and she told me it wasn’t what she heard but what shesaw. Britney’s just mad at me, and I think she’s trying to start shit. Unless something did happen?”
Hunter shakes his head. “She saw nothing becausenothinghappened.”
His eye twitches, and I know he’s lying. I point to him. I hate being in the dark, and this… I need to know the truth.
“I hear you all whispering, and I know about the Amato Family. You whisper loudly. So, tell me now. Are you involved with them? Are you all fucking each other? And, yes, the cops asked me that, in front of my dad.”
Hunter looks to Roman behind him, and I know I’m being unfair. They have only just forgiven me, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to the police if they come knocking again. I want to be a part of whatever’s going on, like I was before I fucked it up. I want Mila to see me as more than the screwed-up asshole she forgave, but still can’t trust. Pushing her for this won’t win me any points with her, but I need to know.
“Fuck.” Roman throws his hands up and storms over to the sofa. He flops down and cradles his head. Shit, how deep are they?
