“Cool name, bro.” Junior nodded. “Does it mean anything?”
Another grunt.
“I’m gonna say that was a no, Junior,” I teased, earning a smirk from Tank who seemed to examine me with absolutely zero interest.
“And headband girl,” I reached for the red monstrosity and gently pulled it off. “That’s better. Your name?”
“Annie.” She beamed.
“Of course.” I smiled back at her. “A perfect name.”
The final girl was silent.
With jet black hair that went past her shoulders, a black turtleneck, and jeans that molded to her body.
If anyone was a De Lange, it was that girl right there.
“You’re awful quiet,” Ash pointed out.
Her eyes shot up and then narrowed like she was trying to figure him out. She looked at him like she was taking inventory, and then she jerked her head to the right and locked eyes with Junior.
He couldn’t see it, because he wasn’t sitting where I was.
But I did.
I saw the resemblance right down to my core.
She wasn’t just De Lange.
She was related.
And everything that Andrei had said at dinner came crashing down into my reality as I reached for my knife and struck.
The silver blade cut into her neck as I held it there, still. “You’re familiar, aren’t you?”
Her nostrils flared with hatred. “I’m just a student.”
“Try again,” I said politely.
Everyone around the table had gone silent.
Our new friends looked ready to shit themselves.
“I’m a student.” She said it mockingly, with a smile, and then reached for something behind her back.
I didn’t think, I just reacted.
Because Junior… she was going to hurt Junior.
And I couldn’t bear the thought of him having more scars, more nightmares. It was like his life, his sins flashed before my eyes as I kicked the tip of my boot under the table and hit her in the shin, the hidden needle went into her skin seamlessly. She slumped forward as if she was drunk.
But the Family knew the truth, as they stared at me in shock.
She was dead.
And I, Serena Abandonato, had just had my first kill.
I… had just been made.
Chapter Six
Junior
I tried to keep my expression calm—hell, I was born to keep my expression blank, wasn’t I?
But I knew exactly what had just happened even if our new visitors had no clue.
“Wow,” I joked. “Must have been one hell of a pre-party before she came over here, huh?”
Serena shrugged a shoulder. “We’ll help her home later. You guys know where she lives?”
Tank’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Not really, she just saw us head over and said she was coming with us since most the school was invited.”
“Right,” Ash said carefully, leaning back in his chair. “But only a select few are invited in.”
“Why is that?” Annie asked in her innocent voice that was one hundred percent real. The girl’s eyes were even this constant wide expression like the world was so big she was having trouble drinking it all in.
I looked over at the dead body.
They had to know… had to have noticed that her chest wasn’t moving, right?
Serena had seen her as a threat, but never in my life have I seen Serena act so impulsively without having any of the facts.
And we were going to have hell to pay when we got home and let all the bosses know exactly what went down.
“I need another drink,” I stood. “Serena, come with?”
“Whatever.” She stood and followed me over to the makeshift bar that was located in the far corner of the stage we were all currently on.
I grabbed a bottle of Gray Goose and tipped it back then handed it to her, my expression calm. “We need to call this in.”
“Yeah.” Her voice cracked, and then she blinked up at me, her eyes filled with tears. “I just—reacted. She seemed like she was going to hurt you, or us, or—”
“Hey.” I tilted her chin toward up with one hand. “Never apologize for protecting Family.”
She shuddered under my touch.
We were too close.
I could smell the mixture of vodka and soda on her breath, feel the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips.
It was all too much.
When wasn’t it?
“But there is something you can apologize for…” I said with a teasing grin.
She frowned. “What?”
I slid my hand down the front of her shirt and tugged her body hard against mine, then leaned down until my lips touched her ear. “Apologize for being a fucking tease. Yeah, apologize.” I slid my hand beneath her arm and flicked the side of her breast. “For this.”
She sighed heavily, her breathing erratic. “Never.”
“Mm… thought so.” I pulled back and grabbed the Gray Goose from her hand. “It was worth a shot.”
She winked. “All’s fair in war, Junior, you know this.”
“Too damn well,” I agreed. “For what it’s worth…” I hesitated and then, “I like you better without all of it.”
She rolled her eyes. “You would like me better naked.”