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But right now, we just need to get as far away as possible from these crazy guys. What the hell was Supreme even trying to do? Push me off the roof? Was that what he did to Elsie? I don’t know, but the whole roof setup is a little suspicious.

And yeah, if they found me dead, everyone would’ve thought I jumped because I couldn’t take it any longer. Then again, maybe Supreme was inspired by Elsie’s death, so it’s not like this is any proof.

But he definitely knows something and he’s dangerous. I can’t know if he was serious or only trying to scare me into agreeing, but still. No sane person threatens to push someone off a roof because they don’t want to join some silly secret society.

And that’s all I need to know about him.

Chapter 35

JAYDEN

AS SOON AS WE’RE INSIDE Veronica’s room, I lock the door. Then my gaze falls on a dark smear across the cuff of her jacket.

“Your arm,” I say, facing her. “Let me see.”

“What?” Her brow furrows.

Before she can argue with me about it, I take her wrist and push her sleeve up, but her skin is untouched. Relief floods me.

“There’s blood on your sleeve, so I thought—” I start.

“Not mine.” She tugs the sleeve back down.

“Did Supreme hurt you?” I ask.

“No.” She steps forward and catches my chin, tipping my head, and my lips part in surprise. “But your nose is still bleeding, so you’re clearly the one who’s been hurt tonight.”

I couldn’t care less about my cuts and bruises, though. “Society guys found me behind the library. Supreme had them watching everything, and there were too many of them for me to get through fast enough.”

“How many?”

“A lot.” I shrug and regret it right away, since my shoulder hurts like hell. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Would you stop?” She grabs my sleeve and pulls me toward the bed. “Get over here and let me take care of you.”

She shrugs her jacket off, pulling out a pocketknife and putting it on the desk. Then she opens the bottom drawer of her closet and comes back with a bottle of water and a little bag. As she sits on the bed next to me, her knee presses against mine, and a current of electricity zaps through me, which is the weirdest feeling ever.

“Look at me.” She wets a tissue and starts on my upper lip.

It stings enough that I grind my teeth. Her other hand rests on my jaw, and I let her do whatever she likes because I’d let her do anything, which should worry me, but it doesn’t.

“Your nose isn’t broken,” she says. “I think. It’s not crooked or anything.”

“It’s been broken before, so I’d know if it was.”

“Great. Very reassuring.” She tosses the tissue into the trash and tears open one of the antiseptic wipes from the bag. “This part is going to hurt.”

“Do your worst.” The corners of my mouth quirk up.

She puts the wipe against the cut on my cheek and it stings like hell, making me take in a sharp breath.

“Sorry,” she says, dabbing gently.

“It’s fine.”

“You’ve said that a lot tonight.” Her brow furrows. “And I’m pretty sure you’d say it even if your leg fell off.”

“My leg’s fine.” I grin.