RIOT HOUSE (Crooked Sinners #1) - Callie Hart Page 0,117
grab my bag and begin to make my way across Doctor Fitzpatrick’s den. Wren’s eyes are sharp yet calm as he watches me approach. I’m four short steps away from the leather couch when Mercy just appears, like she was conjured out of thin air from the fucking depths of hell, and throws herself down next to her brother.
“I’m still trying to figure out if you’re detestable, Elodie, but I’m afraid I’ve got you beat here. Wren doesn’t hate anyone as much as he hates me.” She grabs his arm and loops her own through it, smiling so angelically that my fucking teeth itch.
Fury pours off Wren like smoke, but he doesn’t get to object. There isn’t time for that. Because the next thing I know, I look up to find Pax scowling down at me. “Congratulations, Frenchie. Looks like I get to be a pain in your neck, now.”
27
WREN
“You’re fucking damaged. You know that, right?”
Most kids were fascinated by the fact that Mercy and I were twins. How unusual, their parents used to coo. They look so similar, too. It isn’t normally that obvious when you have a girl and a boy, but they’re just like two peas in a pod. Mercy’s my female counterpart, which is highly disturbing most days, and really fucking annoying on every other. No one should have to look at another person and know, without a shadow of a doubt, what they’d look like if they were born the opposite sex. It’s just wrong.
She flutters her eyelashes at me, resting her chin on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, big brother. I resent having to work with you, too. But it’s time we swept all of this hostility under the rug, don’t you think? It’s getting a little old. Our parents are beginning to suspect something terrible happened between us. We wouldn’t want Father taking it upon himself to investigate now, would we? He just retired. Plenty of time on his hands now. He might be blind to what’s right in front of him most of the time, but he’s very good at solving puzzles when he puts his mind to it. I think I take after him in that way.”
“Yes, we both know how great you are at sticking your nose in where it’s not wanted, don’t we.” Not a question. A statement. A fact.
She preens like I’ve paid her a fucking compliment.
Fitz goes around the room, handing out assignment sheets, which means we’re all doing different presentations. He visibly flinches when he stops in front of us, offering Mercy our assignment. She rips it out of his hand, baring her teeth in a smile so terrifying that the muscles in his throat work overtime as he hastily heads back to the front of the room.
“You shouldn’t have hit him,” she says to me. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
I’m not listening to her, though. I’m too busy side-eying Pax, trying to silently threaten him into behaving. Elodie’s back’s to me, so I can’t see the look on her face, but I know she must be hating this. Pax is a daunting prospect, even to those of us who claim to like him.
“So, big brother, care to tell me what’s been going on since I’ve been away? Any new and interesting developments you’d like to share with me?”
“They stopped serving spaghetti on Wednesdays,” I growl.
“Oh, wow. You’ve got all the good gossip. I should have come to you first instead of Damiana.”
I give up glaring at Pax and glare at her instead. Not before I catch the sour, smug smile on Damiana’s face, though. “That girl’s poison.” That’s all I say because that’s all I can say.
Mercy fans herself with our assignment. “Why’d you fuck her, then?”
“Jesus, Mercy. Don’t you have a fucking play you’re supposed to be performing in or something? In New York? Far, far away from here?”
“Michael tried to make me an understudy. I’m not an understudy, Wren. I’m the leading lady, or I’m nothing at all. Damiana said you dropped her like a hot coal the moment the new girl came along. That can’t be true, though, surely. She’s so...” she wrinkles her nose, “...average.”
“Just stay away from Elodie, Mercy. Ten feet at all times.”
“Or what?”
“Or I’ll make your life a living hell. You’re not the only one who’s good at piecing together people’s secrets.”
“Oh ho ho, holy shit. I didn’t think it was possible, but you...oh my god, you like her, don’t you?”