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Back Angel Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. Welcome
  2. Dedication
  3. To the reader
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. BOOK TWO
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. BOOK THREE
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. Books by James Patterson
  88. Cover Page

My eyes brightened, and Dylan and Angel and I all exchanged hopeful glances.

“Iggy?” I asked again.

“Yeah?” He blinked, wiping his face with one hand. “What are you guys doing? If you wanted me to take a shower, all you had to do was pay me ten bucks, like you usually do.” He ran one hand through his hair, making it stand up in wet peaks.

I let out a deep breath and looked at Angel: her face was beaming. She looked at me and nodded—his thoughts were back to normal.

“So what’s going on?” he demanded, sitting up a bit.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Like a wet dog,” he answered irritably. “What’s wrong with you guys?”

39

“I WON’T DO IT,” Star said.

“Then I guess this whole trust exercise has failed,” Fang said mildly. The gang had fun together earlier—he’d forgotten how simultaneously repulsive and delicious Cheez Whiz could be—but within minutes they were all at each other’s throats again.

Max used to threaten and bully people into working together. But that approach quit having the desired effect long before Fang had left. He needed to do something different, something better.

So, he Googled “team building.” Which, he discovered, really meant a rousing little game of Never Have I Ever.

“I don’t even know how to play,” Holden Squibb complained.

Ratchet cackled. “That’s ’cause you’re a baby, Starfish, even if you can regenerate limbs and stuff. What are you, like, twelve?” Holden glared at Ratchet.

“Cut it out, guys,” Fang said. “Look, we’re six really different people. But we need to work together as a team, or we’ll all end up dead.” The surprise on their faces made Fang think that maybe the word dead was a bit too strong. But he knew what he had said could possibly be true.

“All you have to do is say ‘Never have I ever…’ and fill in the blank. Then anyone in the group who’s done it has to raise their hand, including you, if you’ve actually done it. If you want to reveal something about yourself, say something you’ve done. If you don’t want to reveal anything personal, say something that you think someone else in the group might’ve done. Cool?” Fang sighed. He felt like a camp counselor or something. It was exhausting.

But to his surprise, everyone formed a circle, even if they did roll their eyes.

“Great. I’ll start,” Fang said. He sure hated being the leader all the time. Why did Angel always want this job so much? he wondered. “Never have I ever… played a team-building game as stupid as this before.” Maya smiled, but everyone else’s eyes shot daggers at him as he raised his hand.

“Never have I ever… gotten mistaken for a ten-year-old when I was almost fifteen,” Ratchet said, and no one budged.