Chapter Thirteen - OLIVER
“Oliver?”
I look up from the message on my phone and try to concentrate on what we’re talking about in the here and now.
“Did you hear me?” Mac says.
I nod. Then shake my head. I haven’t heard a word since they all followed me into Ariel’s office.
“He’s dead,” Mac says. Pax reaches for the remote on Ariel’s desk and flicks on the TV mounted on the wall.
“Who?” I ask, still preoccupied with Katya.
“Brutus,” West and Mac say at the same time.
“Who the fuck is Brutus?” I’m still behind. Can’t possibly catch up right now.
“Allen,” Mac yells. “The rock star. You know, the guy you took the fall for back in school? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Jesus Christ, Mac. No need to scream like a bitch. And I didn’t take the fall for anybody, let alone that asshole.”
Mac just shakes his head at me. “You’re a liar. You call West a liar?” He huffs out some air. “You’re still lying. At least the rest of us have come clean.”
As if Mr. Perfect ever had anything to come clean about. I’ve never seen him pissed off before. Mac is cool, calm, and collected every moment of every day.
Except this moment right now.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“Oliver,” Pax says, pointing at the TV. “Look.”
I glance up at the newscast. Brutus’ face—Allen, whatever he’s called these days—is on the screen. Video of people outside his Santa Fe compound—mourners and fans all gathered there to be sad together.
The headline says, Rock Star Dead After Execution-style Shooting.
And then another face we all know well is flashed beside his.
“What the fuck is she doing on the TV?” I look at Pax. He shakes his head and exhales a long, tired breath.
“She was his girlfriend,” Mac says. “Do you get what’s going on right now? The media has just tied Claudette Delaney to Brutus. And now everyone is looking at you and Pax, because you two were there. Pax shot her, Oliver. Do you fucking understand where this is all going? They have connected us. Us,” he yells again. “To the murder—”
“It wasn’t murder,” Pax interrupts.
“—of Claudette Delaney. And Allen connects us to the Mr. Brown case.”
I scrub both hands up and down my face for a few seconds, realize I badly need to shave and try to focus.
But I don’t care. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care.
Katya is the only thing I think about right now.
“Nolan is pissed off,” West says.
“At who?” I ask. “Me? Pax? Because his piece-of-shit sister was some kind of secret society killer? Well, let me just fill you assholes in on something you don’t know, OK? My sister was invited into the Silver Society—”
“What?” Mac says.
“And you never bothered to mention this?” West says, slamming his fist down on the desk next to me.
“Just calm down,” Pax says, pushing West back with a flat hand to his chest.
“You knew?” Mac asks Pax. “He’s part of this Silver bullshit and you knew?”
“My mother told me—”
“Your mother told you?” West is about to lose his mind.
“Look,” I say, standing up, ready to make my getaway. “My sister was invited in. Five—”
“And just where the fuck is Five?” Mac asks.
“They killed her, OK?” I don’t want to think about this right now. Ever, actually. Everything about my family changed after Rory went missing. Everything. My parents were so sad. My sisters. And Five. God, it kills me to think about Five and Rory. Everything he did when he was younger, he did for her. “They killed her.” I say it as bluntly as I can just to get it over with and out in the open. “My sister was killed by these people. I’m not part of them. She wasn’t part of them.”
“You don’t know if she’s dead, Oliver.”
“She’s dead, Pax. I get that Cindy has high hopes, but Five told me she was dead, OK? Why would he tell me that if he wasn’t sure?”
“We need to get Nolan here,” Mac says. “You need to call him up and assure him that everything is fine and Ivy will be safe. And they need to get their asses here right the fuck now.”
“Why the hell would he listen to me? He doesn’t even like me. Hell, I don’t even like him. Goddamned pervert is what he is.”
Mac actually steps towards me, grabs my shirt by the collar, and tries to take a swing.
Pax pulls him back before his fist connects with my face, and then everyone is yelling.
A sharp whistle makes us all stop and look at the open door where Ariel, Ellie, Cindy, and Tori are all standing there, mouths open.
“What the fuck is going on in here?” Tori asks.
“Oh, my God,” Ellie says, her hand over her heart as she stares at the TV screen. “What?” She looks at Mac. “He’s dead?”
“Nice secret meeting,” Pax mumbles under his breath. “They won’t suspect a thing,” he says, rolling his eyes.
“Ellie,” Mac tries to explain. “Just go back out there and let us sort this out.”
“Go back to the kitchen?” Ariel snaps. “I don’t think so.” And then she looks me dead in the eyes. “I want to know what’s going on, Oliver. And you’re going to tell me right the fuck now.”
I look at my watch.
“Why are you looking at your watch?” West asks. “You got something more important going on right now? You got somewhere else to be, Shrike? Because let me tell you something. You don’t. Your place is right here, right now, until we get your version of events that night.”
“Fuck you,” I say. And then I look at my sister. “And fuck you too. I’m not a little kid, Ariel. I’m not your baby brother you can just order around. I don’t need to explain myself to any of you, OK? None of you. And as far as I’m concerned, this meeting is adjourned.”
I only get a few steps towards the door when Mac pushes me against the wall and grabs my collar again. His face is pressed up right into mine and he spits the words out between his teeth. “You’re calling Nolan,” he growls. “You’re calling him up and you’re gonna tell him you’ve got everything under control. That he and Ivy are safe here. That Five is coming, OK? And all this shit will be dealt with. Because if you don’t, and anything happens to Nolan or Ivy out there in the motherfucking middle-of-nowhere desert resort they live in, I’m holding you responsible.”
He lets go of my collar and I look around at each of them in turn. West is glaring at me like I’m filth. Pax looks sympathetic, but he’s nodding his head, which means he agrees. I’ve never seen Mac so angry. And all the girls look scared out of their minds. Even Tori. Even Ariel.
I don’t say a word.
I just walk out.