18. Olivia #2
“Not really. She was my brother’s girlfriend.
That’s it.” He doesn’t say more as he takes a few steps toward the building.
“She seemed okay, but I didn’t know her well.
My brother and I aren’t exactly on good terms.” He doesn’t elaborate further.
He shakes his head and takes a step toward the double-doored entrance.
I nod, tossing my empty coffee cup and donut wrapper into the trash, and walk beside Wilder.
“Why was her death such a big deal?” I ask in a low voice, curiosity getting the better of me.
Wilder’s gaze slides to me. “Do you know anything about Greenwood?”
Too much.
“Not really.”
An uncomfortable feeling slithers through me as we walk through the double doors of Livy Hall side by side.
Other students mill around, chatting as they leave their classes this morning.
I notice the apprehension some students give Wilder as they stroll by.
The same wide berth they give Hux, JJ, and Mack.
“Well, just know there’s shit that happens in this town.
Shady shit. Those so-called kings of campus were beside themselves after all that.
They had some freaky four-way relationship with that chick.
” He snorts at that, running his fingers over the cigarette behind his ear.
“It wasn’t only her, though. That entire family got wiped out by the house fire.
Rumors around town were that it was intentional.
Murder. Suicide. Who the fuck knows? They say that the head honcho did something.
I dunno, though. I had my own shit happening.
” He leaves it at that, giving me nothing more as we enter the half-filled classroom.
I swallow hard, following him to the back of the lecture room and sitting beside him. Every student nearby looks him over. Even Wade, who sits a few chairs away from us.
More and more students file in, including Mack and Brutus, who sit near the front, whispering to each other like little girls giggling.
I scowl at them, keeping my gaze firmly on Mack. My heart pounds. A cold sweat forms on my flesh when he looks back at me, narrowing his eyes. A promise lies there. A promise for what? I’m not sure. Has JJ kept his part of the deal? Has he broken the promise he made me not to say a word?
“Don’t stare directly into his eyes, Oli. He’s a rabid dog, aching for a fight,” Wilder grunts, gaining my attention. “He’ll try to have you back in the ring with some other asshole again.”
“Yeah, well, he already set that up once.” I frown when Mack looks back at me and narrows his eyes again.
Fucker.
“My advice? Don’t show up to the Coliseum for the rest of the damn semester. He’s only going to call you out more, and he can only beat your ass there,” Wilder says, rolling his unlit cigarette between his fingers. “For some reason, you’re under his skin.” He smirks with delight.
“I could take him,” I proclaim.
I could. Mack. Hux. JJ. I could take them any day. The only fucker I don’t know about is Malic, but there’s no way in hell he’d go along with Mack’s bullshit.
“Yeah,” Wilder snorts. “I’m aware. You got a mean left hook and uppercut. You’re good. If you ever want to practice pummeling in Mack’s face, come by our gym sometime.”
I cock my head. That’s not the first time Wilder has invited me to spar at his gym.
And you know what? Working out my frustrations might be nice.
Better than drinking myself to death and falling into an addiction I could easily cope with.
Jordy and I always mess around and wrestle.
I always win, of course. But having a healthy outlet to relieve this tension building in me would help.
“Yeah, uh, thanks. I’ll take you up on that.” I nod once.
“Come by after five on Thursday. It’s an open gym. The sparring mats will be open.”
I open my mouth to answer, but a loud, booming voice greets us at the front of the room.
“Settle down. Find your seats!” the professor says into a small microphone, projecting his voice throughout the classroom.
Well, that’s a new feature.
“Today, we have several things to discuss. If you’re familiar with your syllabus, then you know we’re about to dive into our first group project of the semester.”
I stiffen. A group project? I really need to study up on my papers for these classes to learn what to expect.
A few students murmur excitedly, claiming each other as partners.
“Now, don’t get too excited. I will be the one assigning your partners.
You’ll be placed in groups of three. You will work together for the remainder of the semester.
” He holds up a folder thick with papers.
“Each person in your group will receive an overview of the case. But only one folder contains your complete case files. Do not misplace them. One folder per group. You lose it. You automatically get a failing grade.”
On the smart board behind him, information appears. Cold cases from Greenwood. You’re the detective. Solve the case with what you have.
“This semester, we’re going to look at real cold cases from around town.
” He grimaces. “Unfortunately, the department has a lot. So we have quite a bit to work with. Inside your folders, you will find all the evidence collected. Witness statements. Or, in some cases, no witnesses were available. It is up to you to help solve a real case. And if you’re lucky, you’ll bring real criminals to justice.
” As he says the words, his eyes slide from Mack to Wilder and then across the room.
Ah, he knows who runs this town. He knows who the culprits might be.
Wilder sighs. “Well, this should be interesting.”
“Yeah, getting to solve a real case. That’s pretty cool.” My words come out maybe a little bit too enthusiastic, laced with excitement.
“You seem pleased about it. You gonna become a detective someday?” Wilder raises a brow, checking me over with an assessing eye.
Oh, if he only knew that I’m already a detective with a secret agency.
I’m sure he’d murder me where I sit. This entire campus would.
Minus the innocent students here on scholarship and the civilians.
Only the Mafia heirs and the future gang leaders and members would care that I’m an agent of Veritas.
“Something like that,” I mutter under my breath, trying to deflate my enthusiasm.
Act cool, Liv.
I may not be good at hiding myself from JJ. Or making good decisions while drinking at a bar. Or keeping my cool in the face of danger. But I’m excellent at reading case files and catching the inconsistencies and small details. It sends thrills through my veins.
The professor drones on, explaining in more detail his expectations for these cases and how we’ll present our project at the end of the semester. Oh, and how it’s 80 percent of our grade. Wonderful.
As he begins to read off names and students move to join their partners, I zone out, still feeling the effects of my period holding me down.
Oh, and the bruises on my face and ribs.
I glare at Brutus, who moves to meet with two other students he’s partnered with.
He’s been awfully quiet since the fight, probably biding his time to get back at me.
My abdomen cramps slightly, but quickly vanishes. I huff. This should be over by now. Gone. Left me alone. Of course, my period has always been unpredictable. Coming and going as it wishes and staying longer than it needs to.
“Jackson Wilder, Oliver Davenport, and Macklyn Owens.”
My ears ring.
“Excuse me?” I yelp, mostly to myself.
Wilder stiffens beside me.
My gaze snaps to the professor as he stands tall, eyeing the three of us closely with a menacing smirk lining his lips.
This has to be a test. He’s doing this on purpose to torture us. Torture me. I want to protest and beg for different partners, and I’m about to, but I’m cut off.
“Excuse me, sir. I don’t think…” Mack is cut off when the teacher growls and glares at him.
“Those are your partners, Mr. Owens. There’s no one else to pair you with.
Now, shoo.” The professor waves a hand. “Your partners are not exchangeable! You are not allowed to switch on your own. If you do, your grades will automatically be zero, and you’ll fail the semester and have to see me again next year for the credit. ”
“It’s their blood on your hands. I’ll let Franco know about this,” Mack grunts unhappily.
The professor snorts. “By all means, tell your gangster father about your newest class project. See if I care.” He shrugs nonchalantly, not looking the least bit perturbed by Mack’s scowl and huff. “It’s for school. You can manage not to murder your partners for a few weeks, right?”
Mack huffs again, leaning down to grab his stuff. A dark cloud passes over his features when he sets his sights on us and bares his gritted teeth.
Yeah, Daddy Franco won’t be able to save you from this, asshole.
“Great. The biggest baby on the planet has to be my fucking partner,” Wilder grunts. “This should be fucking miserable.”
My stomach flips as I try to school my features into a blank expression. Don’t let them see you rattled. Mack settles in the chair beside me with a loud huff, slamming all his belongings on the desk in front of him, and making a damn scene. Such a drama king, I swear.
“Isn’t this fucking cozy?” Mack quips, leaning forward to stare between Wilder and me. “How’s this for a good fucking time?” Mack rolls his eyes.
“Just do the fucking project, Macklyn, and quit your bitching,” Wilder grumbles, leaning forward. “The quicker we get this over with, the quicker I don’t have to look at your stupid fucking face anymore.”