The forced celibacy was pissing Daniel off as he walked back to the party. The stars streaking in an afterglow wasn't helping things. He could feel the beginning of a massive headache thinking about moving in, like a demon possession.

It's not normally recommended, but he suspected that this wouldn't be a simple migraine, and people did as many illegal things as they could to weaken those things. Daniel scrounged a low-alcohol beer off the ice and otc migraine aspirin from the first aid kit. At least this part was by choice. He took his time finding where Oscar went, honestly hoping to not see him for the rest of the night.

There was a commotion in the back yard, loud enough that a good bit of the party went outside to see what was going on, dragging Daniel with them. He cursed his luck, yet again.

Oscar was facing Sean's squad. "What the hell you mean I did something to him? We sparred like usual. I spent my time with Daniel—Hailee, otherwise."

"You were there?"

From the depths of Daniel's memory came some of the only advice he remembered from his father. Tell as little as possible, and only what you know when you're messed up. "I heard them fight. Sounded normal."

There were plenty things that this could be, but he couldn't imagine Oscar doing more than hitting the guy one too many times, and he went home and passed out with a concussion—or he wrecked his car. That was the nature of two idiots beating each other up. He liked beating the hell out of people for no reason, a middling evil. The real problem was what his grandfather would do.

And if Sean disappeared because of Evan, that wouldn't be because of Oscar—everyone knew they sparred. His grandson would be the first blamed. It would more likely be a grudge between the adults in this town. There wasn't that many outstanding people in this place. The crowd was waving like inflatable tubemen as it was.

Before the tension could get any higher, that's when the background security came out the shadows and escorted the football team out, quietly, and people went back to doing what they wanted.

Daniel was relieved that the team came and disrupted the plans of whatever those men were doing out there, waiting on a nameless hooker.

Oscar placed his arm over Daniel's shoulder, "Thanks for covering for me...barely."

"Old-school rules. Don't lie while high." He shrugged to get the bastard's arm off him.

"What happened to that little redhead?"

"Dunno, she tied me to the bed with the sheets and ran out on me." This lie, Daniel would live with. The other thing his father taught him is to have a handful of lies memorized. The most believable would be being tricked by a woman during sex. Why the hell he thought that was good for a 10 year old to know was beyond him.

Oscar's laugh was tense—clearly, he wasn't getting his way on something, but it wasn't one of those that showed he disbelieved his best friend. But his hamster wheel was turning in that dim cage of a mind. "Text Cara and ask her why the team came over to my party to pick a fight. When she asks to come over, tell her that she's always been invited, like everyone else, alright?"

Cara Fields was Sean Williams girlfriend of over 3 years, at this point—and one of those girls Oscar had been trying to sleep with for just as long. Whatever game this was, Oscar wasn't going to leave him alone until he did it.

"Alright."

Yo, y train run on Oscar?

His hands weren't shakey when he sent it, but he hoped she wouldn't respond.

Sean not txting, party?

Open.

K.

And by that, Oscar wandered away, getting what he wanted out the night. Daniel still couldn't figure out what the full angle was, but he figured this was an excuse for the two of them to hook up and use him as the middleman.

He hated people that acted like this.

He hated himself.

For the next half hour, he ate from the party trays, drank bottled water, watched all the kids who were screwing up their lives by being involved with this guy even on a casual level.

Then Cara walked in and he dropped his bottle of water.

This girl dressed so clean-cut all the time. He never seen her walk into a party looking less than owned by Sean—by her own admission. But this? He thought the redhead was hot. He didn't even know Cara had this type of body. Instead of colors past purple, she was highlighted in colors beyond red, shadowed in a crazy blue-orange, a halo, streaking angel's wings.

But Oscar did, the bastard.

She made straight for him, which caused his heart to painfully lurch. "Hi, Danny. Can we find a place to talk?"

"I guess." The problem is that there was only 1 place he could guarantee there wouldn't be a ton of people, and that was Oscar's room.

And Oscar would be there, waiting.

He really wanted to question her before he brought her there, but she was already looking around for that bastard and fuck if he was going to start jumping in on Oscar's games like this. So, he lead her off with, "You sure about being here?"

"More than anything."

Daniel tapped on the door, and wanted to punch the drool-laden face his friend showed when he opened it. "Well, hello beautiful."

She stepped in of her own free will.

"Keep everyone away." Oliver barked this order out as quietly as he could, expecting it to be obeyed as usual.

Not that Daniel ever guarded the door. He always stood at the end of the hall. Just no one wanted to mess with this idiot—or him.

Daniel closed his eyes—the room was quiet enough, whatever they were doing, the music in the den was too loud as it was. But he could hear his mother screaming, "Get out!" over and over.

"Shut up!" He quietly snapped at the voice in his head.

"LISTEN!" That was hissed so loudly in his ear he damn near pissed himself. But he opened his eyes and moved closer to Oliver's room, and realized it wasn't his mom crying out.

The door was thrown open and Oliver shoved Cara out the room where she fell to her knees in the hall. "Get this bitch out of here."

He started back to the room, then changed his mind, turned around and kicked her in the leg. "Next time you come to try to get information out of me, be a better fucking lay!"

Then he went back in and slammed the door.

Daniel really had to piss. He helped Cara up on on her feet, and she nearly collapsed. No helping it, he carried her into the nearest bathroom and plopped her on the counter while he took a piss, then washed his hands as she looked miserable.

He took one of the towels in the small closet and wet it, to gently dab at her face. "Was it consensual?"

"It was...then it was a shock...but I was...then he wasn't." It was an inarticulate jumble, but the clear meaning was she believed she was willing. Whatever the screaming was for was no longer Daniel's business. "I went in for information. What am I going to tell Sean when we find who has him?"

Daniel shook his head, not quite able to follow what all she meant. "He's more than not answering calls?"

"Everyone is getting threats. You and Oscar were the last to see him."

For the first time, Daniel knew he couldn't keep everything inside him, but it wouldn't make sense to anyone. "I think I would have been gentler."

Cara blushed. "Everyone knows you don't talk."

"What I know..." Daniel sighed. "What I know is that I've been high since lunch, and am hallucinating my balls off. There's all sorts of weird shit going on this afternoon that I can't sort out, and I can't say I actually saw him. But I did hear the fight. I believe I was in Oscar's car after taking a nap at my house, but it didn't feel like my house, so I'm a shitty witness for Oscar, for Sean, and myself."

" So, Oscar was my best chance and I failed?" The girls started bawling his eyes out.

Daniel let the angel cry herself to sleep against his chest before carrying her outside and finding one of the teammates loitering. "You the dumbass that brought her out here?"

"Yeah..."

"All you did was let this girl go and hurt herself. She found nothing, go report whatever the fuck you have going on to the police."

"That will get him killed."

"If it's someone messing around in Evan's territory, that report will get them killed. With how fast these fuckers act, he was likely dead by the first time they contacted you. Pay attention to the hellhole you live in. Quit having hope."