“It’s not silly.” Tatum shakes her head, turning down Bishop’s road. “It’s not unheard of. It’s why I read.”
“You read?” I ask, shocked.
Tatum giggles. “Don’t act surprised, Madi. Yes, I read. Religiously. It’s what takes me out of my life.” Up until a few minutes ago, I always thought Tatum had a perfect life. Two parents at home, no messed up shit in her background. And now I feel terrible I made that assumption.
“I wish you had told me earlier, Tate. We could have had so many more sleepovers.”
She smiles. “I know,” she murmurs, turning into Bishop’s gated driveway.
“It’ll be locked.”
She pulls the car up the curb. “Well then, we’re jumping!”
I laugh, pushing open the door with the book hidden under my arm. “Looks like we are.”
I walk toward a tree that’s close to the walkway, a branch dangling over the top of the fence that surrounds Bishop’s house. “There! Hold the book. When I get over, toss it and I’ll catch it, and then you follow.”
“Okay.” Tatum nods. “Jesus, I can’t believe we’re doing this. His dad is scary as fuck.”
“His dad isn’t home. He’s away until this weekend. I heard them talking about it while we were at the cabin. Come on.” I hitch my foot on a smaller stub and grip onto the rough bark of the tree, propping myself up. Swinging my leg over the final limb that hangs to the fence, I look down to Tatum.
“Are you sure about this?” she murmurs. “I mean, I know you’re not heavy, but that branch doesn’t look very thick.”
“It’ll be fine, and if I fall, it’s not like it’s a very long drop.”
“Ha ha.” Tatum laughs dryly.
“You’ll be fine. You’re a twig.”
“Yeah, but you—”
“Tate? Shut up.”
“Okay, okay.” With shaky limbs, I slowly stand on the branch, ignoring the creaking my body weight is drawing from it. “Shit,” I whisper. “This is fine. I can totally do it.” I look forward, my eyes staying on the thick trunk, and take the first step. “Shit, shit, shit.” I hurry my steps, and just as I get to the end, I jump and land on the top of the gate. “See?” I grin down at Tatum.
“Yeah, okay, hurry up, show off.”
I jump down off the fence. “Okay! Toss it over.”
The leather book comes flying in the air and I jump to the side, landing on my stomach to catch it. “Shit!”
Tatum jumps down off the fence, landing on her feet. “That wasn’t so bad. Damn Bishop and him not answering his fucking phone. Seriously? Since when does he stop answering the fucking phone when you call?”
I shake my head, dusting myself off. “I don’t know.”
We start walking toward his house. “Hey, have you heard from Tillie?” Tatum asks.
I shake my head. “No, I tried to call her last night, though, but I know Nate has spoken with her.”
“What’s up with those two anyway?”
“No one knows. They’re weird. Nate slept with someone else last night and I lost my shit, told him I’d tell her if he didn’t.”
“I’m not even surprised.”
“Right? But they were so cute at the cabin, Tate. Like, they were like a real couple. But apparently Tillie is fine with Nate sleeping with someone else. I haven’t heard from her, though, and she’s not answering my calls.”
“Like you and Bishop cute?” She smirks, and the sound of his name and me in the same sentence has my stomach fluttering.
“Sort of.” I smile.
Reaching his house, I follow the path to his bedroom at the back of the main house and near the pool.
“Jesus, it’s like The Adams Family house, only newer.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I know, right?” Walking toward his bedroom, I stop when I hear voices coming from what sounds like the ground.
“Did you hear that?” Tatum confirms my theory.
“Yeah, it sounds like Bishop’s voice. They must be in the main house.” I walk to the back, opening glass doors that open out onto the pool and Bishop’s room opposite.
“You sure about this?” Tatum whispers, grabbing my arm.
“Yes! It’s Bishop and Nate. We’ll be fine.”
“I’m not buying it,” she mutters, looking around the house.
“It’s open!” I whisper, pointing to the sliding wall.
“Oh, fuck’s sake,” Tatum grumbles. “I’m scared.”
“Yeah, I guess I would be too had it not been for the cabin weekend.”
“Bishop is a nice guy now?” she asks, trying to reassure herself.
“Definitely not.”
“You could have lied!” she scolds, as we step into the sitting room.
“I’m not a liar,” I whisper calmly.
“Nah, dawg, nah....”
“Nate!” I whisper to Tatum. We turn and follow a door that’s cranked open under the double stairwell.
“Madi, I don’t know about this.”
“Okay, you stay here.”
“I can’t let you go down there on your own!”
“Well then, come. Either way, I’m going.” I walk to the door, pulling it open to voices that are louder.
“Don’t fucking care,” Bishop replies, his tone dark, tormented, and almost unrecognizable.
“You stepped out of the rules. She’s a civilian!” Brantley roars.
I flinch at his tone and sounds of a scuffle from all the glass smashing and someone shoving someone else.
“You and I both know she ain’t no civilian, Brantley.” I clutch the book close to my chest and take the final step down. My eyes find Brantley’s instantly, and he grins. “Well, looks like you got some explaining to do, B.” He smirks at me with a snarl. I can see the rest of the Kings in the room in my peripheral vision, but everything blurs when my eyes land on Ally, who is lying in a pool of her own blood, her neck sliced open, with a dark red gash splitting her throat, blood still pulsing out of it. My hand flies up to my mouth as an earth-shattering scream ripples out of me. In a flash, Bishop is flying toward me.
“Madi!”
I shove him away and turn, running up the stairs.
“Fuck!” Nate barks, and I can hear Bishop’s footsteps chasing me up the stairs. My heart pounds in my chest vigorously. He killed someone. He
