I stand up, acting like I don't feel Cal's eyes on my ass. It's only been a handful of days since our first time; I'm still putting all my emotions in order. At least now that we've fucked, he's unlikely to die now? Right?

That's how these sorts of stories work. I mean, real life makes literally zero narrative sense, but I can always hope that whatever wicked god or goddess is watching over us understands how much we mean to each other. Pluck one blossom from our tree, and we'll wilt, leaving nothing but death and thorns in our wake.

“We ran into a bit of trouble,” Callum explains as I gather my clothes, putting my bra and tank top on first. It's a bit provocative, to wiggle into those tight leather pants I love so much. “The Charter Crew is pushing back hard in retaliation for that drive-by. Likely, we'll be in a full-blown war by the time the winter formal rolls around.” I can hear Cal yawning, so I take advantage of the moment to whip my pants on as fast as I can.

Of course, then I turn around and there he is, pressed close against me.

“Is Oscar okay?” I choke out, because even if I want to cut his balls off with Hael's hunting knife, it's my job to make him bleed and nobody else's. Maybe Vic's, I guess, but only for Havoc business stuff.

Callum nods, reaching up to brush some hair behind my ear. His touch makes me shiver, reigniting the awful ache in my lower belly.

“He's a little bruised up, but he'll survive. Hael should be here to pick us up in a few; we'll rendezvous at the garage.” Callum picks up my jacket and helps me into it, stopping just once to kiss me on the side of the neck. “I see bruises,” he whispers, and I shiver again. “If he hurts you, I'll kill him.”

“It's okay,” I reply, feeling mollified for the time being. It's nice to know that Cal is on my side. A horn sounds from outside, and Cal grins.

“Better get going, eh Bernie?” He puts his hand on the small of my back and opens the door, leading me around the side of the garage and through a gate that leads to the street. Hael is waiting, music trickling into the car as he taps his fingers on the steering wheel and waits for Cal and me to climb in.

“Skipped school for a little bondage, huh?” Hael asks, chuckling like the asshole he is. I don't know how he knows what we did, but oh well. There are no secrets in Havoc, right? I flip Hael off and he hits the gas, sending us flying down the road. “Hope you got fucked nice and good because it looks like we're gonna have a fight on our hands tonight.”

“Good,” I say, letting my anger at Oscar ride fast and hard through me. “Because I could use letting out a little steam.”

The other boys are waiting at the garage when we pull up, but they're not the only ones. There are dozens of masked men and women that watch me with reverent eyes as I climb out of Hael's Camaro and head up the drive to where Victor's waiting.

He's smoking a cigarette, his stance casual. But his eyes, they fucking burn.

“Where you been all day, Bernadette?” he asks, because he's a total asshole and already knows. I flip him off, too, and he gives a tight smile in response. “Your boy here got jumped on his way back from visiting Coraleigh.”

I look down at Oscar, his face bruised, lip split. His glasses are missing, so I'm guessing they got smashed up and he's wearing contacts now. He looks up at me with an expression that's impossible to read.

“You are going to regret leaving me there like that,” I tell him, putting my hands on my hips as Aaron makes his way over to stand beside Oscar's chair. He looks between the two of us with narrowed eyes. “Once is a mistake; twice is a pattern. You're a royal prick, you know that?”

Oscar reaches up and brushes some blood from his lip. He's not wearing his suit anymore either. This time, he's got on black sweats and a hoodie. Without his polished, perfect uniform in place he looks like a different person.

“I would've been back to fuck you again, but I was detained,” is all he says. “My meeting with Leigh took all of ten minutes. The walk to her office and back was thirty.” Oscar stands up from the chair, looking down at me. “Beating the shit out of Kyler and Timmy Ensbrook took a half hour.” He lifts his head up to look past me, at the gathered Havoc Crew in the front yard of the old garage. “Organizing this took up the rest of my day.”

“Excuses, excuses,” I murmur, but Oscar just moves past me to stand next to Vic. His lack of attention is so goddamn annoying. I realize that it's probably a tactic to get me to pay attention to him, but I don't care. I'm still pissed. “But I know when it's time for business, and when it's time to cut your boyfriend's balls off. So, what's up?”

“Mitch is rallying his troops,” Aaron says, lighting up a cigarette and offering it over to me.

“Because of the drive-by?” I clarify. It was only a week ago, but it feels like a lifetime. We've been back and forth with Mitch and his people ever since. I can feel Billie's eyes following me down the halls, just waiting for another opportunity to strike from the shadows.

“For sewing Kali's mouth shut,” Aaron explains, and my attention whips over to him.

“What?” I ask, blinking through my temporary shock. “The hell are you talking about?” I take a drag on the cigarette as I stare back at him, exhaling smoke through my nostrils. “Like, literally?”

“Snitches get stitches,” Aaron says mildly, handing me his phone. There's a picture of Kali Rose-Kennedy with her pink lipstick smeared, blood running down her chin to stain her halter top. Her lips have quite literally been sewn together. “Word spreads quick at Prescott.”

“Did you guys do this?” I ask, and Victor laughs, turning around to face me as Cal takes a seat on the pavement, flicking the wheel of his lighter on and off as he watches more students pull onto the road and get out of their cars.

“Unfortunately not,” Vic says, shrugging his shoulders. “I mean, it's a brilliant idea. The little rat deserves all of that and more, but it was the Langford girls who put one over on her. Stacy really doesn't like narks.” He turns away again, studying his people like a warlord plotting strategy.

“Sara Young used her as bait,” I say, because I'm not sure how much of what I told Oscar has made its way around the group. “She purposely let what Kali told her slip. I'd thought she was the lawful good type, but it appears she's willing to play dirty to get what she wants.”

“She's been sniffing around the cemetery, too,” Aaron adds, and I glance back at him, passing the cigarette over. “Our boys trailed her up there this afternoon. She walked around and took a ton of pictures, including one of Penelope's shattered angel statue.” My blood chills as I see four metaphorical walls closing in on us. “She didn't notice Neil's grave site though; there've been a half-dozen new bodies buried there since we paid the place a visit.”

“We're going to have to kill her,” Oscar says, accepting a fresh cigarette when Vic offers one and lighting up. I just stare at him because I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen him smoke, drink, or light up a bowl. Jesus.

“No, we're not,” I say as Hael comes swaggering up the drive to stand beside us. He looks at me because everyone else is and lifts a questioning brow. “We're not going to kill Sara Young. That'd be pretty hard to get away with, don't you think?”

“There are ways to make it happen,” Oscar explains, still smoking. I notice that his knuckles are bloody and raw from his fight earlier. My first instinct is to bring his hands to my lips and kiss away the crimson. I scowl instead.

“Well, I have a better idea.” I take a deep breath, formulating an idea in my mind. “But clearly, there are other things brewing in the city tonight. What's up?”

“Mitch is trashing all our favorite hangouts, trying to bait us out of the woodwork,” Victor explains casually, still watching the crowd. “He wants to take us on tonight which, normally, I'd be more than happy to do. But with the police already watching the school, we can't take any chances. Killing several dozen Prescott High students is not an option.”

“So what do we do?” I ask, glad beyond all rational belief that I am not the leader tonight.

“We play a very careful game,” Victor says, nodding his chin at Hael and Aaron. “Make sure everyone stays in pairs tonight, and put guys on all our houses. We're going to be proactive, not reactive. Mitch will not bait me into making a move I don't want to make.”

“Are we sending any guys to the drive-in?” Hael asks, sipping on a Dr. Pepper. Sounds like Mitch and his clowns are at Wesley's. They better not mess that place up; it's the only decent burger place in town. Victor shakes his head once, rubbing at his chin in thought.

“No, but I want you and Cal to head over there and see what's going on. Mitch knows we didn't touch Kali; everyone knows it was Stacy and her girls. This is just an excuse to get us riled up, and I don't like it.” He turns around to look at me, and exhales sharply. “And you, trailing Oscar and leaving campus by yourself? I'm pissed.” I open my mouth to protest, but Vic puts up a palm to shush me. Frankly, I'd like to bite the tips of his fingers off, but our entire crew is here, and he is the boss. “Listen to me, Bernie.” Vic walks over and crouches down in front of me. “If my mother is working with the Charter Crew, then she'll have a plan in mind. Her best bet is to catch me in a crime … or make me a widower.”

The blood drains from my face as Vic reaches out to touch the side of my throat, fingers playing across the bruises there. The look he shoots Oscar's way is toxic, but when he turns back to me, he's all leader, all matter-of-fact and shit.

“You will go home with Aaron and Oscar; the rest of us will monitor the Charter situation from afar.”

My blood chills and I frown, but I can't argue against Vic's logic.