17

Ireplay Dylan's question over and over in my head— how are you—and try to find an answer to it. After learning that the men who killed my parents were murdered in pretty much the same way they were taken, being abducted by Vork's men, and the cherry on top: Noah's betrayal, I'm fucking peachy.

But then again, nothing compares to witnessing the two people you look up to, who keep you safe and love you beyond words, your favorite people in the entire world, brutally murdered in front of you. I shrug and settle in between Jasmin and Jule, whose body is sprawled almost entirely off the mattress and onto the floor.

I'm actually pretty good. I have a new item on the agenda that I'm sure will steal my focus. Somehow get myself invited to el cerro'sfiesta.

Noah can take his bullshit work dealings and shove them up his ass and dissipate from my life. It's of no consequence. Thankfully, I never told him about the ranch, the truck, or burner phones. As far as he's concerned, I'm an obsessed blogger who borrows the kid neighbor's laptop and Wi-Fi to upload my photos, videos, and written reports.

He has no idea that since I was fifteen, my best friend and I worked our asses off to save every penny in hopes of bringing the farm back to life. The idea of using it as a sanctuary came later, and it was mostly Jasmin's doing. She refused to back down from working at the club, which offered her the most cash.

The nerve of Noah, sneaking his way into the empty hole where my heart once was, attempting to claim what is incapable of belonging. And shame on me for thinking it could work or that he deserved a part of me that no one ever had. I think I came close to ceding, bringing each brick of the wall I'd built, years and years prior, down for a man who patiently waited ages for a speck of attention.

I guess if there were a lesson to learn here, it would be to listen to my fucking gut and my best friend. Jasmin saw through his perfect boyfriend demeanor, the I will wait for you and will always love you routine. I'm guilty of putting him above my own common sense and instincts. After all, we were friends for what seemed like forever, I told myself.

Gah, I'm so angry with myself for letting him in that all I want is to throw myself into my work. I smile wickedly and tuck the blanket under my chin. I can't wait to see the cerro man, I'll work all the magic I can to get an invite.

Jasmin and I will be heading out of the city to a store she prefers for purchasing outfits for work, and I have my mind set on skimpy outfits; how the tables have turned. Piper divulged what he most likes and I'm set on enticing him.

For some reason, thinking of Piper reminds me of our phone conversation outside and the fact that Dylan was snooping about like the damn detective he is, or isn't.

I shake my head. My smile and tiredness are gone, evaporated like the privacy I once had before he lived next door. He claims to know everything about me. Does everything include the truck? Possibly. The ranch. Fuck, I hope not.

Dylan.

I trap my lower lip between my teeth and press my thighs together. This man has wreaked havoc in my life, and somewhere inside me. Everywhere inside. My mind, my center, and the hollow cavity in my chest. Something within me vibrates.

"Fuck," I hiss through clenched teeth and adjust my neck further into the pillow.

Don't tell me my stupidity is going to take me from one fool to another. I wouldn't be able to survive succumbing to someone like Dylan or the betrayal that would surely unfold.

Somewhere deep in my mind, a vixen dressed head to toe in sheer, see-through lace smiles wide. Her eyes are dark with lust, her center dripping for a man who she believes we are connected to. She dangles chains that propel her to a higher existence where she is whole. And who holds the other end to the metal ropes, but Dylan himself. Black smoke wafts between us until we are nose to chest and his fingers bring my face to look up, up, up to his dark pools.

My breath catches, and he gives me a smug smile. Fuck, he's so hot. His tattoos shimmer in the dark, rimmed with the brightest silver, and they're everywhere, illuminating him in the night.

I sit up suddenly, a light sweat covers me, and Jule is heating up the food Helena made us to come back with in the small microwave. He turns to me and gives me a quizzical look.

"Dreaming?" he asks.

Jasmin is in the shower, and I throw my arm over my eyes. "Yea, I guess I was dreaming."

Somewhere between trying to soothe my thoughts about the mess my life is and the encounter I had with Dylan outside, I fell asleep.

My mother's bracelet stabs my forehead, and I adjust it lower toward my wrist and spy a new black charm. I sit up suddenly and pinch it between two fingers, bringing my wrist up close to my eyes and squinting. It's a black fox head with two tiny silver round stones for eyes.

"Son of a bitch," I hiss.

"What happened?" Jasmin questions. Her hair is dripping, a large towel is wrapped around her body, and she has another one draped over her shoulders.

I glance at Jule, who's gathering his notebooks into his backpack; his ride is already outside waiting for him. I clear my throat and mouth, I'll tell you later, before he turns and waves goodbye.

I stand hurriedly, tossing the mess of blankets over me to the side, and rushing to him before he steps out. "We have a present for you, a ‘back to school and we're proud of you' gift."

He rolls his eyes, but gives me a sheepish grin. Jasmin tosses me a small box and starts towel drying her hair.

Jule opens it and gasps. "I thought owning phones was too much of a risk?"

"Not this time. The risk is not being able to communicate with you or losing you out there. It's already set up and ready to go."

He rolls his eyes again but laughs. "Wow, Nik, what a way to act like a sister and not a mom."

Behind us, Jasmin laughs, and I punch him lightly on the arm. "I would wish you luck, but you don't need it." I tell him in our Native tongue. I ruffle his hair and push him toward the door. "Andale, before they leave you."

He takes one look at my busted lip, and his jaw tightens. His eyes crinkle at the corners and he breathes in slowly. "Cuidate, Nik."

I nod and shove him toward the door.

Once the door closes and he's gone, Jasmin sighs. "Wow, I can't believe he's in high school already."

My eyes are burning, unshed tears threatening to roll over my cheeks, and I bring up the collar of my t-shirt and dab it on my waterline. I sniffle and give one sad nod. "Best high school in the fucking state."

My parents would be so proud of him. I'm proud of him.

Jasmin comes to give me a hug, and I use the towel that's now draped over her shoulders to dry my tears. She clears her throat and holds me by my shoulders, then takes a step back. "Now that we're alone—"

Shit. "I think Dylan put a tracking device on me."

She gasps. "A what? Like a fucking bug?"

I nod and lift up my arm and point to the fox charm. "This one wasn't here before and I don't know where it came from."

She chuckles and my brows knit together in response. I don't think having a stalker, who's some special ops, undercover agent for a non-existent organization, is a laughing matter, but I read my best friend's mind.

"What else, right?" I shrug and slap my hands to my thighs. What else is the universe going to throw at me?

"And what are you going to do?" she asks in Spanish.

I bite my lower lip. "Leave it on so he doesn't know that I know. But when we visit the ranch, I'm taking it off."

She gives a quick nod. "Good plan."

We both laugh, but then a serious and dark expression drapes over her usually chipper face. "What's going to happen now?"

I know she's referring to me getting beaten and dragged to a warehouse and the very real possibility that the repercussions of getting rescued by a fucking cop come back to bite us in the ass.

"Dylan said he would take care of it and that we would be safe."

I expect Jasmin to scoff and question his promise, like she always does whenever it comes to believing in anyone's words. But instead, she nods quietly and continues to towel dry her hair.

"That's it? We're believing him?"

She turns and shrugs. "He's trustworthy."

I click my tongue against my teeth, making a snapping sound, and put my hands on my hips.

"He brought you back, didn't he? And the other night, he carried you inside and asked me not to wake you and—" She halts and looks up, as if searching for the perfect way to describe what she sensed. "He's got this weird, otherworldly connection to you. It's like he exhales, you inhale."

I gawk at her, and her shoulders lift up, abandoning the notion of trying to explain herself. Then she points to my drawer, prompting me to get ready for our day of shopping.

"Hurry up. Sara will be here in fifteen minutes."

"Okay, okay." I wiggle my eyebrows at her and her cheeks flush.