Mark My Words

75 | Ruin Her

Georgina's voice sent a shudder through Rosalie that vibrated like a chord being struck. "Get in the car," she ordered.

Rosalie shook her head.

Georgina took a step around Arden Dodge. Rosalie wouldn't have moved even if Georgina grabbed her. Instead, Drew put a hand out to stop Georgina. Georgina flung a hand back as if to slap them. Arden stopped her, though.

"Drew," Arden said in a sugary-sweet voice. She smiled up at Drew, sharp canines showing. "What pronouns do you prefer?"

"Them," they answered.

Arden turned to Georgina and said, "They have potential. Don't be cross with them. Drew, bring Rosalie to the car and we can head out."

With that, Arden stepped away. Her heels clicked against the pavement on her way back to the driver's side of the vehicle, which left them alone in the streetlamp light with Georgina.

Drew was still staring Georgina down. Georgina put her hands to her sides and stepped aside, a silent gesture to get them moving along. Drew looked back at Rosalie, whose fingers were cramped around the fabric at Drew's elbow.

Rosalie stared at Georgina. If she ran, Georgina would come after her and would plow through Drew to do it. Arden was in the car now—it would take a minute to do a U-turn, but Rosalie certainly wouldn't be able to make it to the hotel in the time it would take for Arden to get onto the main street.

It won't be pretty.

Rosalie ground her teeth together and turned away from Georgina. She relaxed the fist she had bundled up in Drew's jacket and nodded to them.

Drew reached an arm back and, with it, pulled Rosalie forward. Rosalie walked at Drew's side to the back door of Arden's rental car. She could feel each beat of her heart like a fist sounding against the inside of her ribcage as Drew opened the door and stepped inside. They slid over to make room for Rosalie, who dropped into the seat behind the driver, eyes lingering on the rearview mirror where she could see Arden watching her. Rosalie looked away as Georgina slammed the door shut.

"Give your cellphones to Georgina, please," Arden said as the passenger door opened.

Drew sighed a little as they relinquished their phone. Rosalie held hers out and Georgina grabbed it and tossed it into the glovebox with Drew's.

"Where are we going?" Drew asked.

"Not your problem," Georgina said.

Drew put their hands out and said, "Fuck you, I'm just curious."

Arden cleared her throat as she put the vehicle in drive and peeled away from the curb. "The location doesn't matter. We'll bring you two back before midnight." The time on the dash read ten in the evening.

Arden glanced back at Drew with a smile. It looked genuine to Rosalie, but then again, she couldn't see the scar from this angle. "I'm thrilled to have a new Sister. You have my number now, so don't hesitate to text me, all right? We're teammates now, so this certainly won't be the last you'll see of me."

"Teammates," Drew repeated, leaning over their knees with narrowed eyes. "You're a Husky?"

"Always have been," Arden hummed with a firm nod, eyes shining through the rearview mirror. Rosalie was starting to understand Joanna's annoyance with Arden's peppy tendencies. "My Auntie is an alum from USW. The plan was always for me to have a place on the team. The plan has changed, though."

"To what?" Rosalie asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Drew turn to look at her. Georgina turned away to look out the window as Arden pulled to a stop at an intersection and met Rosalie's gaze through the mirror.