The card was a Joker. On the back were only two words in distinctive block lettering:
CALL ME
The threat of the Joker was evident enough. If I didn’t call Haley, I would become the next target. So far, I’d managed to hold everything together with dental floss and a prayer, but it seemed like my house of cards might collapse at any moment.
“Hey!”
Chase’s voice jolted me out of my stupor. I quickly added the playing card to my pocket along with the other threat I received today. I was on a roll.
“Hi.” My voice was a rasp that barely scraped by the lump in my throat.
Chase’s brows furrowed in concern. “What’s going on?”
I have more enemies than friends right now.
“You take my breath away,” I punctuated my joke with an eye roll.
He laughed. Charming Chase led a charmed life. “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. We could do our homework.”
He made “homework” sound like something else. What an intriguing idea. Sadly, I had to plan a way to save my sorry self from the Red Court’s wrath before tomorrow. “I can’t tonight, but I’m grabbing breakfast tomorrow morning with Gideon if you want to join us. We’re meeting up with Damien, the guy from the coffee shop, around ten.”
“It’s a date. Text me the address.” He gave me one of his signature casual grins. “Oh, here are your keys.”
He grabbed the keys from his bag and dropped them in my hand. I weighed them in my palm, noticing some extra bulk.
“What’s this?”
A tiny ceramic mug key chain was hanging next to my house key. I’d seen them at the coffee shop before. He must have picked it up earlier when I wasn’t looking.
“A reminder, from our first official coffee run.”
“Thank you.”
The hurricane of my thoughts stilled. Nothing was resolved, and this was only a temporary reprieve, but here with Chase everything was quiet. I didn’t want to forget his smile and how it hovered between bashful and proud. Or the warm touch of his fingers when he reached out to grasp my free hand for a quick squeeze. Or how I couldn’t hear anything above the rush of blood in my ears.
Chase closed the distance between us and tilted my face up with gentle fingers. I drew in a breath as he pressed his lips to mine. Drinking in his spicy scent, I parted my mouth to taste him. His tongue met mine in an excruciatingly slow slide. I lost the ability to think, to breathe, to exist outside of this kiss. Our bodies molded together, heat building between us.
Finally, I broke the kiss and drew in a shuddering breath. I remembered where we were and remembered the threat burning in my pocket. My scalp prickled at the phantom eyes that could be watching right now. Chase took a small step back but kept his arms around me. I couldn’t remember when they’d come up to encircle my shoulders.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked.
I don’t want to lose you.
The thought startled me. Somewhere along the way, I’d decided that Chase was mine to lose.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and rallied with a smile. “Bright and early.”
On my way out to the parking lot, I pulled out my Red Court phone. I couldn’t call Haley yet. I needed to think of what to say first.
Me: Can you meet tomorrow?
Haley: noon. theater room.
If I thought about it, my interfering with Matthew’s request was the most Red Court thing to do. Pressure to just the right spot would get anyone to bend, and I used Matthew’s own guilt against him. Haley should be thrilled that her work as a mentor was really paying off. Now I only had to make her see it that way.
CHAPTER 30
GIDEON’S AND MY favorite breakfast spot was a small café that served the best chocolate croissants in town. It was a mostly carb-based menu, and Gideon had declared that anyone who didn’t like it, or so much as uttered a word against the café, could not be our friend. He must have been pretty confident bringing Damien here. It was his litmus test for compatibility.
I arrived first, fifteen minutes before ten o’clock, to claim the best table near the fireplace. A couple was finishing up and I waited like a vulture to swoop in as soon as they showed the first signs of departure. I was still chilled after my early morning run, so I took the chair nearest the fire. The café was a bustle of movement and muttered “excuse me’s” since the space was only large enough to hold half a dozen tables. Most customers took their orders to go, but Gideon insisted the croissants tasted better if you ate them right away. He arrived next and spotted me immediately.
“Nice work, Em,” he said, complimenting me on my table-snagging.
“Grab two more chairs.” I motioned to the tables around us with a spare chair each. I didn’t dare leave the table unguarded for a moment.
“So, what’s going on with Chase?” Gideon asked once he’d settled.
His hair was tousled again, like he’d given it a stern talking-to and nothing else after rolling out of bed. I’d actually attempted to do something with my hair by twisting the normal ponytail into a low bun that I’m sure screamed “trying too hard.”
“He kissed me yesterday,” I confessed, unable to hide a wide smile.
Gideon smirked back. “And?”
“And it was pretty spectacular.” And it was. Despite the threat to stay away from Chase that had been looming at the edge of my thoughts, the memory of the kiss still brought a delicious warmth to my chest.
He nodded once, giving his approval. Gideon trusted my taste when it came to anything except movies. His seal of approval was dependent upon mine. If I thought Chase was good enough, Gideon would back me.
“I can’t believe you’re putting Damien up to the croissant test so soon.”
He looked away before speaking. “I like him, but there’s no use investing in the possibility of more if he doesn’t like the croissants.”
“You can’t continue seeing a monster like that.”
He flicked his eyes back to me and grinned. There was something shy about my friend today, like a cautious optimism. I hoped things would work out with Damien. Gideon deserved this happiness.
It occurred to me that had anyone else been assigned his takedown job, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now. That thought left me feeling oddly grateful. I used my power in the Red Court to do something good. But it wasn’t the power that made me feel alive. It was the control, just like I told Haley when I joined. I had a say in how and when things went down. If this was even a fraction of what the QoH felt, perhaps I understood her better than I thought. Maybe the destruction of the Red Court wasn’t the answer. Maybe it just needed a better leader.
Before I could follow that thought down the dark path it was leading, Chase and Damien walked in at the same time. They were chatting amiably. Damien laughed, his smile bringing out the tiniest dimple in one cheek. I peeked back at Gideon, who looked like that dimple might kill him.
Damien wore a cream V-neck sweater that looked striking against his dark brown complexion. “Shut your mouth. You’re drooling,” I whispered at Gideon.
“Chase better like croissants,” he muttered back.
I hadn’t even thought of that. I bit my lip and made a show of crossing my fingers.
“Hi,” Gideon and I both said in unison.
Chase and Damien sat down with us. We were on an official double date.
“It smells amazing in here,” Chase murmured when he leaned over to give me a quick kiss.
Were we casually kissing in public now?
“You’re in for a treat.” I casually shifted back to put a little more distance between us.
A humorous light flickered in his eyes.
Play with me, it seemed to say.
My traitorous body heated, like Chase was the fire keeping me warm all the way down to my toes. His
usual spicy scent curled around me and my eyes fluttered shut as I inhaled. Why couldn’t he make it easier for me and not smell so good?
I rose from my seat to order our food.
“Pain au chocolat?” I asked. Gideon squinted at me in confusion. “Ugh. It’s French for chocolate croissant.”
“I take Spanish,” he said.
Chase lifted his hand. “German.”
“Merci, Ember. Je voudrais un pain au chocolat,” Damien said in flawless French.
I smiled at Gideon. “I’m keeping him. You heathens can wait outside.”
I spun on my heel to find the end of the line snaking its way through the tables and leading toward the door. It was like waiting in line at a theme park. A guy twice my size stepped back to let another customer pass and knocked into me.
“Ow!” I yelped as his boot came down on my toes.
A warm hand settled on the small of my back and another shot out to stop the guy from encroaching any farther. “I leave you alone for ten seconds and you’re nearly run over,” Chase said.
My cropped sweater left the smallest patch of skin exposed just above my jeans and I couldn’t think past the point where his thumb touched my bare skin. “I believe I left you alone,” I said with as much dignity as I could muster, wiggling my toes to make sure nothing was broken.
His thumb moved a centimeter in the tiniest caress before he pulled it away. I wanted to reach out and grab it back, then tie his arm around me so we’d never stop touching.
Calm down, creeper.
“Do you have any tips on what I need to say to win Gideon over?” Chase asked as he studied the menu. He squinted just the tiniest bit and pulled out a pair of glasses from his pocket. They were black plastic frames that, when paired with his letter jacket, guaranteed his casting in Grease as Popular Hot Guy #1.
“Since when do you wear glasses?” I completely ignored his question. Proof positive that he was less than perfect in some way was the kind of thing I would have noticed.
“Umm. Always? I don’t usually wear them at school, but my eyes get tired by the end of the week. Why? Do you like them?”
“I do. They look good on you.”
I felt like I’d taken a step closer to him without moving, like some part of me was being drawn out. Chase searched my face and I could see he recognized that something was happening to me. Maybe he knew what it was and could explain it.
“So, no tips for me with Gideon?” he asked again.
I looked back at Gideon, who was chatting with Damien. He looked more relaxed, happy even. Gideon caught my eye and smiled like he could read my mind and totally agreed with my assessment.
I turned back to Chase. “No. You don’t need any. Whatever side I’m on, he’s there with me.”
“Are you on my side?”
“More and more every day.”
When our turn came, I ordered four coffees and four pains au chocolat. Chase helped me carry everything back to the table and I passed out plates like a carb fairy. Gideon and Damien watched in horror as Chase dumped an unconscionable amount of cream and sugar into his coffee.
Chase took his first bite of croissant and groaned in pleasure. “This is the best thing I have ever had.”
Gideon met my eyes and we waited for Damien to try his.
He took a generous bite. “Incroyable!”
I gave Gideon a wink. All clear here.
We ate and talked and laughed. Damien told us stories of his favorite quirky regular and what surprised him most about college. All the while, I kept sneaking glances at Gideon, who looked more enamored by the second. It was perfect. Not even the looming specter of my meeting with Haley could darken the morning.
“What are you up to the rest of the day?” I asked Chase.
“I’m just watching my sisters. My mom’s working today.”
Ahh, yes. Chase the Manny. I would pay good money to see how much his little sisters had him wrapped around their fingers.
“You?”
“Just some errands,” I said.
He shook his head. “Nothing as ordinary as errands for you. You’re probably working ahead in all your classes or running a marathon or something.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Or something.”
While we’d been eating, an idea was starting to fully take root. Gretchen’s claim that she wanted to be part of something great made more sense now. The Red Court was great—powerful and influential—but if someone else was leading it, could it be good, too?
If I could figure out who the Queen of Hearts was, could I replace her?
CHAPTER 31
HALEY WAS WAITING in the theater room for me, lounging on the slouchy couch as always.
“You’re late.” She shifted so she was staring up at the yellowing ceiling tiles, obviously not in the mood to reward me with eye contact.
My temper flared, but I kept it in check. Now was not the time.
“I’m sorry.” I cast my eyes down. Good. Now keep laying it on. “I know what I did wasn’t ok.”
“Which part?” she asked.
“The part where I went behind your back and took care of Matthew myself.”
A deep breath steadied my resolve, and I continued, “But I’m not sorry for making the hit on Gideon go away.”
“That’s not how it works, Ember. You can’t interfere like that.”
“Seriously? All we do is interfere. We manufacture feelings, grades, Homecoming crowns.”
Haley stalked toward me, a predatory edge to her gait, but I didn’t dare budge. This was another hand in our game, and I was bluffing this round.
“What am I supposed to say when the Queen of Hearts asks about Matthew pulling his request? We could need his help in the future. The Red Court isn’t powerful because of the twelve of us running jobs. We’re powerful because we have eyes, ears, and hands all over the school. Everyone is part of our game whether they know it or not.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’ll do my own explaining, thanks. Put me in touch with the Queen of Hearts. I can answer for myself.” The image of the girl from the carnival came to mind.
Haley collapsed back onto the couch with a great groan. “You know that’s not going to happen.”
“All I need is her number. I’ll text her from my burner and that will be the end of it. Unless you think she’d prefer a handwritten apology. I do have an engraved stationery set that I got for my birthday that I have been dying to use.”
“You’re so funny,” Haley deadpanned. “Just tell me what happened. No more messing around. If you’ve done any damage, we need to get it under control.”
I filled Haley in on Matthew. How I followed him around for days, and that something just wasn’t adding up. It didn’t make sense that Matthew would want to hurt Gideon, and I needed to figure out why before I could take any steps to undo his request.
“When I saw him at the coffee shop, I didn’t think about the ramifications. I just wanted to talk to him. I wasn’t going in there to blow the lid off anything.”
Haley cut through my argument and went right for the kill. “But you did. You told him who you are. You did the one thing that could endanger everyone.”
I looked away. “I never told Matthew that I was part of the Red Court. Not exactly. If he was questioned, all he could say was that I advised him against making big decisions when he was emotionally distressed.”
Haley sat with her arms folded across her chest and her legs crossed. The only way her body language could have been more closed off was if she shut her eyes.
“It’s not like we still don’t have Matthew.” It was time to woo Haley with cold logic. “He made a request, which we will have forever. He still asked us for something, and we could use that if we had to.” If they ever called on Matthew, I’d find a way to help him, too.
&nb
sp; The whoosh of the HVAC was the only sound for a few long moments. “You’re on probation.”
“That’s it? You don’t need to discuss this with anyone else first?” It was too much to hope for that Haley would lead me to the Queen of Hearts herself.
“No one else needs to know. You’re right, we have Matthew on the hook if we ever need him. This stays between us.”
“Wow, I’m surprised. I thought there’d be some big tribunal with torches and cloaks where you’d get me to confess all my deepest secrets.”
“Is there something else you should tell me?” A glimmer of suspicion flashed in Haley’s narrowed eyes.
I met it with a sweet, repentant smile cutting across my face. “No, ma’am. Cross my heart.”
And hope to die.
“Fine. We have another job to do. It’s complicated.”
Another job meant the possibility of earning Haley’s trust back and perhaps another favor from the Queen of Hearts. I could devise something to get her personally involved this time.
“As long as it’s not Gideon, you have my full attention. Let me prove how committed I am.”
“This isn’t something you’ll be doing by yourself. Every step of this, we do together. Clear? Probation means that you don’t so much as blink without asking me first.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” I gave her a mock salute.
She rubbed her temples like she had a headache that pounded in time with the rhythm of my name. Em-ber, Em-ber, Em-ber.
“We have to take out a faculty member—get them fired—which is never very clean.”
“Faculty? I’ve never heard of the Red Court taking on something that big.”
“We’ve never done it in all the years I’ve been a member. We don’t often take requests for hits on faculty or staff. If we catered to the whim of every angry student with a chip on their shoulder, there’d be no one left to teach. But we have to.”
“Why?” This seemed like a question someone should have asked by now. Why did we have to do anything we didn’t want to? Why not focus on accepting jobs for people who really deserved what they got, like Alec?
These Vengeful Hearts Page 18