Page 23 (1/2)
I shae of his moment of weakness before it passed For the first tile ret, and neither did Jared…until it was over
Peaceful against his skin, my head rose and fel with his deep breath "Don’t say it," I said with a s," Jared said, kissing my hair
"You know, the Christmas party is next weekend"
"I know," he s to relax
I stretched "I assuht a suit"
"I did"
"I need a dress," I said, hed,but the led and snuggled until the sun filtered through the curtains, and then Jared walked across the roohow many bul ets and wounds he’d sustained in the last few years, his skin was flawless Every inch of it
"What are you plotting over there?" Jared asked, s, I’ your forht blue boxer briefs up his legs and over his bare backside "Is that so?"
I pul ed the sheet across the roo casual to wear to Brown
"That’s not fair at alI should be al owed to appreciate as wel ," he smiled That smile quickly faded as he pul edin "Geez! Real y?" he yel ed, closing the door
"Knocking doesn’t count if you just walk in!" Jared growled
I backed into the closet, hed "We are al owed privacy," he said, his voice low and angry
"I’ve seen it al before," Claire said "Hey," she s out today?"
"Don’t even think about it," Jared warned
"She’s learning, isn’t she?" Claire snapped "She’s got to see it so that," Jared said
"You’ve got business today, anyway," Bex said
Kim walked in, confused by the nu "I’ll just wait outside"
"I’ll go, too," Bex said
Jared glared at Bex, and then at Claire "She’s not ready"
"I need her for a distraction in case Ryan shows up," Claire said, irritated that she had to explain
"So now she’s bait?" Jared seethed "No"
"Why don’t you telon and letspoken about as if I weren’t in the roo
"Claire’s going to take out Anderson," Jared said, frowning
"You’re going to kil hiht now?"
She watched me, annoyed
"But, I have class," I said, completely aware of how ridiculous the words sounded
Jared pushed Claire and Bex backward "That settles it Out"
Claire ducked under her brother’s aret bad He ht try to protect him"
"Wait," I said
Jared froze, and then turned to faceelse out"
"Kim has class, too," Claire said, her voice s "Jared needs her help today"
"She doesn’t go to class half the tirumbled "Watch you take a man’s life?" I said, unsure
"Yes," Caire said "And to help if Ryan shows"
"Okay," I shut the closet door to dress
I put on black jeans, a black turtleneck and pul ed ed, Claire’s face lit up
"I have boots that would look a with that"
"I can’t wear stilettos on a hit," I said, shaking my head
Claire wrinkled her nose "Why not? I do it al the time"
With that, we al made our way down the stairs and out to the drive Jared and Kim took the Escalade, and Bex, Claire and I piled into the Lotus
She drove us to North Providence, and turned on Mineral Spring Avenue, parking in a McDonald’s parking lot, not a block fro It’s seven in the ht?" I said in disbelief
"Wil you pretend I knohat I’ for two seconds?" Claire snapped She slipped on her large glasses and nodded to an officer walking out to a cruiser
"Anderson?" I said
"Yep," Claire said, waiting a beat after Anderson pul ed out onto the road before she turned the wheel and pressed on the gas to fol ow
She stayed so far behind the black and white that I thought a few times we’d lost him Claire’s eyes were focused, however, and what I couldn’t see, she saw as if it were right in front of her
"Okay," she said, slowing by the curb "Let’s set up shop," she said to her brother
Bex nodded once, pul ing a hot pink duffel bag fro, and then set her to bring black ones Or even brown or green She won’t"
"Ia stick of gu over fences, dodging dogs on chains and play equip The stairs were unusable, the botto by only a few debilitated boards
"What now?" I whispered
Bex threw me over his shoulder, and then hopped frole, he looked like Spiderht he needed to float--and he could clile leap, grabbing the landing where the stairsherself to our position
"You can put me down, now, Bex," I said
"Not yet," he said, taking a running ju ether that formed what used to be the attic floor