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Envy’s energy seems to crackle. “What is that supposed to mean? ‘You’ll do what needs to be done?’”

I shift my gaze to her. “Exactly what you think it does.”

Tense seconds pass between my friend and I. The hairs on the back of my neck lift as she watches me with the kind of contempt I hope she keeps for her enemies, because it’s more than a little unsettling.

But if she accepts what I’m saying, I’ll know she’s been compromised. The best way to destroy my family is by dividing us, and anyone looking to worm their way in would take this opportunity to side with me and watch my brothers burn. That would leave only me to take out.

Barely a heartbeat passes before she snatches up a scalpel and lunges.

I try to grip her wrist, but she strikes out and catches my palm with the blade as I back up.

“I’m guessing you’re against me.”

“Too fucking right!” she hisses. “You traitorous fucker. You think I’d turn on them?”

“You’re turning on me right now!”

“When you’re in a den of snakes, you kill the venomous one first.” She darts toward me, but I fake a left and grab her wrist, spinning her so her back is to my front. She throws her elbow behind her, cracking into my nose—again and again. She brings her boot down on my foot, and as pain sluices through my face and toes, I loosen my grip.

Envy whirls and shoves me, my back meeting another slab. Light reflects off the scalpel’s blade as she drives it forward into my⁠—

I hold my hands up. “It was a test!”

Envy pauses with lethal timing, the sharp metal against my throat. She breathes fast, eyes darting between mine, as if searching for the truth. It wouldn’t surprise me if she somehow got it, given how intense her attention is. My skin prickles, but she doesn’t kill me. A good sign, I guess. “What?”

“Grant was turned. I had to check you weren’t, too.”

She presses the blade into my skin, nicking it. “Liar!”

“I’m not lying, Envy. That’s why Xavier and Yale aren’t here. Grant was leaking information, they attacked us on Silence’s birthday, Xavier got stabbed. This guy, Ryker Blake, bugged everything, so we’re at the safe house.”

Envy wets her lips, keeping the blade far too close for comfort. “Prove it.”

“Call Cleo. She’ll verify everything.”

She takes her phone out of her pajama pocket and holds it to her ear. The scalpel remains against my throat, and Envy’s eyes don’t leave my face. “Cleo, fill me in on what’s happening with the Silvers.” She’s quiet, remaining stoic as Cleo talks. I can’t hear the conversation, so I wait patiently so as not to get my throat cut. “And where are they now?” She pauses again. “Okay, thanks.” She hangs up and takes the scalpel from my throat—only to then slap me up the side of the head. “What is wrong with you?”

I wince. “I had to check.”

“Fuck you, you had to check. Ask me next time!”

“You know that wouldn’t have been enough.” I inspect the cut on my palm. “I can’t believe you turned on me that fast.”

She folds her arms. “Yale is my favorite. Anyone touches him, they die. Even you. It’d be worth remembering that before you piss me off again.” Noted. “Now, tell me about this Ryker guy.”

Chapter 18

Silence

The last twenty-four hours has been hell. Of course, I don’t let Xavier or Yale know that inside I’m a slow, crumbling mess of horniness, and they’ll never find out, so help me God.

But I’m fairly certain my vagina is crying.

I’m not even sure how this happened. I went from being around them with no issues, to watching their every move. Xavier is an inked god, and when the fire in the living room takes a while to heat the place up and he puts on a sweater, he has this whole “taking the bad boy home to meet your parents” vibe.

And Yale? What the fuck. I’ve slept on this man in two entirely different ways. I’ve always known he was handsome, but sexy? His forearms are enticing enough to have me hold my breath, and I keep getting lost in the fantasy of tracing the veins with my tongue.

Sleeping next to them was a nightmare. Xavier was on my left, Yale on my right, and when we woke up tangled together, I almost cried from the sheer frustration of it all. Xavier was spooning me from behind, his face buried in my hair, and Yale had his head on my chest, my leg thrown over his hip.