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Even Tate’s dad had a secret

Over the tione, I discovered that he still ate at Mario’s every Thursday night by hi that the Italian restaurant here her parents had had their first date I didn’t know if she knew that he still did that

My leg vibrated, interrupting rabmy eyes in irritation, I touched the screen and answered

"Yes?" No need to be polite I kneho it was

"Hello I have a collect call for you from an inmate at Stateville Prison Will you accept?"

No

"Yes"

I waited for the operator to switch over, feeling like I had been pulled out of Neverland and was now surrounded by a dozen soldiers trappingHe’d only called once before, and it was the sa reason this time

"When you come up tomorrow…put money in my account," he told, not asked

I took a deep breath "And ould I do that?"

"You knohy," he growled "Don’t act like you have a choice"

I didn’t have the ive him I may not have a choice, but I had a problem

"Then I’ll need to earn it, and I can’t do that until toht "I’ll be up on Sunday instead"

And he hung up

I closedit to be his face, his heart, and his power

TheJax--was supposed to be a one-tiive Jax a break, but he always called again

And I kept paying, just so Jax could have that break

Don’t act like you have a choice His words pierced my ears as if I could still feel the pain of that day They were the same words he said to ht before I’d found Jax with the up, I looked aroundback the calreen lawns looked jagged around the edges now, the green less vibrant All of the houses see me

And then I looked up

Tate’s feet, propped up on the railing outside her French doors, sat angled, and I focused on her The rest of her was hidden, but I watched her anyway Knowing she was there Feeling the energy that always rolled off of her Call it hate Call it lust It wasn’t love, though

But if was enough, and I needed it

The breath leavingin and out like water instead of syrup, and I finally stood up and headed back into the house

Dialing up Zack Hager, who organized the races at the Loop, I clenched and unclenched et the needles out

"Hey, can I race tooing already But Jones just backed out, so Diaz needs an opponent"

"Put ht the car with the ood on her proe account The only cash I had hat I h to keep Tho up with Zack, I texted Madoc to get a party together at e to double-check the oil

Since I didn’t have anything else to distract et my brother His new foster parents were pretty cool about letting hiht him up for parties and races sometimes

"Look at baby Jared!" Madoc shouted as we climbed out of the car Madoc had arrived at my place early to set up, and from the looks of it, the party had already started

Jax ra "Yeah, I hear you like young boys"

"Only if they’re as pretty as you, princess"

And I rolled my eyes as Madoc wrapped his arms around my brother and dry humped him from behind

I had no idea why Madoc called Jax "baby Jared" It had nothing to do with our looks Our eyes were different, our hair styles were different, and we both had different personalities Jax ild, never afraid to sht, though He was a little leaner, but he was still only sixteen

I’d better enjoy the female attention while I could, because, next to hi to even notice me in the room in a few years

Not that I cared I wanted Jax to have everything, because he deserved it

I scanned the neighborhood as I walked up the driveway and took in the glow of life and noise around me When my father had called earlier, the pulse of the street had decayed beforeup at Tate’s , seeing her light on, the thuher

"Hey, think we’ll see soht?" Madoc wrapped his arm around my neck and jerked his chin over to Tate’s house

He was referring to the last ti up at her"I think she’s out of tricks"

And we strode into the loud frenzy of underage disorder known as asped out as I left her irl--she’d said her name was Sarah--seemed sweet but completely corruptible Thankfully, no one had invited Piper, so I was left alone tonight to enjoy everything the party had to offer

I pressed her up against the back of the bathroo like I wouldn’t ever be satisfied

I didn’t know her She showed up as a friend of a friend and went to school tns over Her hair was soft, her lips were softer, and she acted like she had a brain

I’d spent about an hour getting drunk and catching gli to the music in her hot, strapless black dress, when I’d finally decided to et her in here, and I wasn’t in any hurry to get out, either

My lips caressed her neck, sweet-slided down her slihtly brushed it on ht stomach