Savage Sinners (Elites of Macedon High 3)

I sit back and rest my hands on the steering wheel, trying to calm my racing heart. The air feels thick with tension and embarrassment despite the cold air flooding the cab from the vents. I turn down the air conditioning, the hum of the vans receding slightly and revealing the sharp buzz of insects outside.

She shakes her head and sighs. “I’m not like you. I don’t need to take extreme precautions.”

“You said it yourself. This secret won’t be a secret for long.”

“Yeah, but who the hell is going to care about it?”

I shrug. “If someone takes me out, then you can stake your claim to the Moretti fortune. It would be easy to take you out then, too, because you won’t even see it coming.”

“And who says you’re going to die?”

I turn my tearful gaze to her. “No one, Evelyn. But I just want you to be prepared. Nobody did that for me, okay? Not like this.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Fuck off. I can worry about you all I want.”

She gestures to the pond and the thick bushes nearby. “You want me to fuck off in this mess?”

“You know what I mean.” I cover my mouth to stifle my giggle. “Don’t joke at a time like this. Jesus, Evelyn.”

“You know what you need?”

I focus on her, sniffling while wiping my cheeks. I don’t want to cry anymore. I’m sick of crying, and I’m tired of being a weeping mess every five minutes.

If people would just stop dying…

“You need tea,” she insists. “Come on. Let’s head back to my house and grab a cup. I’ll make it iced, too. It’ll cool you down.”

“No, I think I should head home.”

She frowns. “Are you sure you should be driving like this? You’re shaken, Alex. You need to rest for a little while.”

She’s right. I’m too tired to argue, so I drive us back to her place and sit in her living room, listening wordlessly to the classical music that plays in the other room. Marie must be comfortable here, with all these delightful plants and paintings filling the space. It’s nicer than my mansion even though it’s smaller and cozier.

It’s then that I take the time to study Evelyn and how much she resembles me. She’s brilliantly bright and smart. She’ll be okay without much intervention.

I just wish she would listen to me and prepare herself.