“What about your uncle?”
I glance at him. “What about him?”
His lean arms flex as he crosses them. “Why didn’t you ever ask him to teach you? He’s a cop. I’m sure he knows how to drive pretty well.”
My lips tug downward and my hand drifts to my side. “My uncle and I … our relationship is complicated, hence the reason I threw his name out to you guys.”
“Yeah, but why?” Zay’s dark eyes search mine. “What’s he done to you that made his name almost instinctive when we asked you who we should take care of? I mean, it basically rolled off your tongue— ” he snaps his fingers—“just like that.”
My fingers curl around my side. “Is that really important?”
He nods, his gaze blazing with the same intensity I saw earlier, right before he made Hunter drag me out of the school. “It is. And you want to know why?” He waits for me to answer and part of me wants to shake my head, a little afraid of the answer. Instead, I find myself nodding. A grin curls at his lips. “Because, when we punish someone, we like to make sure the punishment fits the crime. So whatever your uncle has done to you, we want to do the same to him. Only maybe we’ll do it a little bit deeper, make him bleed a little bit more, drag out the pain a little bit longer.”
I gulp down a shaky breath. “What if I told you all he did was call me names?”
“You don’t throw out a name like that without having some deep issues with the person.” He inches toward me. “So, tell me, princess, how did he hurt you?”
My heart thunders in my chest for a flash of a second as I actually contemplate telling someone about that god-awful day.
“I …” My words fade as a series of beeps echo through the air.
“Shit,” Hunter curses, sticking his hand into his pocket.
Zay does the same thing, and then both of them take out their phones.
I’m about to ask what’s going on when Jax announces from the other end of the hallway, “We’ve been summoned by The Bosses.”
The Bosses? How very mobster-ish.
“But why?” Hunter gripes, clutching his phone. “I’d way rather go take care of her uncle.”
“It’s fine,” I say, although a twisted part of me was really looking forward to whatever they were going to do. “I probably shouldn’t have asked you guys to do anything to him anyway.”
“No, you should’ve,” Hunter assures me, grazing his knuckles across my jawline. “And don’t pout. We’re still going to take care of him. It’ll just have to be tomorrow.”
“Why?” I pry. “What are you guys doing tonight?”
Hunter’s lips part, but Jax talks first as he walks toward us.
“We can’t tell you about that yet.” He stops beside Hunter. “Not until you take the oath.”
I pull a confused face. “Oath?”
“We all had to take it.” Hunter turns to look at his reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall while Zay fixes his tie then runs his hands across the top of his head.
Why are they getting all primpy? Just where are they about to go?
“What kind of oath is it?” I try to pry more information from them, to no avail.
“We’ll explain that tomorrow,” Jax answers as he sends a text message. “Right now, we need to go.”
Hunter turns around to face us again. “Are we dropping her off on our way?”
Jax shakes his head as he stuffs his phone into his pocket. “No, I’m having Zee drive her.”
Hunter nods. “Good idea.”
“Who the heck is Zee?” I interrupt.
“Our driver,” Hunter answers simply, like it’s totally not a big deal that they have a driver.
“Oh. Okay. Cool.” I have no idea what else to say.
This is all so weird. They’re so weird. This freakin’ day is so weird. But who am I to judge them?
I mean, I am the girl who was accused of killing her parents and couldn’t even remember doing it. That’s beyond weird. And creepy. And scary.
Freak.
Loser.
Murderer.
I hate myself.
When Jax’s phone beeps again, he turns to Zay and Hunter. “That’s probably Zee. One of you walk her out front. I need to go grab some stuff.” He gives a quick glance in my direction then walks past me without even saying goodbye.
“I’ll walk her out,” Hunter volunteers with a trace of a smile.
Zay promptly shakes his head. “You go grab our stuff. I’ll walk her out.”
“Oh, fine.” He pouts for a microsecond, but then his smile returns as