Clay remains silent, and I want to move closer to see her face. Did she know that? I know things about her family that could have shut her fucking face up years ago.
“When Garrett Ames was found with his sixteen-year-old stepdaughter in a hotel room last May and quietly paid for it all to go away?” Macon continues. “Or when your mother had a little procedure done before Christmas to take care of an unwanted pregnancy?”
I can see Clay breathing harder.
“You’re right,” he tells her. “Money is power. But do you know what’s more valuable? Secrets.” He jostles her. “Secrets are power, honey. There’s a reason we’ve survived here, keeping the wolves at bay as long as we have.” He gets in her face. “We may be your maids and your dishwashers and your pool boys, but we’re always there. For smart, you’re really good at stupid.”
Her shoulders shake, and I don’t know why, but it’s killing me inside. I’d rather suffer a million of Clay’s snake bites than see her shrink.
“Do it, then.” She remains still, offering herself up. “Be like us. Hurt me.”
Do what? What is she doing?
“Do it!” she yells at him.
“Clay, knock it off,” Callum barks.
Apparently, she doesn’t speak for all of them.
“Come on, badass,” she sneers. “Go for it.”
I step forward. “They want Bellona,” I tell him, shutting her up.
Bellona is the Seminole flag, shredded and faded, but still flying at the lighthouse a mile up the dunes. It’s on her scavenger hunt.
Macon glances at me, still fisting her hair. I know he doesn’t want to hurt her. She’s not worth the jail time.
It takes him a moment, but he exhales and releases her, a half-smile on his lips. “Of course, they do.”
It would be the ultimate ‘fuck you’ from St. Carmen.
He rises and pulls Clay to her feet, but she shoves him away, scowling. Macon shuts off the bike.
“Can they take it?” Army taunts.
Macon tsks. “Doubtful.”
“Come on, Macon…” Trace bounces up and down on the balls of his feet. “I want to stretch my legs. Let’s play.”
My brothers, their friends, and their girlfriends—their faces filled with excitement—look to my brother for his permission.
He casts me a glance. “Oh, what the hell…”
And then he turns to Clay and her posse. “Go capture your flag. If you can.”
“Whoop!” Our guys cry out.
Clay, looking uncertain after almost losing her nose to my brother’s bike, flashes her gaze to me, and I can tell she’s not done for the night.
I grin, shouting to my brothers. “Move!” I yell.
Whoever gets it first, wins.
Everyone runs, scattering out into the night, but Macon grabs me as I try to leave.
He yanks me into his face. “You lose my flag, you lose Dartmouth. Deal?”
My chest caves. “Macon…?”
“Nah-uh.” He shakes his head. “You’re grown up enough to invite them here without asking me first, it should be no problem to make sure you don’t lose that flag to a country club princess, no matter how pretty her ass is. Put your money where your mouth is, Livvy.”
Fucking prick.
“Fine,” I grit out, pushing away from him. “Fucking fine.”
And I run, because there’s everything to lose now, especially time I don’t have.
“CLAY, LET’S GO!” Krisjen pulls me toward Callum’s car.
But I dig in my heels, everyone scattering around us and engines firing up. Guests at Mariette’s turn their heads to see what’s happening, and Trace hangs out the window, howling as Dallas speeds them away.
Saber Point Lighthouse is a short mile up the coast, and they’ll kill us on the road, trying to get there first. What a perfect cover up for our murder. No, thank you.
Callum grabs my arm and twists me around. “Are you okay?” He takes hold of my face, as if the motorcycle spokes got me.
“I’m fine.” I push his hands down. “It was fun.”
He chuckles, hooking an arm around me.
“What a fucking asshole,” Amy bites out.
“Not at all.” I smooth out my clothes and check my handbag to make sure nothing spilled out when that ass threw me over his shoulder. “I would’ve done no differently in his shoes.”
Macon is smart. Liv was holding out on me. Playing a lot nicer than she had to. She had options for retaliation. Why didn’t she use them?
Amy pulls me. “Let’s get out of here.”
“We’re not going anywhere.”
My friends gape at me, and I’m not sure if they just want to go home or still get the flag, but they definitely don’t want to stay here.
Liv runs out of the autobody shop, slowing when she sees us not running. Suspicion etched on her face, she hops into the cab of a truck, the guy in the passenger’s seat getting out and giving it to her and jumping into the bed himself. Army drives off, Liv next to him, but her eyes remain on me until she passes.