Chapter 3
ALEXEI
This is a fucking mess.
I’d been cautious about grabbing the key card, but it was impossible to manage the lock and rummage through his bag while also being fully aware of my surroundings.
Now here I am, face-to-face with Matteo, struggling to come up with a way out of this predicament.
Maybe it would have been smarter to cop to stealing cash—that wouldn’t bother the Saints as much as what I’m really trying to do.
I must be silent for too long because Matteo says, “Alexei, talk to me.”
He sounds so compassionate. Like the kind of guy I could tell about my brother and my arrangement with the Saints, but still… “Even if I told you the truth, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
Hell, I didn’t believe it until Preston demonstrated his power.
But now if I tell Matteo without any evidence, knowing Preston and the Saints will just call me a liar—if not out of my mind—he’s not gonna think any differently than he did when he came here.
Maybe he’ll think I took the key card to get to Gage’s belongings to sell them online.
Whatever BS he thinks some poor scholarship kid like me needs to do.
I try to collect my thoughts, think of something I can say to get him off my case, but I’m blanking.
Matteo stares me down, waiting, and when I don’t come up with anything, he shrugs. “Fine. I guess I’m gonna have to tell Gage.”
He starts for the door, and I jump into action.
“No!” I step in front of the door. “You can’t do that.”
He squints, pulling his phone from his jacket pocket. “You realize I don’t actually need to leave this room to tell him, right?”
He keys away on his phone. He’s not giving me time to come up with a plausible lie, so I blurt, “Gage has a spare key card to Spencer’s room, so I knew I could take it and they likely wouldn’t realize it before I had a chance to sneak in.”
“Why do you need to sneak into Spencer’s room?”
“He owes me. Or I should say, some of the guys at Alpha Alpha Mu owe me. And no, it’s not money, but they haven’t followed through on their end of a deal, and if you send Gage a message, they’re gonna know, and I might never get paid. Happy now?”
He stops punching into his phone. “Happier,” he says, his lips twisting into a victorious smirk. He looks at his screen like he’s considering whether he should let Gage know—or maybe Spencer, or both—before sliding it back into his pocket. “I’m listening.”
“Listening? I already told you more than I thought I would.”
“You only told me that this isn’t about money, and now you say it’s about a payment that’s not financial, so I’m obviously gonna want to know what that is, if you’re gonna expect me not to talk to Spencer about it.”
The more I talk, the deeper I dig this hole, and I’m so deep, I don’t know that I can climb back out. All I know is I didn’t keep tabs on the Sinners all last semester for Matteo to fuck this up for me now.
I grapple with my thoughts for a few moments before Matteo pulls out his phone again.
“Are you really gonna fuck me over like this?” I ask.
“Give me a reason not to.”
Maybe there’s a way to answer his questions without giving away my real intentions or mentioning the weird shit…
“Spencer keeps a notebook in his room that I was promised access to if I helped the guys out with something, which I did all last semester, and now Preston is being evasive about when this is gonna happen. And I don’t want to keep being at their beck and call. ”
“What did you help them with? And what do you want that notebook for?”
“Jesus Christ. Can you not be satisfied that I’m giving you more than before?”
“I’d be a lot more satisfied if any of this was adding up.”
“I can’t answer those questions.”
“Fine by me.” He starts to text, so I take his wrist gently—I’m doing more than trying to stop him; I’m trying to get through to him.
“Please, Matteo…please.” I hate that I’m fucking tearing up right now. I’m just so desperate.
He’s gazing into my eyes, and I wish he could see my intentions. See the pain I’ve been through at losing my brother. Know what I’d be willing to do to get some answers. But he can’t. And suddenly, I realize all my desperate pleas are for nothing.
“Fuck, this isn’t gonna work, is it? Even if I tell you the truth, you won’t believe it and you’ll text Spencer.” And once Preston knows I’ve betrayed them, it’s over for me. I won’t get any answers, and all that spying on the Sinners will have been for nothing.
I turn away from him as a tear escapes my eye.
“Just fucking get it over with, will you?” I blurt out, my voice cracking. I take the key card out of my back pocket and hold it out to him. As he takes it, my thoughts drift back to my childhood. To a moment when I was playing near a drop-off by the lake.
The ground breaks under me, and I tumble into the water below.
I get some water in my mouth and start coughing, inhaling more water.
I struggle in a panic before hearing a splash.
Everything’s happened so fast, and I’m disoriented before I suddenly emerge from the water, coughing as I feel arms wrap around me, pulling me ashore.
As we reach it, I turn to find Nick at my side.
“Alexei, just keep coughing. You’re okay. You’re okay. I got you, bro.”
Even though my body is still going through fits to recover from the fall, I know he’s right. I’m safe as long as he’s beside me.
Matteo glances between his phone and the key card.
“Just put me out of my fucking misery, man.”
Instead of texting, he lowers his phone. “How were you planning to get this notebook?”
Maybe he just wants more of the story so he can tell Spencer and Preston all the gory details. But what do I have to lose? “I was gonna head over there on Sunday—”
“There’s another party tonight. Why not do it then?”
“That won’t work. They’ll be using it.”
“Using it?”
Matteo has no clue why I can’t just answer his damn questions. “I can’t do it tonight,” I insist, leaving it at that. “So Sunday, I was gonna go over there, find a way in, and get my hands on it. What else do you want from me? You want to record my fucking confession?”
“If you steal it, won’t they realize someone has it?”
“I know what I need from it. I’ll just capture pics on my phone.”
Matteo’s gaze wavers, and he bites his bottom lip. “What if you take me with you on Sunday, and I make sure that’s all you’re gonna do?”
I can hardly process that. “Why would you do that?”
“To make sure I’m not aiding and abetting a criminal.”
“I’m technically still stealing…”
“Not if they really owe you.”
“You don’t have any reason to trust me. Why would you even suggest that?”
He shrugs. “Did you want me to text Spencer? Because I can.”
“No. I’m trying to understand where this is coming from.”
“Well, now you know how I’ve felt since I caught you in the locker room.”
I’m as confused as I was when I tumbled into the lake as a kid, struggling to sort through what’s happening. Is he seriously considering helping me? Or… “Is this a trick where you tell the guys and they confront me at Alpha Alpha Mu?”
“I guess you’re just gonna have to trust me the way I have to trust you.”
I don’t like this, but Matteo’s backed me into a corner, and now he’s the one thing standing between me and my chance to get my hands on that notebook…my chance to get some answers about what happened to Nick.
I study his expression. Worst-case scenario: I agree, and the moment he leaves, he texts the guys and fucks me over.
So, again, what do I really have to lose?
“Fine. Come with me. But afterward, no more questions?” I reach my hand out for a shake, and he glares at it.
“I’m not agreeing to that part. But don’t make me regret this.” He takes my hand, and we shake on it.
This isn’t great, but it’s the best I got.
*
For the next few days, I’m on edge, waiting for one of the guys to confront me, but Matteo stays true to his word. At least, as far as I can tell. For all I know, he’s revealed my intentions to them, and they’re waiting to exact their revenge.
On Friday and Saturday night, I stand by my agreement with the Saints and spy on the Sinners at the old church during their meetings.
Then on Sunday afternoon, I meet Matteo in the lounge on our dorm floor.
We cut across campus, heading toward Alpha Alpha Mu.
Neither of us says much, but Matteo finally pipes up, “So I didn’t realize you were friends with Malcom. ”
Malcom’s my excuse for being at the frat today, to keep the Saints from becoming suspicious.
As a breeze rushes by, I rub my hands together to warm them. “We played pickleball together freshman year, and he’s always looking for people to game with.”
“And I assume Spencer’s not around today?”
“I don’t really know.”
He shoots me a look. “What?”
“Relax. You’re gonna take care of Spencer.”
“How am I going to do that?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you at parties. The moment he finds out you’re in the house, he’s gonna be on your tail, trying to win your attention.”
“You noticed him looking at me?”
“I’ve noticed plenty of people looking at you over the past year and a half,” I admit. “I’d say don’t let it get to your head, but I don’t imagine you need anything to do that.”
Now he’s smirking, and I must admit I enjoy inflating his ego.
“Well, what can I say?” he says in an exceptionally cocky way.
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Don’t act like I’m the cocky one here. You think I don’t see people noticing you too?”
As his gaze meets mine, heat rushes to my cheeks.
“If I looked like you,” Matteo goes on, “I don’t know that I’d have time for classes with all I’d be up to.” Even though I laugh, I can’t deny enjoying the compliment, and he doesn’t stop there. “And that ass. Ooh, if I had that fucking ass on me, I’d have a hard time keeping my pants on.”
“My ass? Really?”
“You got a nice, firm rump to grab on to. I got this flat shit back here.” He wiggles his ass for me, which I don’t see any issue with, but I also can’t imagine what’s so great about my ass.
“You’ve probably had the best look at my ass when you face-planted into it the other day.”
We share a laugh.
“I swear, I almost took a bite out of it.”
“What?” I spit out since he didn’t sound like he was joking.
He’s all smiles as he studies my ass some more. “Can’t explain it. I’ve never thought about doing something like that with a guy, but I wanted to give it a good tug between my teeth.”
My cheeks warm again. Why did he want to do that? And why is that exciting to me?
I shake those thoughts off. Surely, it just feels good getting a compliment.
“Could you imagine if you suddenly bit my ass in the middle of the game?”
“Oh, I can imagine it.” He says that without a trace of humor, those piercing eyes set on me.
This is really throwing me.
“You can praise my ass all you want,” I say, “but I know damn well you don’t walk around with a face like that not knowing any better.”
His grin fades, his expression stoic, and now I’m really confused.
“Yeah, I guess not,” he says.
I struck a nerve, evidently, but considering he was fine with me flattering him about people looking at him, I can’t imagine what the hell could be wrong with assuring him of what he already knows. Although, maybe this was a weird thing for two straight guys to be talking about anyway.
“Did I say something wrong?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, no. I had a random thought about something totally unrelated. Not anything I want to get into.”
“Fair enough,” I say, tucking my hands into my jacket pockets. “Guess I can’t keep all these secrets from you and expect you to be an open book.”
His expression’s tense. “Sounds about right. But just so we’re clear, you know you don’t have anything to complain about in the face department either.”
His gaze catches mine, and I have to look away.
“Oh, who’s blushing all of a sudden?” he teases.
“Shut it. Stop telling me how hot I am, and maybe I’ll be fine.”
“No, I think I’m enjoying this game. See how much I can make you blush.”
“It’s not that hard.”
“Good.” Once again, he doesn’t sound jokey, which takes me by surprise.
For a second there, I almost forgot what we were on our way to do. Or the fact that Matteo has the power to fuck this up for me. But as it comes back to me, I quiet, and there’s an uncomfortable stretch of silence between us.
Since we’re only about half a mile from the Alpha Alpha Mu house, I decide to get back to the more pressing matter.
“So, as far as Spencer, I was thinking we head in, spend some time with Malcom. Maybe order pizza. Then see if we can lure Spencer into Malcom’s room so he can flirt with you. And I sneak out.”
Matteo glares at me. “That’s what you’ve come up with? Won’t it be suspicious if you leave after we get him into Malcom’s room?”
He’s not wrong. “You have a better idea?”
He stares ahead for a few moments before turning to me, a sly smirk on that sexy face. “I can definitely do better than that. Buy you a little time, even.”
“What are you thinking?”
He studies my expression before shaking his head. “Uh-uh. I’m gonna make you watch and squirm.”
The way he says it sounds a little sadistic, like he’s gonna enjoy it.
“What?” I ask.
“Like I said before, you’re gonna have to trust me. Like I’m having to trust you.”
There’s something wicked about the way he’s looking at me. Something intriguing that makes me willing to let my guard down. And despite looking at me like he’s up to no good, for the first time since he confronted me, I have a feeling he’s not leading me into a trap. That he’s on my side.
Guess I’m about to find out.