Page 21 of Feast

I need to tail him before it’s too late.

I carefully opened the VIP room door enough to step through and walked into the hall. I tiptoed on my heels, keeping a safe distance, when I was suddenly whipped back. My body spun as I landed in Haze’s arms. My eyes reluctantly raised to meet his as they glared down at me. “What did I fucking tell you?” he asked, snarling through clenched teeth.

My head spun back, losing sight of Ray. “I was⁠—”

Spider stepped from behind my brother. “We need to leave. Now.”

“Leave? Why?” I looked from Spider to Haze. “What happened?”

My twin sighed, guiding me away while speaking in a low voice. “Spider is going to take you back to Felix’s place.”

“But…what about you?”

He dragged me behind, refusing to look at me. “I know you’re stubborn, but just do what I say. Stay with Spider. And for fuck’s sake, don’t go running off again. I’ll be right behind you.”

Spider and I stepped into Felix’s home, still dressed from The Burnout. Haze wasn't too far behind, arriving maybe twenty minutes after us, saying he had business to handle. I wanted to believe it was related to Charlotte’s Web, but by the way his knuckles looked when he arrived, I had a feeling it wasn’t.

What did he do now?

Haze pretended as if nothing had happened, joining my side. Felix and Dream were both standing at the end of his dining room table, surrounded by even more files and paperwork. From the looks of it, Felix had been working all week, nonstop. And by the way Dream was eyeing him, I could tell even she was worried. “They’re here,” she whispered to him. Felix lifted his head, his green eyes surrounded by dark circles. I nearly tripped at the sight of him. He looked so much like our father in that brief passing moment.

Spider brisked past us, taking his seat at the table. “Damn boy.” He eyed all of Felix’s work, impressed, before propping his feet up across the table. His worn skater shoes left tiny bits of asphalt on the tabletop as he looked at my brother. “You must be a Capricorn.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Can we focus, please?” Spider shrugged. My brother’s eyes moved to us. “Sit. Now.” He tapped at his laptop while speaking to us all. “I was only able to get the cliff notes of tonight, but care to explain to me what happened?”

Haze scoffed, taking a seat. He pulled me into his lap and nestled in close, hugging me tight. “Ray’s card finally declined, which means Indi was able to drain all his funds, cutting him off from Kief.” He gripped my chin and forced my eyes onto him. “You did such a good job, little sis.”

My core burned as I stirred in his lap.

Felix lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “Indeed.” He walked over to grab a new bottle of whiskey, cracking it open as he poured himself a glass. “But the card wasn’t Ray’s.” He took a quick sip. “It was Kief’s.”

We all froze at his words.

Kief’s? That means…

Felix smirked. “That means you, baby sis, just racked our cousin’s credit card. One he had used to fund parts of Northern Lights.” He swirled his little glass. “A good job indeed.”

Spider laughed. “Damn, girl, get it.”

I…racked up Kief’s card? Fuck.

Haze tilted his head. “Wait…why would Kief give someone like Ray his card? He’s just a pathetic low-life drug dealer.”

Felix returned to his seat. “He didn’t. And Ray is a bit more than your basic drug dealer. You see, that specific card isn’t even real. It’s a clone of the real one. I’m assuming Ray swiped it sometime during their brief encounters, cloning it for his own personal use. He probably thought Kief wouldn’t notice, never intending to spend so much. But thanks to you.” He pointed to me. “He spent it all. Sure, that card was only a pinch of Kief’s real assets, but it was a blow, nonetheless.”

Spider tousled his dark brown hair. “The fucking disrespect, though. To steal from the very head of your network.” He scoffed. “Charlotte’s Web may technically be smaller compared to Northern Lights, but unlike them, we live by our word. And we don’t bite the hand that feeds us.” He grinned. “Oh, Ray is a dead man walking.”

Felix nodded. “Indeed he is.” He looked back at me. “What happened when he heard the card declined?”

I took a deep breath. “Well…he definitely seemed shaken. Which makes sense knowing the card was a clone of Kief’s. But…” I stopped. “He left the VIP booth in a hurry. I tried to follow him when I got stuck in the crowd on the dance floor." I turned to look at Haze. “That’s when you found me.”

“Yeah, I noticed him rushing past the bar. He seemed really fucked up.” Haze kissed me softly.

Felix cleared his throat. “Right…well, he should be. Blowing all that money on drugs and drinks in such a short time span is sure to get Kief’s attention.”

“Not to mention the private VIP rooms for him and his little group,” I stated. Everyone looked at me in shock. I scoffed. “Not with me!”

Haze gripped me tight. “Good,” he growled.