The Revenge by Tijan

Always.

And tonight, I was just starting.





TWENTY-SIX

Bailey


“You know what I was thinking about today?” Matt was sitting next to me on a bench, and we were getting attention. He didn’t care. He slumped down, almost looking bored.

Not me.

I was fully aware of how much attention was coming our way, but that was our plan.

We were sitting on a bench outside Quinn’s trial. It was closed and we weren’t allowed inside, on everyone’s request, but Matt wasn’t okay with that. Well, he wasn’t okay with anything when it came to Quinn, so here we were, sitting on a bench, getting cameras and phones pointed our way for pictures and recordings. People wanted to know why we were there, but mostly Matt wanted Quinn to know we were there.

Me, I had my own plan, and it was dumb. It was really, really dumb.

We were doing it anyway.

“Bailey. You’re supposed to ask, ‘No, my Genius Brother. What were you thinking today?’”

“Right.” I moved my head up and down in a clip. “No, my Genius Brother. What were you thinking?”

He smacked my leg, a full grin on his face. “I was wondering how long it’s been since you got laid?”

I spit.

Whatever was in my mouth, it landed on someone walking by us. Gum. Spit. Water from a bottle I just drank out of and hadn’t fully swallowed. It was all gone, and after throwing a distracted apology at the passerby, I turned to face my brother squarely.

He remained slumped down in the bench, lounging to be more accurate. His legs were out and he had angled his body so he was taking over half the bench. He was dressed in faded jeans, but they were still the expensive kind, sneakers that weren’t available in stores yet, and a sweatshirt that had a logo celebrities were starting to wear on their social media. I knew what he looked like: a rich, cocky dick. And it was working. A few girls on the other side of the hall were watching Matt. They kept sneaking pictures and whispering to each other. But it wasn’t like we were trying to be incognito. The whole point of us being there was to get recognized and get the word out that we were there.

My neck was hot.

Had someone put a heater on in the hallway? In the middle of the winter?

I fanned myself with my hand and scooted farther down on the bench from him. “Why’s that your business?”

“It’s not.” His smirk grew even cockier. “But I was thinking you’re not the type to step out, and your man’s been gone, so…” He was eyeing me, studying me.

“What?”

“How cranky are you going to be after we do this thing today?”

“This thing” was our so-stupid and so-not-genius-like plan, and I knew we were dumb to even be considering it, let alone to actually be here. And once those doors opened and Quinn showed, I knew we would put it in motion. Matt looked laid back in whatever too-cool image he was displaying, but he was tense and alert and primed to attack Quinn.

“After? What are you talking about?” A thought hit me. “And where’s Tony? You said he’s the one who can pull this off.”

“I did.” At that moment, Matt sat up, nodding to a crowd gathering in the hallway. “He’s here.”

“This is so stupid,” I muttered, my heart rate suddenly spiking.

I straightened up, too, rubbing my hands up and down my jeans, trying to dry the sweat off of them to no avail. That sweat was going to be there until we were done, in the car, and safe. Preferably not in handcuffs. “Matt.” A sudden burst of newly frenzied panic hit me hard. He was starting to stand up, but I grabbed his shirt. I yanked him to me. “Let’s not do this! We’ll get arrested. We’ll get—”

A presence had stepped up to us, and Matt pried my hands off of him, standing fully at the same time. Once I let him go completely, he stepped back and looked at Tony. “Cutting it close, Cottweiler.”

Tony rolled his eyes, raking a hand through his hair. “Whatever, Francis. I didn’t think you wanted people to know I was here. ’Cause, you know.”

“No!” I stood, stepping up to them and perhaps raising my voice louder than necessary. “’Cause you know what? ’Cause I think I should know, know whatever it is that Matt knows that I don’t know.” Yep. I was now shrill. “What should I know?”

Tony’s eyebrows went high. “Dude.” He stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. “She’s freaking out.” He inclined his head toward me. “You’re not even doing shit. What’s your issue?”

My eyes were bugging out.

I wasn’t going to do shit?

What did he just say?

I wasn’t—I wasn’t?

Matt coughed, stepping into both of us and bumping us both back. He hissed under his breath, “Shut up, you guys. And dude, who do you think is doing the hacking? And Bailey, calm down. We have done this before, and it will be fine. Do not worry.”

Do not worry.

Like hell, do not worry.

The crowd was getting bigger and bigger. That only meant one thing: they were finishing for the day.

“I cannot sit in the jail cell next to Quinn. I can’t do it! I won’t stand for it!” I hissed.

The doors opened, and it was too late.

I knew the plan. They knew the plan. And those doors opening set the plan in motion.