“Where is Aaron? This is the last time I’m going to ask you that question.” I squeeze Billie’s throat just a bit harder, and she chokes, sputtering on excuses.

“If they have him, he’s probably with Kali. She’s in love with him, always has been.” I release just a bit of pressure so Billie can keep talking. “She hasn’t told me anything about it, but I also haven’t seen her since the night you guys came to the racetrack. I swear, that was the last I saw her. By the time we figured out what the hell was going on, she had already left and taken her new car. Mitch was furious.”

I pause for a moment.

Of course Kali has Aaron. Of course she does. And if she’s working for Ophelia specifically, then it’s a double-edged sword.

“Leverage, but also obsession,” Oscar remarks, making my blood boil.

“Please don’t kill me,” Billie whimpers after a minute, when my hands tighten just a bit more on her neck. “I have a baby. Like you said before, I’m a terrible mom. I am. I know I am. But I don’t want to do this anymore.” I look her straight in the face, and I keep squeezing until she starts to cough. “My dad’s a drug addict, Bernie. He’ll end up foster care. Please, I promise I don’t know where Aaron is.” She starts to weep then, salty tears rolling down her face and mixing with a bit of the blood leaking down from her forehead.

Fuck.

Just hearing the word foster care … I’m not saying there aren’t nice foster homes: look at Oscar and the Peters. But … goddamn it, she’s found my Achilles’ heel.

The guys wait patiently around me to see what I’ll do. Looking down at Billie, all I want is to just push into her neck until she stops breathing. I’m furious, and I want justice … but I also have my own rulebook that I stick by. If I start crossing those lines, then I’m just like Neil or Eric or Kali.

I let go and stand up, leaving Billie to shake and sob on the hallway floor.

“Good call, Bernie,” Hael says, taking my hand and leading me back to the dance. I don’t bother to pay Billie a backwards glance; she isn’t even worth that much. Next time she pisses me off, however, there will be no other chances.

“And very informative,” Oscar agrees, biting the end of one of his fingers in thought. “The question is: where is Kali now?”

I step into the gym and the first person I spot on the other side of the room is Officer Young, wearing a very pretty lemon-colored dress and talking to Principal Vaughn.

And then the doors open, and the next person I see is Kali motherfucking Rose-Kennedy.

We look at each other, and I just know that one of us is going to end up dead that night.

I also know for a fact that it sure as hell isn’t going to be me.

To Be Continued …