“Okay. What’s the problem with that?”
“He’s twenty-five and drives like a cunt.”
“How do you know that?”
“Alexei told me.”
Orla’s hands paused. “How does he know—wait, don’t even bother. He followed her, didn’t he?”
“Yeah. After Oscar told River he’d seen them together.”
Orla snorted. “The circle of spies. I know how that goes.”
I twisted to face her. “Oscar’s not a spy.”
“No, but he knew what would happen if he passed the information on.”
“You’re saying it like it’s a bad thing.”
Orla’s steady gaze drilled into me. “Maybe because I’ve been the girl who can’t take a step without having to explain herself. Can’t make a new friend without them being hazed by a gang of neanderthals.”
“He’stwenty-five.”
“So was the first boy I slept with. No one younger would dare.”
“Willow’s not you.”
“And what the fuck does that mean?” Orla shot back. “That she’s too stupid to make her own decisions or I was too loose with mine?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“So what did you mean?”
“I—” Actually, I didn’t know. I scrubbed a hand down my face and rose to meet Orla as she left the bed and crossed the room, irritation in her gait.Stressthat she didn’t need. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know I was going to be a caveman about this, but now I’ve started, I can’t seem to fuckin’ stop.”
Orla opened a drawer and pulled out a knife. She held it out, blade first, in the same moment Nash opened the bathroom door and read the room through a cloud of steam.
He dropped his towel, reaching automatically for a weapon. “What happened?”
“Willow got a boyfriend. Locke wants to kill him.”
“I never said that.”
“Please.” Orla flipped the knife and tried to press it into my hand. “Do you think I don’t know what a murder conversation looks like?”
“It wasn’t a murder conversation.”
Orla hissed and let the blade fall.
Frowning, Nash swiped it from the floor as if it had plague germs on it and I was out of patience for no reason whatsoever.
“What the fuck is up with this knife?”
Nash set it down and backed away. “It has history?—”
“It’s mine,” Orla cut in. “My dad took it off me when I shanked someone with it. Gave it to Cam, along with my agency, and told him to keep a better eye on me. I think you should give it to Willow.”
“I’m not ever going to do that.”