51. Olivia
Olivia
Quickly, I rush out of Malic’s house like my ass is on fire.
Because it is. For some stupid fucking reason, I told three people who had no business knowing my secrets, my goddamn secrets.
Panic swims through my veins, nearly taking my vision.
And JJ, the fucking traitor. Siding with Malic and treating me like a commodity to trade. I mean, what the absolute fuck?
Oxygen seems to evade me with every step I put between them and me.
Or maybe it’s the binder digging into my ribs again.
Fuck. I try to dig through my loose shirt to get it out of my ribs, but it doesn’t work.
Whatever. I’ll be back at my dorm soon, and I can take it off before throwing myself into bed and never getting out.
How could I throw all my cards on the table?
Why didn’t I run away the second things got fishy?
Right. Because I’m a terrible agent. A terrible, no-good, why am I even here, kind of agent.
Fuck my life. Jonathan should have pulled me from campus the moment I was discovered.
But noooooo, he decided I should use it to my advantage.
You know what? How about he shove that advantage up his ass and let me leave.
Actually, you know what? I’m not a terrible agent.
I’m a damn good one. I’ve broken up fraud at a nursing home.
Exposed a Mafia lord for corruption and murder.
I’ve taken down high-up executives and forced them to their knees for their crimes.
Every time I’ve gone up against the impossible, I’ve succeeded.
You know what it is? It’s this stupid town. It’s out to get me like before, when it burned my house to the ground and left me to die. It wants to kill me. Again. The more time I spend here, the more likely I am to die here. Who else wants to stab me? Shoot me? Throw me off a cliff?
Ugh.
“Send me a sign, big guy in the fucking sky,” I grumble, throwing my arms out and leaning back to look at the white puffy clouds looming overhead. “Or take me out already.”
“Oli!” JJ’s desperate voice rings out as his heavy footsteps pound into the pavement. They get closer and closer until I feel his traitorous body heat beside me.
“That’s not the sign I asked for,” I say to the sky again before righting myself and side-eyeing the traitor walking in sync with me.
“Traitor,” I discreetly hiss as we pass a few students on the sidewalk near Syndicate Row.
The quicker I get out of the vicinity of these houses, the better I’ll feel.
Especially with the looks they give JJ and then me.
“Siding with that fucking lunatic, JJ? Really?” I hiss again, really showing him my disdain for him at the moment.
“I’m trying to protect you,” he says softly. “And if bargaining with a psychopath is what I have to do, then so be it. If it keeps you safe and alive, then I’ll do anything.”
“Even if it’s fucking questionable?” I grit out.
On one hand, he has a point. If he had to bargain with the unbargainable, then so be it.
But Malic? I want to punch that asshole in the throat and never come back.
Too bad I can’t. He deserves it. I still can’t believe that dirtbag drugged me.
Thankfully, I don’t think he did anything to me besides let me sleep.
But still. It’s the principle of it all.
I should have known better when he tried to put a tracker in my damn jeans the first night I met him.
He’s truly unstable and now knows all my secrets.
Wonderful.
“They swear your secret is safe,” he mutters as we pass more students.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. Not again,” he vows in a deep voice.
“Even if they spill your secret to everyone. We’ll make sure no one touches you.
Ever. You are 100 percent protected. I cross my heart.
” His fingers trace an X over his heart as he sends me puppy-dog eyes, begging for me to believe him. Again.
Fuck. I’m putting a lot of faith in someone who could be lying his ass off, but my gut tells me otherwise. She’s stupid, though. She says that JJ would never let anything happen to me again. Because he didn’t kill me, and neither did the other two.
“And you trust them to keep their word?” I ask, keeping my gaze straight. “You really trust your sworn enemies to zip their lips and not use my existence as some sort of gotcha moment?”
Because I’m not convinced that they’ll keep their word.
Malic obviously went through a lot of trouble to lure me to his house for a nice, long talk.
Even if I wanted to end up there to get my glasses back.
I mean, mission accomplished, I guess. I got my glasses back.
But my dignity? I think she’s still buried six feet deep in the graveyard with my non-existent corpse.
Malic seems sincere when he says he’ll keep his lips zipped.
But my stomach hurts at the thought of Wilder and Malic having an edge over me.
And fuck, the back of my neck hurts like a mother fucker, too.
That man needs to invest in some new pillows, because those were not it.
I rub the back of my neck as JJ and I cross the street together and walk onto campus together.
“Oddly enough, I think I do,” JJ mutters under his breath as we walk through campus together. “Do you not see the soft spot Malic seems to have for you?”
I peek over at him. “A soft spot? Is that what you call someone who basically kidnaps you until you reveal everything?” I scoff. “He’s an obsessive weirdo.”
JJ puts a hand on my arm and pulls me in between two buildings on campus, hiding us from prying eyes.
He looks up and down, finally nodding with satisfaction.
“It’s in his eyes,” he says softly, standing opposite me.
“He really does seem to want the best for you. Which is weird, because I’ve known the man since we started here.
He only looks out for himself. Not even Wilder can contain him sometimes.
He’s ruthless and reckless. But he seems to…
” He stammers slightly. “Malic wants what is best for you.”
“Right. Is that why he blackmailed me?” I raise a brow.
“It’s not really blackmail anymore, is it? He’s not going to expose your identity to anyone. In fact…I think he wants you. Again.” He seems almost pained to have those words falling from his lips. “And without that threat hanging over your head, you’re still going to help him, aren’t you?”
My jaw tics and tightens. “Fuck. Yes,” I groan, tossing my arms. “Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I?”
Of course, I’m going to find out who murdered Meredith and track all the clues.
It’s now ingrained in me to seek justice for the innocent who can’t do so themselves.
And from what I can tell, she’s innocent.
She had nothing to do with Malic and Wilder’s gang.
She was simply a nurse trying to live her life and happened to have a brother who was in the thick of illegal things.
Someone got to her. Someone hurt her. And in my gut, I think it’s all connected to Malic and who he associates with. Only, I need to prove it now. I have to gather all the evidence buried under red tape and unravel everything without getting caught.
“I’ll help you. I can hack into whatever you need me to.
” Stepping forward, JJ lifts my chin so I’m staring straight into his eyes.
“I’ll never get used to the contacts,” he whispers with a humorless laugh.
“Green eyes? You’re my brown-eyed girl,” he murmurs, shaking his head.
“Let me help you with this. Let me take some burdens from you, Spitfire. Because it feels like things are piling up.”
I swallow hard. They are piling up. Everything around me is stacking up against me.
Over and over again. So much is happening in this town; my head is nearly spinning.
The bodies. The gangs. Dead roommates. Injured roommates.
Corruption. Franco’s entire operation. Hell, even my attempted murder is still on the table.
Because, despite my head screaming at me, I’m still unsure of the real culprits, and I won’t know until Carter calls me back and tells me what he’s found.
“Okay,” I say, nodding. “You can hack into whatever you want.”
Because lord knows, I can’t. “I’m glad you agree.
I’ll look into everything I can. I’ve been keeping tabs on important doctors and everything that’s happened.
But Meredith’s autopsy is under heavy lock and key.
” He shakes his head. “I didn’t want to tell Malic that I’ve already tried to find out what happened.
Whoever did it has an in with the cops. They’re keeping her death quiet and the details even quieter. ”
“Franco,” I blurt, tilting my head. “Doesn’t he have them all in his pocket?” At least, he used to.
JJ slowly licks his lips and nods. “Yeah. But I-I have a feeling that it isn’t him. I don’t know why, but it’s not his usual game. He’s more into the political angle of things now.” JJ makes a face.
“Well, he’s not above killing innocent people,” I say. “Look at my mom and sister. Look at me. Franco will do anything to get money. Although I don’t know what he gained from killing us. My father? Now, that asshole deserved to burn.” If only he did. That’s the biggest mystery of all for me.