with Wintergreen oil.”
What the fuck is Wintergreen oil?
The Mounty huffs at us all and snaps, “It's a type of natural aspirin and she's put it in your juice. She's fucking poisoned your drink, Aves.”
Poisoned her drink.
I can't think or move for a second while those words bounce around in my brain like a fucking pinball until finally I lift the glass out of my lap and sure enough, it's fucking oily. One sniff and the scent is there, not one I recognize but I trust the Mounty to know what she's talking about.
I'll fucking kill her.
“That. Fucking. Cunt.”
The Mounty jumps to her feet and looks around the dining hall for the slut and the second he figures out what she's doing, Blaise does the same.
I'm too fucking blinded by rage to join them.
“Did you drink any? Are you sure it was her? I need to know I'm fucking killing the right bitch,” Harley says to Avery, his voice almost fucking vibrating out of him as he tries not to completely lose his fucking mind.
“I'll handle this. Avery, go back to our room and get cleaned up. You guys need to walk her up and stay with her until I get back,” the Mounty says and then she's gone, stalking away from the table like she's going to actually murder the cunt.
Not without me she's not.
She's quick but even injured I'm faster and I grab her elbow and wrench her around to face me.
“Mounty—”
I'm not expecting the fire inside of her to be aimed my way but she fucking snaps, cutting me off, “How could you ever think I was in on this? How could you think I wanted to hurt her? You've spent the last year watching us together, do you really think I'd try to kill her?”
Fuck.
Goddammit, there's no way of talking myself out of this without just fucking saying, “I don't. I… fuck, you’re in. You’re family now. I'm coming with you and I'm helping you take Harlow out.”
She looks at me as though she doesn't trust that at all, but I can't exactly blame her.
I stand outside of Harlow's room for all of ten minutes.
There's nothing that can be heard over the music in Chastity's room, no thumping or screaming, fucking nothing to tell me if I need to go in there and help. Then the door opens and Lips walks out, blood all down the front of her uniform that definitely won't wash out.
Her arms are shaking.
I glance back into the room and Harlow is a fucking mess but she's breathing, which is all that matters here. I have no doubt Avery could cover up a murder for us, but I don't want that shit on her plate right now. It wouldn't be smooth or effortless and I'm fucking positive that Lips would spend at least a little time in lockup which wouldn't go down well with... fuck, any of us.
As we start walking she stumbles, and I grab her arm on reflex to steady her. I look down at her, the closest we've ever been, and she stares up at me with nothing but honesty. She walked into that room ready to do whatever it took to keep Avery alive and with zero apologies.
I shouldn't, I really fucking shouldn't, but I can't help myself. “Come to my room. You can clean up there before you see Avery.”
She doesn't hesitate to nod and follows me out of the hall.
None of the girls watch us.
When we get to the boys’ dorm, every last one of them does.
I'm used to the stares so at first I think it's business as usual until I see the fucking phone. “Take a photo of her right now, Smithson, and you’ll never walk again. Do you think your father will still love you if you’re not on the State Track team?”
That gets the fucking sheep moving.
I unlock my door and usher her in, locking it back up just in case word gets back to Joey that she's here and he comes looking for round two. I don't think I'd be able to stand there and do nothing this time.
I think I'd fucking kill him.
Lips slowly walks around the room taking everything in. I know for sure that she's categorizing everything, planning out escape routes, and taking in all of the little clues that are left everywhere, because even though she's more subtle about it than Avery is, the look is the same. She does a little double take at the photo of