Chapter Eight
Iput my hand on Jacques’s shoulder, gently shaking him. He accepted the water I held out, downing it in one go. His head fell back in his hands.
He and I were in Doc’s waiting room. It pushed two in the morning.
Jacques sent the other guys home an hour ago, but I refused to leave. No one should sit alone in the dark waiting to hear if someone they loved was alive. I knew that better than anyone.
“It was Ellis,” he rasped. The first sentence Jacques spoke since I arrived. “Wasn’t it?”
“Judging by the wink he tossed me on the way out the door, that’s a safe bet.”
His fists balled.
“But how?” I asked. “She was fine and then all of a sudden—”
“She went into anaphylactic shock.” Doc Nash came out of the exam room. “Very severe. You did well to get her here in time.”
Doc Nash was a pleasant man with a wide smile and bushy eyebrows that he wriggled to make his young patients laugh.
I looked away.
All I saw in Doc Nash was the man who witnessed me at my lowest.
“Any idea how this happened?” he asked Jacques.
“We were having dinner in the hall.”
“Ah, yes. I received the invitation to that as well. What did you have to eat? As you know, your mother is allergic to sesame seeds. Could she have ingested...?”
He trailed off as Jacques roughly shook his head.
“Nothing we ate had sesame seeds. Mother even had the server check with the chef to be sure. She was talking to Jeremy Ellis and his father, drinking champagne, when she collapsed.”
“What kind of champagne? Was there anything in it?”
“It was ordinary champagne from what I tasted,” I spoke up. “And we each grabbed our own from the tray.”
Jacques shoved off the seat. “Is she going to be okay?”
“She’ll be fine,” Nash said. “I gave her something to temper the reaction and help with her breathing. She’s sleeping now. Would you like to stay?”
He motioned toward the hall. “I keep pillows and blankets in the closet. You’re welcome to sleep on the couch. Just you, Jacques. Rainey, I’ll drive you home.”
I tensed.
“I’ll drive her home,” Jacques said, “and come back. Leave the key under the mat for me.”
“Giving it to you works just as well.”
Doc Nash tossed over his entire key ring. He truly was a nice guy, even if I could hardly remember our time as doctor/patient.
“Let’s go,” Jacques said.
I didn’t speak till we were in Cairo’s truck. He left it for us to ride back.
“What are you going to do?” I whispered.
“Nothing.”
I blinked. I couldn’t have heard that right.
“Nothing? The Crows did it, Jacques. I don’t know how but I’m sure of it. To make it worse, Steven used your explosion as further proof Bedlam is lost to a bad element, and the town needs to break off and start new. They both punished and used you, and worst of all, it worked. They won more support tonight, Jacques. I saw it.”
“All of this I know, de Souza.”
“Then, why won’t you do anything?”
“Else,” he hissed. “I won’t do anything else. Even though I’d like to drive this truck through the gates, and mow down every Crow that comes running, they haven’t done it yet.”
“Done what?”
“Committed the act that turns all of Bedlam against Foundry for good. No chance of winning back favor. No forgiveness to be bought with overpriced dinners.”
His death grip on the wheel eased. Jacques leaned back in the seat, calm smoothing out his features. He was stone in name and personality once again.
“We almost had him after he hurt you and Paris, but the slippery bastard got away courtesy of the Letter Man, as you call him.”
“I still don’t understand that. He said he can’t allow the Crows to leave Bedlam yet. Why if he was so pissed at them for beating me?”
“We can’t understand his motives. All we know is the result gave the Crows a chance to get away and spread the lie we arranged the beating and then Riot Royale to get rid of them. They were innocent the entire time. Me punching him in the middle of helping my mother added to the victim image.”
“That wasn’t your fault. Anyone would’ve punched that smirk in.”
Jacques didn’t seem to hear me.
“They haven’t done it yet, Rainey, but I will. I’ll push them the final leg, cutting the Crows out of Bedlam for good. We’re not waiting anymore.”
I laid my hand over his. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“MOM AND I VISITED EILEENyesterday,” Paris said.
It had become routine for us to walk with each other to and from classes. Neither one of us wanted to be caught out alone with Legend and Roan still on the Crows’ hit list, and them showing no signs of stopping.
“How is she doing?”
“Rattled. She knows someone must’ve slipped her something, but she can’t think how or when.”
“Not someone.”
We shared a look.
“Judge Stone is used to people threatening her life. She’s not used to them nearly succeeding, or smiling at her as she goes down.”
“This whole thing has gotten way out of control. None of this makes sense anymore.” I snorted. “What am I saying? It didn’t make sense at any point. No one asked Foundry or the Crows to come in and fuck with our town. They’re playing our saviors while they escalate the violence.”
“It’s not going to work, Rainey. Deep down, people see who they really are.”
We kissed cheeks outside Lecture Hall Three.
“Good luck,” I said. “Kick that Modern Ideologies midterm’s ass.”
“It’s going to be kissing my ass. I’m not walking out of here with less than an A.” She waved, heading in with the other students. “Good luck with Bankruptcy.”
“Thanks.”
I left the poli-sci building and passed the quad heading for mine.
Nelson was in his usual seat one down from mine when I rolled in with the other sleep-deprived, coffee-hungover law students trying to survive the next hurdle into law school.
“Hey, Rainey.”
“Sup, Nelson. Ready?”
He blew out a breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be. You?”
“It’s been a rough semester. I heard this morning that Colton’s still touch and go. Hard to cram facts about bankruptcy laws in your head when it’s already stuffed.”
“Sucks for sure. I knew Colton, he’s a nice guy. But a bad one still doesn’t deserve that.”
No one deserves the Letter Man, and despite what I may or may not have done to the person buried in Black Widow Hill, I don’t deserve it either.
No drug would’ve made me hurt an innocent person. The only time in my life I harmed someone human or animal, was when they killed my grandmother.
I wasn’t saying I shouldn’t be punished if the truth came out that it was me who killed that person. But it was me who should be punished. Bella and Colton didn’t hurt a soul, and whatever vengeance the Letter Man was enacting, I’d see to it that the one who faced the punishment, was him.
“Morning, students.” Professor Stein strolled inside, carrying his briefcase. He held it up as he faced us. “Before we begin, I have a simple and straightforward message to anyone who bought a copy of this midterm—”
Nelson’s head shot up.
“How dare you,” Stein snapped. “How dare you betray this institution, your integrity, and yourself. The investigation into who bought these tests is ongoing, and when you’re found, you can expect your expulsion to follow. As for this morning, I have in this case a new test that hasn’t been seen by anyone—including my teaching assistant.
“You have an hour and a half to complete it. Turn it in and leave when you’re done.”
He opened the briefcase, handed half the tests to the TA, and began giving them out—giving each person a disappointed glare as he passed.
It had never been so quiet during an exam.
No one so much as coughed.
Afterward, I handed in my test and went out to the arboretum to hang out till my next exam. We got the same speech and modified test paper in Land Transfer.
It was official. The cheating ring was exposed before it could do a single one of the buyers any good. I hoped for their sakes they attempted to cram some studying in between whipping out their credit cards. Going by Nelson covering his sobs beside me, I’d guess not.
I dotted my last period. Gathering my things, I carried my test to the professor, catching him mid-conversation with a security guard.
“This is her,” she said. “Rainey, you need to go with Mr. Reynolds. The dean would like to see you.”
“Me? Why?”
“She’ll explain,” said Reynolds. He swept out his hand for me to go ahead of him.
I contemplated arguing and decided against it. I’d find out what was going on soon enough.
I trailed the guard outside and across campus to the administration building.
This was the quietest part of campus excluding the library. A broad staircase took us away from the hall of closed doors, all leading to a different office, and none of them letting a sound through.
At the top, Reynolds gestured for me to continue ahead. The dean’s office loomed at the end of the hall. I went inside—
“That’s a lie!”
Jeremy’s shout blew me back out. Dean Banks didn’t flinch.
“Mr. Ellis, I have told you for the last time to stop shouting and take your seat.” She flicked over his shoulder. “Rainey is here. Let’s hope she can clear this matter up.”
He spun on me. “Rainey, thank fuck. Get over here and back me up.”
I came into the room slowly, gazing around the grand space like something might pop out from behind the fern, or the wall of bookshelves would open up.
“You wanted to see me, Dean Banks?”
“Yes. Please, sit down.”
I claimed the chair next to Jeremy, darting between both of them for a clue to why I was here.
Dean Banks folded her hands atop a stack of folders.
“Rainey, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the school suffered a massive security breach and the midterms exams for multiple classes were stolen and sold. We had no idea this happened until the thief attempted to do it again. They tried to get into the room where we hold copies of the test, not knowing we went through a massive system overhaul after we discovered the arrow that almost killed Colton Binari was shot from the roof.”
“The roof?” I repeated, leaning in.
“Yes. Roof access is restricted to those with a code. Of course, I trust my staff completely, so the only explanation is an outsider got their hands on it. Hence why all were changed and the system upgraded.”
“Okay,” I drew out. “Then, why am I here?”
“Because while I don’t suspect Mr. Ellis of sneaking onto the roof with a bow and arrow, I do have reason to believe he and his friends stole and sold the midterms.”
“We didn’t do it!” Jeremy was up and out of his seat again. “How many times do I have to tell you we didn’t even know this shit was going on?”
“We reviewed the security cameras and noted multiple instances of a person with a Crow tattoo on their neck giving a red card to students. We questioned one such student and got them to hand it over. When I called the number on the card, they asked for my email and PayPal address. An hour later I had the answer key to the Chemistry II midterm.”
“We had nothing to do with it,” Jeremy gritted.
“My security team tracked down the number and it comes up as registered to a Jeremy Ellis.”
“Someone bought a phone in my name. That’s not proof.”
“We’ve also identified there were six people of differing heights and builds handing out red cards,” the dean plowed on. “They were careful not to look directly into a camera, but dear me, six people on this campus refer to themselves as Crows and have such a tattoo on their neck. Can you name them for me?”
I almost whistled. Damn, this lady does not play.
“I don’t give a shit what was on their necks. Anyone can slap on a crow sticker and hand out cards, but this time I can tell you exactly who they were. Your precious boy and his buddies. And Rainey can back me up.” He bent over me. “Tell her who really stole those tests.”
“Excuse me?”
Dean Banks took something out of her desk. “This is the clearest photo of the person who broke into administration. Mr. Ellis believes you can identify them.”
She held up a photo of a broad figure, half a face, and a baseball cap pulled low. A blur of black ink covered his neck. The resemblance struck me immediately.
“See,” Jeremy cried out. “She knows it’s him. Rainey, tell her that’s Stone. The Bedlam Boys set us up!”
“I—”
“That’s him. You know that’s him.”
“But I—”
“Tell her!”
“He doesn’t have a beard,” I shrieked, shoving the guy out of my face. “Yes, he looks like Jacques, but I’ve eaten breakfast across the guy every day for the last two months and I’ve yet to see his chin. This dude is as smooth as a baby’s butt.”
“That,” Josephine said slowly, “is what I said. This man is clean-shaven. Jacques Stone, who I also see regularly, is not. Want to know who does look very much like this man in the photo? Gael Stoll.”
“And you want to know who looks very much like Gael Stoll,” Jeremy mimicked. “Jacques Stone. Come on, he shaved! Obviously. That guy isn’t the well-behaved Poindexter he’s got everyone believing. He pops pills to keep those grades. I don’t put stealing tests past him. The Bedlam Boys printed up a bunch of red cards and posed as us. They’ve been coming after us since we got into this town. Now they’re trying to get us expelled.
“I’m not lying down this time, Dean. The Bedlam Boys have gone too far.” Spittle showered her desk. “Stealing and selling tests on our record? Expulsion? No other university will accept us. We’ll be lucky to get into a trade school. This’ll ruin our lives.”
“You should’ve thought of that before.”
“Before what? Before nothing. We didn’t steal those tests. Jacques shaved!”
“Do you have proof Jacques or anyone else is involved?”
“Rainey.” Jeremy bore into me. “You live with them. Tell her they set us up. They had it in for us since the start.”
I opened my mouth.
“Do not say a word, Miss de Souza.” She rose from her seat. “Mr. Ellis, I will not have you put accusations in this young woman’s mouth. The number is registered to you. The men in this photo have tattoos matching yours. I’ve found my culprits.”
“What is this? Why did you call her up here if you already made up your mind?” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Oh, I see.”
“See what exactly?”
“You’re with them. You know we didn’t do this,” he said, jabbing a finger at her. “You and the Bedlam Boys set us up. Roan trumps up an offense, and you have all the excuse you need to expel us. You and that spawn of yours do this often? How many other innocent people have you expelled?”
Shaking my head, I pinched the bridge of my nose. Oh, Jeremy. You do not help yourself.
“I beg your pardon.” Josephine’s voice was a low, dangerous hiss. “I will not have my integrity questioned. No one is targeting you, Mr. Ellis. You are here because the facts lead to you.”
“Just like you planned it, bitch.”
“Jeremy,” I cried. “Stop.”
“You first,” he said to Josephine. “Toss out your fake evidence, apologize, and let me get back to my test. If you do, I won’t have to fly in a team of fifty New York lawyers to sue your ass for everything I can think of.”
Face unreadable, Josephine took her purse out of the desk and pulled out a business card. She held it out to him. “A hotel suggestion for those fifty New York lawyers. The Magnolia has a great continental breakfast.”
I was so very far from the door, or I’d have snuck out a long time ago.
“Mr. Ellis, you are expelled from Bedlam University. Security will escort you from the grounds.”
“Fuck this!”
Jeremy slammed out of the office. The peaceful admission building woke up to his shouts and rants going straight down the hall.
Josephine and I looked at each other as his noise faded.
“Is there something you want to tell me, Rainey?”
“I don’t know anything about this,” I said honestly. “I don’t mess around with cheaters. You cut corners on a farm, and you’re begging to lose a limb or your livestock.”
She sighed, easing onto her seat. “If only everyone felt that way. This is the first time I can recall being disappointed in my students. Mr. Ellis should not have been expelled, because no one should’ve taken him up on his goods.”
“What’s going to happen to the rest of them?”
“Expulsion. There’ll be no more Crows at Bedlam University.”
JEREMY GRABBED ME COMINGout of the building.
“You did nothing in there!”
I grabbed his wrist, stumbling back as his hold on my neck forced me against the wall.
“She expelled us! Expelled!”
I was calm—face neutral in his burning glare. “Let me go.”
“You are on their side! You—”
“You’re a fucking idiot,” I snapped. “You called me up to convince the guy’s second mom that some beardless dude in a baseball cap was him. Genius. Her son’s best friend. The son of her close friend, Judge Stone. She wasn’t going to believe that was Jacques without a hell of a lot more evidence.
“After you stormed out, I tried to sell her on you having enemies all over the school and any of them could’ve framed you, because the Crows wouldn’t do this. Unsurprisingly, she couldn’t hear me over you calling her a bitch.”
A dozen emotions warred on his face.
“If she and Roan were in this together, did you really think shouting in her face was going to appeal to her? Like you said, her mind was made up. There was nothing either one of us could’ve said.
“You’ve got a real problem with your temper, Jeremy, and you need to get a handle on it. You swing from smart to stupid too fast.”
He growled, tightening on my neck.
“Like right now,” I forced. “I’m the only ally you have, and I might’ve cozied up to the Bedlam Boys, got them to say on a recording that they forced the Crows out and how. Proof it was them would’ve gotten you a lot farther than pissing that woman off. But I don’t think I will now, because your hand is still on my throat.”
Jeremy released me.
“Do it.”
“Why should I?”
He balled his fists, looking like he wanted nothing more than to strangle me again. Proving that he did possess a sliver of self-control, Jeremy shook out his hands and sucked in a deep breath.
“Rainey. Sweet, beautiful Rainey,” he mocked. “I apologize for putting my hands on you. I’m a little heated from, you know, getting framed, expelled, and watching my future go down in flames all in one afternoon. I thank you that in your all-knowing wisdom, you have once again given me great advice. The Bedlam Boys will admit for the world to see that they’re responsible.”
“I can try to record—”
“No,” he said. “I’ve got it from here.”
His smile curdled my blood.
“Jeremy, what are you going to do?”
“Nothing stupid. It’s past time the Crows and Bedlam Boys talked this out. Settled it like gentlemen. And if I record them saying they’re responsible for the stolen midterms, even better.”
Two security guards came out and put their hands on Jeremy.
“Time to go, son.”
“Don’t look so worried,” Jeremy called over his shoulder, that smirk hanging on his mouth. “Everything’s going to be fine. The crows are always the last one standing on the battlefield.”
“YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.”
I snuggled between Roan and Jacques, tracing patterns on Legend’s chest with Roan molded to my back.
“You’re the last two he hasn’t gotten to yet, and he’s said more than once he’s got worse in store for you, Roan.”
“I don’t doubt that he does,” Roan said.
“You’re not worried?”
“They’ve been going after family. My dad took off when I was six. If I can’t find him, they sure as hell won’t. That leaves Josephine. Even if they get through her security, they’ll be the top suspects as the guys she just expelled. Their asses would end up in jail, and that would hardly prove their innocence. There’s no upside, Rainey. That route to revenge will not leave them satisfied.”
“Your mom isn’t the only person you care about,” I reminded.
“You mean me,” Legend said. “Yeah, most likely the Crows are coming for me.”
“Do you have to say that so casually?”
He laughed. “I’m no easy target, Rainey. They can try, and I know they will, but they’re not getting me anywhere alone. A head-on assault’s not going to work either. I can afford twice as many lawyers as Daddy Ellis. Lawyers who’ll see to it that every charge from emotional distress to attempted murder sticks if they so much as spit on my shoe. If I’m honest, I’ve been waiting for them to try.
“That’s the last straw, Rainey. The mistake they can’t come back from. Going up against me,” he said. “It’ll be the last thing they do.”
I rested my head on his chest. “As hot as you are right now, you’re not reassuring me. You didn’t see the look on Jeremy’s face as he was led away. The only word that comes to mind is unhinged.”
“Course he is. Jacques just pulled a trigger on the long con that booted his ass from Bedlam University. I wonder if Foundry hires losers expelled for cheating.”
I shot up. “So it was Jacques. Was that him in the photo coming out of administration?”
“Nah.” Grinning, Roan pushed himself up on his elbows. “The guy is good but not even he can make his beard grow back that fast. Lookalikes, honey lips. Jacques and I hit up HC’s talent agency saying we were testing the school’s security and laying a trap for a cheating ring working out of the school.
“Found six guys with a striking resemblance to Jeremy, Micah, Gael, Bentley, Asher, and Zeke. Then, we told them we had to draw a crow on their necks, so we could tell who was actor, and who were the real thieves. Five hundred bucks each just to walk around handing out cards, we had more volunteers than we knew what to do with.
“The guy we hired for Stoll was a great double. But Stoll also happens to look like Jacques without the beard. Yeah, the Crows are right to pin this on us, but they’re not going to get anywhere picking people out of photographs or chasing after the test-buyers to say who they got it from. They’re done.”
“Wow, that’s—that’s nicely done,” I said. “Except like you said, they’re pinning this on you. I’m going to be very upset with both of you if you’re caught and hurt by the Crows. You better be careful.”
“Oh?” Roan trailed his finger between my breasts. “What happens when you’re upset with us?”
“My blow jobs decrease in frequency and creativity. Your sexual frustration increases.”
“Damn. What do we think of that, Legend?”
“Can’t have it, Roan. Guess we better watch our backs.”
Roan hummed. “I’ll start with watching my front. Let’s get a taste of what we’ll be missing out on.”
Legend positioned himself behind me so he could get a taste of something else.
I shivered as he brought out the paddles. Palming Roan’s cock, I raised my ass up high.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS BLURRINGinto a week, passed without incident.
Word spread on the Crows’ expulsion. The whispers mostly agreed that they deserved the sentence, but were split on who did it. Did they steal and sell the midterms, or were they framed by the Bedlam Boys? Obviously, the people who actually bought the tests from the lookalikes, weren’t coming forward to admit anything and get handed their own expulsion.
I wanted to stick to Legend like glue. Conflicting schedules and his repeated assurances no one was going to touch him, made that difficult.
Jacques and I were in the kitchen making breakfast Friday morning, when his phone rang.
He paused in chopping up bananas and stuck the cell in the crook of his neck.
“Hello? Yes, Ellis.”
My chopping ceased too.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jacques said. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
I moved closer, straining to make sense of the murmurs on the other end.
“That’s not going to happen. No,” Jacques replied, tone even. “This has nothing to do with fearing you—a laughable concept—and everything to do with distrusting you. If we meet you out at Westchester Drumlins, logic suggests it’ll be a trap.”
I tossed my head, mouthing no though Jacques refused. That was a trap up, down, and sideways. No matter what Jeremy said, the last thing he wanted to do was talk things out like gentlemen. A guy who manhandled me on every explosion of his short fuse, did not know the meaning of the word.
“The Roadhouse,” Jacques said. “Why should we? What’s in it for us?”
He paused to listen.
“Ridiculous. We never took your little threats and pranks seriously. Why would we care if you stop? As far as the Bedlam Boys are concerned, you haven’t started.”
A bold claim.
The Crows beat up me and Cairo’s sister. Set the last memory of Arsenio’s father up in flames. Poisoned and nearly killed Judge Stone, and Jacques yawns and says “What else you got?”
Why was I the only one who did not want to find out?
“I see. Interesting. We’ll be there.”
He hung up.
“Well?” I asked. “What did he say?”
Jacques resumed making his smoothie. “Ellis and his Crows want to meet us at the Roadhouse this afternoon. In exchange for helping them reverse the expulsion, they’ll transfer to another university and leave Bedlam for good.”
“Help them how? They can’t think you’re about to go to the dean and tell her you hired actors to set them up.”
“He said something about convincing our girl to be Stoll’s alibi for the time someone broke into administration. He wants you there too.”
“Will you go?”
“I see no reason why not.”
“This could still be a trap is enough of a reason.”
“The Roadhouse is packed on a Friday night. If they’re going to pull something, they’ll do it in front of witnesses, and there goes the innocent victim act.”
“I don’t know, Jacques. You said you would force them to commit the act they couldn’t come back from. You didn’t see Jeremy going off on Dean Banks. You weren’t there when he went off on me. The Bedlam Boys branded him a thief and cheater. You got him kicked out and the dean is getting the sheriff involved. You just forced someone who’s never known consequences to eat it in a big way. He’s not sitting down anywhere just to talk.”
“I’m aware of this, de Souza. The Crows will strike, and we’ll be ready.”
THAT NIGHT, THE SIXof us pulled up to the Roadhouse.
The establishment was the kind of place you picture when you heard the name. Dim lighting, old-fashioned décor, neon signs, wood paneling everywhere, and a simple menu of fried chicken tenders, wings, and cheap beer.
It was the main bar for Bedlam U students thanks to it sitting a ten-minute walk away. A fact that meant two dozen bar-goers fell silent as we made for the Crows’ booth in the back. They all knew the beef, and they were all watching.
“Gentlemen and lady,” Jeremy greeted. “Join us.”
Jeremy, Micah, Asher, Gael, Bentley, and Zeke moved down the booth, making room for the rest of us. The beer and bowls of chicken wings on the table said they made use of their time while waiting.
“What do you want?” Cairo dropped.
“Wait,” Micah said. His eyes were on Roan. “Before we get down to business, let’s order more food and drinks. Hang out. Relax. Get to know each other like we should’ve from the start.”
“You stalling, Ellis?” He dumped a bowl of wings on the floor. “Got a reason you don’t want to get to the fucking point?”
“What? No.”
“Then, get on with it.”
“Fine. Whatever you want.”
Gael leaned over. “It’s like this. I know I’m not the guy on the security tape, and you know I’m not the guy on the security tape.” He stuck a glance through Jacques. “We’re not all rich. Some of us got families depending on us getting a degree and good jobs. This ain’t about no vote or frickin’ Crystal Canyon. I need these stolen tests off my record. That’s the beginning of a mutually beneficial agreement between us.”
“Interesting,” Legend said. “But that does bring up a question for me. What was in it for you before? You say now getting Crystal Canyon isn’t important, but you were willing to come up here and fuck with us in the first place. Did the Ellises provide incentive, or were you taking orders till the water got too hot?”
There was nothing to read on the Crows’ faces, and I was paying attention. That was all I was doing. Jeremy accused me every chance he got of not being on his side. Saying too much against or for the Crows in this situation wouldn’t get me anywhere good.
“What does it matter?” Gael flung. “The point is we’re willing to give it up.”
“It matters.” Legend stroked my thigh under the table. “Let’s say you were offered shares in Foundry and a cut of their profits for carving up our town. That’s a potentially lucrative deal.”
If they dig up diamonds, hell yes, it is.
“Thousands in the bank would turn your life around just as well as a good job. Let’s say we clear your name, and you drag your feet leaving town for another six months. Six months is the earliest the vote can be called for Crystal Canyon. You get everything you want, and we’re left with no guarantees.”
“We’ll leave,” Jeremy said. “We swear.”
Cairo shone those eerie green pools on him. Jeremy was first to look away.
“Just like you swore you didn’t beat on my sister or our girl?”
No response.
“Your word is shit,” Arsenio confirmed. “After we give you an alibi, you’ll have gotten what you want and therefore no reason to hold up your end.”
“Alright, we get it,” Jeremy forced through clenched teeth. “Promising to leave isn’t enough. What do you want?”
Roan’s phone chimed.
He read the text, then stood up.
“I’ve got to go,” he said, climbing over me and Legend.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“All good. My carrier needs to speak to me.” Roan kissed me. “Call me if you wrap this up first.”
Micah saw the kiss. He trailed Roan till he was gone, then he flicked back to me, staring till it got uncomfortable for both of us.
Legend may have had a point when he said people love and loathe Roan in equal measure. The man could rip your chest open and eat your heart with a spoon, and the next day you’re crying because he didn’t call you back.
“—it’s going to go,” Cairo said. “We’ll stick to the original terms. Rain discovers the time this went down and swears Gael was with her. In exchange, you transfer out and we never see your faces in Bedlam again. If you’re slow packing your bags”—Cairo plucked a photo from his pocket and slid it across the table—“we pay this woman a visit.”
Jeremy looked at it and paled. He snatched the photo off the table as the others leaned in.
“Where did you get this? How?!”
Cairo heaved a sigh. “You still don’t understand who you’re dealing with, do you? My father’s the sheriff, dumbass. I can look up the background of just about anyone, just about any time. Should I tell everyone about Miss—?”
“That’s enough,” he barked. “We get it.”
“No, I don’t think you do.” Cairo flung photos at all of them. “Because now that the winds shifted, Mercury’s in retrograde, or maybe because I fucking feel like it, I just changed the terms. You leave my town and convince your father and his company to go with you, or everything that happened to Paris, Arsenio, and Judge Stone will happen to the people in those photographs. Twice.”
Asher and Zeke jumped out of their seats. Micah and Gael had to wrestle them down.
“You won’t do it,” Jeremy cried. “They’re innocent.”
“Paris was innocent. Rain was innocent. Eileen Stone was—”
Jeremy swiped the chicken tenders off the table. “No one connected to you is innocent! You’re all one gangland family, running Bedlam like it’s your turf. No one— No one believes your family doesn’t know exactly what you do, and helps you get away with doing it. ‘Sorry you experienced violence in our town’ my ass,” he spat.
This was going downhill fast.
“Sheriff Dad refused to arrest you. Judge Stone-Faced Bitch doesn’t let a single charge with your name in it go to trial.” He smiled nastily at Jacques. “Hey, how is she, by the way? I heard a server accidentally dropped some sesame oil in her food. Tsk, tsk. What an oversight.”
Jacques blinked slowly. “This attempt to upset me is both sad and futile. We have an agreement, or we don’t?”
“The company’s already invested millions in this project. Dad couldn’t pull Foundry out if he wanted to,” Micah said. “He answers to other people.”
“That’s too bad,” Cairo crooned. “Oh, well, you can keep those photos. We know what they look like.”
Legend tugged me up. It was time to go.
“Wait,” Jeremy called.
We kept walking.
“Wait! Alright, we’ll do it.”
That brought us back.
“I’ll convince my father to let go of Foundry. Tell him there’s no chance of the vote going our way. We’ll need time though.”
Cairo shrugged. “Take all the time you need. Rain will have amnesia till the last development sign is gone.”
“No, she comes clean first. It’s the same deal. We need assurances you’ll hold up your end too.”
They hashed it out back and forth—me the silent figure in the corner while they decided my life, and while Legend had his fun messing around under my skirt. The man had magnet fingers. If we were in the same room, they were attaching themselves to my body.
“I won’t let you fuck with her, so you know I’ll come through,” said Jeremy. “Rainey walks into the dean’s office on Monday. The sooner she clears our name, the sooner everyone gets to move on.”
Arsenio got a notepad and pen from the barkeep. “Write it. Sign it.”
Jeremy hesitated. “Write what?”
“That the six of you will leave and take Foundry with you.”
“I don’t work for Foundry. This won’t hold up if I can’t convince my dad—which I will.”
Jacques’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Let me worry about the legalities. Sign it.”
After a beat, he took the pen.
Jeremy wrote down their agreement, scribbled his signature at the bottom, then passed it to Micah to do the same. They went down the booth till Asher handed it back.
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
Jacques ignored his outstretched hand.
We got up and the Crows did too. The crowd parted to let us out.
I glanced back at Jeremy as we spilled out on the parking lot. He tapped on his phone, nodded at Micah, then caught my eye.
Smiling, he tossed me a wink.
“I’m glad we could get this settled,” Jeremy said.
Two sides faced each other on the pavement.
“You should know we didn’t want it to come to this,” he continued. “If your precious mom mayor hadn’t turned down our construction requests, and then Judge Stone-Face backed her up in court, none of this would have happened. They forced the board to take extreme measures, and your charming selves didn’t know when to back down.”
Cairo turned his back on them. “Y’all have a safe trip out of my town. Don’t skid off the road and die in a fiery crash, or anything like that. We’d be inconsolable.”
Jeremy laughed. “I’m gonna miss your sense of humor most of all, Sharpe. Just a second, St. James.”
He grasped my arm and pulled us both up short. Legend was holding my hand.
“This is for you,” Jeremy said, handing him an envelope. You guys have a good time.”
Jeremy and the Crows headed for their cars.
Legend watched them go, eyes narrowed as he held the envelope.
“What’s it say?” I asked.
Ripping it open, he took out the note and read.
Legend shot after Jeremy.
“Hey! Come back! Stop, you filthy little shit!”
Honking and laughing raucously, Jeremy swerved around the human obstruction and peeled out of the parking lot. “Good luck.”
“Legend?” I cried. “Legend, what’s wrong?”
We followed him out into the street. It was me who caught him, stopping his futile chase after the disappearing taillights.
“What does the note say?”
He just handed it to me.
You’re about to find out that you’re missing something. Something you can’t live without. And when you do, you’ll crawl to me sobbing and licking my fucking boots, dripping apologies.
I suggest you make them good.
It was nearly word for word what Legend said to Jeremy before he took Micah.
“Oh no.” Air punched from my lungs.
“Roan.”