Blaze (Steel Brothers Saga 21)

“Yeah, I got that scoop from a couple girls in the bathroom earlier today. I was getting all ready to do some snooping of my own—starting with the future lawmakers—when this information landed in my lap.”

“None of them looked in the classroom to see if anyone was in there?”

I shake my head. “I’ve told you before. Being invisible has its perks.”

“You’re not invisible, Callie. I hate it when you say that. You were on the homecoming court, for God’s sake.”

“And you and I both know why. Because I’m your sister. Jordan’s cousin. The sister of the amazing Jesse Pike, Snow Creek’s greatest quarterback of all time.”

“You’re beautiful, Callie. You’re the only one who doesn’t see it.”

“Cut it out, will you? I’m not here to debate which one of us is prettier.” Besides, we all know who that is. “We need to figure this out. We can get the ten grand from the Steels if we can prove Lamone is the one who spiked that punch with angel dust.”

“Angel dust… Man… No wonder I was flying high.”

“And I’m damned glad I told you not to drink any more of it.”

“Honestly, Callie, I would have. The flavor was unreal. But I’ve never broken a promise to you yet in my short life, and I’m glad I didn’t.”

“Me too. I’m glad Carmen is okay too. She looked like a mess. Like she was under some kind of spell. Totally freaked me out.”

“It’s a wonder more people aren’t hospitalized from it.”

“You’re telling me.” I inhale a breath and let it out slowly. Time to tell my sister my plan. “So I figure we need to get Lamone to admit what he did.”

“How do you expect to do that?” Rory asks.

“I can’t do anything. Pat Lamone has never given me a look. But…”

Queasiness meanders its way up my throat. I’m seriously thinking about pimping out my older sister to get information that will lead to money. Lamone needs to pay for what he did to Diana, and unfortunately, I can’t think of another way.

Rory narrows her eyes. “Oh no. No way.”

“It’s the only way, Rory. We know he has a crush on you. It’s become pretty near to stalking.”

“A few phone calls and notes in my locker are hardly stalking.”

“They are when you’ve told him to back off.”

“And that’s my point. I’ve told him in no uncertain terms that I’m not interested. So he’s going to believe I am now?”

“He’s a seventeen-year-old guy,” I say. “Whether he believes it isn’t really the issue. If he thinks he’s going to get some, he’ll say whatever you want him to say.”

“He’s a seventeen-year-old guy,” Rory says, “not an idiot.”

“Same freaking difference.”

That gets a laugh out of Rory. “I suppose you have a point. We can play on his testosterone.”

“Exactly. Act like you’re interested, maybe even take off a few items of clothing, and he’ll be singing like a mockingbird.”

Rory curls her lips into a grimace. “One problem, Cal. I can’t stand Pat Lamone, and I don’t want to get anywhere close to naked with him.”

“Ten grand…”

“You want me to whore myself out for ten grand?”

The queasiness is back, but I force myself to work through it. “You’re not whoring yourself out, Rory. You’re doing an investigation. It’s not like you’re selling your body for ten grand. You’re selling information that you obtain for the Steels for ten grand.”