Chapter 1 #2
“Uber and Lyft, ’scuse you. Keeping my options open. But yeah, I keep thinking about adding deliveries to supplement the income, you know?”
“I was giving rides for a minute freshman year but learned I can’t really deal with people like that.”
He flashes that charming-ass smile. “Yeah, it takes a certain kind of person, I guess. But I enjoy the stories I get out of it.”
“One cleaning after someone packing the back of my car with vomit was the only story I needed.”
He laughs. “I hear that. Wish I could say that was the worst I experienced.”
Nice as it is chatting with Matteo, I didn’t come here to socialize. I’m here to see one person and one person only.
“Have you seen Preston around?” I ask.
Matteo’s gaze wanders. “I saw him heading upstairs with Finnegan and Spencer…like maybe five minutes ago. They’ll be around. You wanna play beer pong? I was gonna grab Brad and his buds.”
“I have to have a chat with Preston real quick. Maybe after.”
Matteo doesn’t think much of it, and he’s off with Brad and his crew. Normally, I’d find a way to spend time around them to see if I might pick up some intel, but tonight I head off, navigating through the party, on my way upstairs.
When I reach Preston’s room, I press my ear against the door and hear a familiar moan. It’s Preston. Sometimes on meeting nights, Preston will turn his automatic lock off for the guys, so I check it. Unlike with my roommate earlier, I’m not concerned about walking in while something’s up.
Preston’s got his pants down, and Finnegan’s up against the headboard, taking it from behind. Two of the guys are in cloaks, watching on as Preston asks, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Finnegan says. “Do it. Come in me.”
When I was applying to go to St. Lawrence’s cybersecurity program, I thought about all the wild shit I’d get up to at parties at the legendary Alpha Alpha Mu, and this…
was not part of that fantasy. Wish I could say this was the wildest thing I’d walked in on with these guys, but afraid not.
And from what Preston’s told me, this isn’t exactly fun for them either.
“Preston,” I say from the door.
“Jesus,” he says, and then his face twists up. He offers a few sharp thrusts, drilling against Finnegan’s ass as he turns to me. “The fuck, Alexei!” he shouts, though his expression twists up some more as he continues emptying into his housemate.
“We need to chat,” I say.
“That’s fucking fine. Can you just get out for two seconds?”
By now, the two cloaked guys—Spencer and Gage—have turned to me.
I roll my eyes. “I know you don’t like me seeing your secret magic shit, but you can lock the door if you don’t want any other guys watching.”
I step out to let Preston finish, listening at the door when he says, “That should be good enough for tonight. Let’s get dressed and get downstairs before anyone comes looking.”
It’s the sort of moment when I can’t help but think, What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
Spencer and Gage head out, removing their cloaks to reveal camo outfits and bandannas that make me think either Lost Boys or Predator.
Spencer’s holding a thick leather-bound book, which he takes with him down the hall to his room.
I’ve seen them plenty of times with that book, which I figure holds the secrets they’re keeping from me. The ones I’m trying to get from them.
The guys try to be polite as they pass by me, but it’s an awkward moment for all of us.
Preston finally steps out of the room, in just a pair of jeans, his expression stern. “The hell, Alexei? You know you can’t be here when we’re casting.”
“I don’t get updates on when that’s happening, and I needed to talk to you.”
This catches his attention. “What are they doing? Did they say what they’re working on?”
“No, I want to talk about my payment,” I say through my teeth, and I’m surprised by how hostile it comes out.
His expression falls. He’s clearly disappointed I haven’t come to him with more intel. But I haven’t done that since the night with that monster.
Preston holds his door open, guiding me back into the room. Finnegan isn’t around, and the bathroom door’s shut, so I assume he’s finishing up whatever he’s supposed to be doing in there.
When Preston shuts the door, I spit out how I feel.
“I’ve done what you wanted for an entire fucking semester, and you still haven’t indicated you’re gonna pay me.
I think it’s about fucking time there are some clearer terms around our agreement.
” That was the deal. I spy on the Sinners, and Preston gives me what I’m owed.
Preston’s gaze narrows. “Seriously? That thing they unleashed almost killed you, scarred Finnegan, and God knows why the fuck Luke is still alive, but you just want to collect?”
“I want what you promised. I’ve done my part. I don’t like spying on my friend.”
“Look, I don’t know what you guys get up to at your place that makes you think Luke’s your friend, but we hired you for this gig before he even arrived. Every day you’ve spent near him, you’ve been gathering intel. You can’t be friends with someone you’ve been lying to this whole time.”
Maybe he’s right, but that’s beside the point.
“I don’t understand this shit between the Saints and the Sinners,” I say, “but I know the guys aren’t like you led me to believe.”
The Saints is what Preston, Finnegan, Gage, and Spencer call themselves.
Not sure why, and I haven’t asked because it’s the least of my concerns.
Although, I’ve learned while spying on the Sinners—Brad, Luke, Cody, and Seth—that they refer to themselves as that because it was what the original group called themselves. Maybe the same is true with the Saints.
Preston glares at me. “That’s an interesting thing to hear from someone who doesn’t remember what happened that night.” He has every reason to be suspicious. I didn’t just play dumb with the Sinners, but with the Saints too.
But I don’t want to be in the middle of this anymore.
“I remember Cody healing me, and I know they stopped that thing, not you guys.”
He shakes his head and sighs, then heads across his room to his safe.
What’s he doing?
He pulls out a wad of cash and counts some bills before returning to me. “Eight hundred? That worth it for you? Or you want a grand?”
“What?” Rage flares in my chest. “Oh, is that how you think this will work? Offer the poor kid some money, and he’ll shut the fuck up and do what you want? You might be used to the world bending over backward for a buck, but you know damn well what I want is worth more than that to me.”
He curls his cash back up and pockets it.
“This shit is messy, and what we promised you is worth it, so I figure if you really want it, you’ll stick it out.
You think I like shooting up inside Finnegan?
You think he likes us tag-teaming him like this?
None of us want any of this, but we have to do what we have to do. ”
I don’t know the details behind why the Saints have to do these things with each other, but it’s not my concern. I’m here for what was promised to me.
“I’ve been spying on them regularly since September, and I still have no indication that you’re gonna let me talk to this mysterious guide of yours.”
That was the promise—I bring back information on what the Sinners are up to, and the Saints will let me talk to this supernatural entity that can help me. Sounds fucking wild, but I’m out of options.
“The moment you start talking to him,” Preston says, “you’re not of any use to us. The whole reason we can’t do this ourselves is because we need to keep our distance from the Sinners. They can’t know we’re onto them.”
“If that’s the case, how do I know you’re ever gonna deliver? No. I need to know there’s an end date to all this, and either you get someone else now or then; either way, I’m not being your lap dog until graduation.”
His expression relaxes. Preston’s a reasonable guy. He has to get where I’m coming from.
“We’ll chat it over with the One when we meet with him.”
The One is what they call this entity they’re in communication with, the guide who helps them with their spells.
“And when will that be?” I press.
“Saturday after next.”
“Fuck. And I have a feeling I know what the answer will be even then.”
“Hey,” Preston says. “We’ve shown you what this stuff can do. I promise it’ll be worth it. Just like it has been for all of us.”
I nod. I’ve seen what they can do. And now that I’ve seen what the Sinners can do, there’s no doubt in my mind the One can help me, which is why I’ve stayed in the game for this long. But a part of me fears all this work will be for nothing.
Preston must see it in my expression because he says, “You’ll get answers about your brother. That’s a promise.”