by Ruby Vincent
“I’ll take my punishment. We’re focused on her and what she needs. We save my brother’s ass, then it’s all about Valentina.” I held out my hand. “Let’s do this.”
Ryder handed it over. I’d been going over for weeks what I would say to a dangerous cartel member to get them to travel from wherever they are to meet a random person. In the end, I kept it simple.
Me: I have the money to clear Brian Spencer’s debt. I can put it in your hands this Friday.
“Do you think they’ll respond?” asked Jaxson.
“I just offered to give them over a quarter of a million dollars in five days. They’ll respond.”
Apparently, they wouldn’t respond quickly.
The four of us hung around Ryder’s room waiting until Valentina poked her head in to see what we were doing. I occupied the rest of the day checking the phone every five seconds and driving Adam around the house in his mini Benz.
Near lunchtime, I drove him into the kitchen for some food. The borrowed phone buzzed as I settled him in his chair. I ripped it out so fast I almost dropped it.
Dax: Who the fuck is this? How did u get this #?
I replied immediately.
Me: I got it off Roman. I also have the money to clear Brian Spencer’s debt. You want it or not?
Dax: Who is this?
Me: Cas Wells
Or the name I would have gotten if Dad had chosen and the last name of my mom’s favorite journalist. Mom’s fifth rule, anchor a fake identity with true personal details that you’ll never forget. I wonder if Mom knew how transferrable her lessons were to issues outside of journalism.
Dax: U got the wrong # Cas Wells.
Me: Give me the right one. Unless your bosses aren’t interested in over three hundred grand sliding into their pockets.
Dax: This is Spencer. We’ve been looking for u.
Me: No, I’m Cas, and I know why you’ve been looking for him. We’re taking the first option and paying off the debt. It’s a good deal. You can buy yourself another pilot and a plane with the money. Do you want it or not?
Dax didn’t reply. An hour slipped into two. Sunday became Monday, then Tuesday, and then Wednesday. Still nothing.
I had the phone on me at all times. The temptation to text him demanding an answer was overwhelming, but that was another lesson from Mom. Never show eagerness in a negotiation, you immediately give the other party the upper hand.
Wednesday afternoon, I returned home after class and dumped my backpack on my bed. I heard a buzz from the depths and left it a minute to use the bathroom. I came out, shedding my clothes as I went, and picked it up. There was nothing on the screen. It wasn’t my phone. It was the other one.
Dax: Roman’s never heard of u. Do u know who ur fucking with?
Me: I said I got the number off of him. Not from him. Of course that shit doesn’t know who I am. I’m not connected to this or any of you. It’s my job to arrange the handoff. I’ve got 350,000 dollars to clear Brian Spencer’s debt and end his association with the SOS. You’ll take the money and you never bother him again. If we have a deal, come to Somerset University, Parking Lot D, on Friday at 2pm. I’ll have a blue and silver backpack.
Dax: No. We pick the place.
Dax: U come to Jimmy’s Bar. Brooklyn. Fri at 11pm.
Me: Not a chance. If you want the money, you’ll be at Somerset on Friday. If you miss the meetup, there will not be another one.
I hit send on the last message, and then I blocked his number. A lesson I got from life was to always maintain a position of power. Otherwise trash like Aiden, Roman, and Dax put you on your knees.
I tossed the phone on the bed and reached for mine. I sent a text to the boys.
Me: Friday afternoon. It’s on.
FRIDAY MORNING, I CAREFULLY placed the blue and silver backpack in my trunk. The phone was nestled inside. I fished it out, unblocked Dax’s number, and stuffed it in my main pack. I’d need to know his car or what he looked like.
I didn’t have a reply confirming he’d come but I knew he would. I was offering him too much money to do otherwise.
This is it. We end this today.
I closed the trunk and found Valentina standing in front of me.
I jumped. “Val? What’s up?”
“Want to give me a ride to campus? Sofia and I are meeting up for bagels.”
“Love to.”
We got in the car and set off for Somerset. Despite my confidence in the plan, my grip tightened on the wheel the closer we got to school.
“Do you want me to go with you to brunch?” I asked.
“No need,” she replied. “The bodyguards you’ve got on me will keep us company.”
Shit.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” she asked.
“They were supposed to be discreet.”
“Three women who definitely don’t look like college students suddenly popping up everywhere I am and four extremely protective boyfriends.” I sensed her eyeroll without seeing it. “It wasn’t hard to put it together.”
“Are you going to ask me to call them off?”
She placed her hand on my thigh. “No, I’m going to ask you—all of you—to talk to me about these kinds of decisions. Just because you think I won’t approve of something, doesn’t mean you do it behind my back.”
My stomach heaved. Her reprimand struck harder than she intended.
“We’re in a serious, committed relationship, Ezra, and we discuss our issues.”
“You’re right.” I took a deep breath. “Tonight, we will talk and get it all out in the open.”
“Thank you.”
I drove into campus and chose a parking lot as far away from Parking Lot D as possible.
Val kissed me goodbye through the window. “Tonight, Lennox. It’s a date.”
“It’s a date,” I agreed. “Now walk away, so I can watch.”
She flung her head back, sighing. “Can never behave yourself,” she mumbled. All the same, Val did a little wiggle as she walked off.
I chuckled. Damn, I love that woman.
A ringtone went off and my laugh died an abrupt death. That wasn’t Cosplay Meltdown.
I put the untraceable cell to my ear. “Hello?”
“We’re here. Parking Lot D. The blue Rolls-Royce.”
I blinked. I didn’t know what I expected of Dax’s voice. I couldn’t even be sure this was Dax’s voice. However, the smooth, mellow tone coming from the other end was a surprise.
“You’re here?” I glanced at the clock. “It’s eleven. I told you two.”
“The only flight out of this fucking town today is at twelve forty-five, and I’m going to be on it. If you’re not here in ten minutes with our money, it’s off, and then you can tell Spencer he won’t be buying his way out of the bullet I’ll put in his head.”
“If—”
He hung up.
The phone slipped out of my hand. Panic rose like bile in my throat.
Ten minutes? Jaxson’s still at work. Ryder is in class and I don’t know where the fuck Maverick is. How are they going to get to their spots in time? What do I do?
Nine minutes.
“He won’t buy his way out of the bullet I’ll put in his head.”
Jamming the key in the ignition, I tore out of the parking space. I knew what to do. I would save my brother.
I dialed as I pulled onto the street.
“Hello?”
“Jaxson,” I cried. “It’s now. The meet is happening now.”
“What? It’s supposed to be at two.”
“He just called and said I have”—I checked the time—“eight minutes to get there or he’s leaving. I’m almost there.”
“Ezra, no,” he yelled. “You can’t meet him alone. We agreed.”
“I won’t be alone,” I reasoned. “There are students all over the place. I’ll put the backpack in his hands and walk away.”
“Ezra, don’t go without us!”
The nearest
parking lot to D loomed ahead. I wouldn’t risk driving into the same one and chancing them seeing my license plate. I veered sharply into the right lane, eliciting a few honks.
“Listen,” I said. “Call the guys and send them if you can. Blue Rolls-Royce. I can’t be on my phone when I approach them.”
“Ezra—”
I ended the call. Jaxson called me back, but I ignored it.
Seven minutes.
Pulling into a space, I willed my heart to slow. I couldn’t show up rattled.
Just give them the money, make them say they’ll leave Brian alone, and then get out of there. It’s simple.
I climbed out, grabbed the backpack from the trunk, and set a brisk pace to the meeting spot.
It was an unseasonably warm day and students took advantage of it. People strolled around in light sweaters, tossed the football around, and returned to the open-air food stalls to sip coffee and study notes.
I bounded up a grassy mound and cut through Taki’s Tacos’ space. A girl stepped into my path carrying her food, but I veered around her without breaking pace. The parking lot was in my sights.
Four minutes.
“Ezra? Hey, Ezra.”
I whipped my head around.
Austin and a Sally girl occupied one of the taco tables. He said something to her and then jumped to follow me.
“Wait up,” he called.
“I can’t talk right now.”
Austin jogged faster. “It’s about the Sams. I don’t like how things went down last semester. I joined but it wasn’t because I was okay with what Aiden did. I hope we’re cool.”
There.
In the parking lot, idling between a Jeep and an overgrown sequoia tree, was the blue Rolls-Royce. It was unmistakable.
Three minutes.
I stopped dead, pulling Austin up short.
“You and I are good, Austin. You weren’t responsible for what happened in that basement.” I gripped his arm. “I have to go. See you around.”
“Okay, I—”
I took off. Thankfully, he didn’t follow me.
As I approached, the driver’s side window rolled down. I made out another figure next to him. It wasn’t surprising since Dax did say “we.”
Two minutes.
I stopped just before the sequoia and looked at... myself. His mirrored shades reflected my blank expression as I looked him up and down. From behind his glasses, I sensed him doing the same.
“Are you Dax?” I asked.
He nodded. “You Cas?”
“That’s me.”
Dax was both what I was expecting and nothing like what I envisioned at the same time. The multiple ear piercings and the neck tattoos of flames, wings, and the letters SOS didn’t shock me. It was the full pink lips, strong jaw, and golden-brown hair styled closely to mine that knocked me back. He looked like he modeled for the SOS instead of running dirty pilots for them.
My eyes slid to the man sitting next to him. He was shorter and skinnier than Dax. His gray, buttoned-up shirt was rumpled and his dark brown hair begged to be combed.
“Roman,” said Dax.
I kept the surprise off of my face. This is the guy that set my brother up?
Dax jerked his head at me. “Recognize him?”
“No, Dax. Never seen him before.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Dax removed his sunglasses. Brilliant green eyes continued their cold assessment of me.
“You a cop, Cas?”
“No.” I slid the backpack off my shoulder and held it out. “I’m here to deliver the money. That’s it.”
Dax made no move to take it. “So, Spencer hired you.” He smirked. “Is he too afraid to meet us himself?”
“He wants to make sure this is done right,” I said simply. “Three hundred and fifty thousand to pay off the debt and then everyone can go back to their lives.”
Dax sucked his teeth. “Three hundred and fifty is more than he owes.”
“Then use the rest to buy yourself something nice.”
He laughed and the harsh, cruel sound revealed not all of him was deceptively pleasant.
“I think I’ll do that.” Dax finally reached for the backpack.
“That’s the end of it,” I stated. “You’ve got your money. Brian Spencer is done with the Sons of Slaughter.”
It didn’t seem like he heard. Dax handed the bag to Roman who rifled through it.
“It’s all there,” I said.
“It is,” Roman agreed. “And no dye packs or trackers.”
“Then we’re done,” Dax said. “Spencer can consider his debt paid.”
I needed to be sure. “We’re good? You’ll leave him and his family alone?”
Dax nodded.
It’s over. Relief nearly made me smile. Brian’s going to be pissed when he finds out, but I won’t let fuckers like these mess with my family. All that’s left is Logan Bilius.
“There’s just one more thing, Cas.”
I pulled out of my thoughts. “What?”
The green-eyed, tattooed drug runner smiled at me, displaying a row of stained, crooked teeth. “Will you deliver a message to Spencer for me?”
“What message?”
Dax raised his hand.
I looked into the barrel of the gun. My mind screamed at me to run and then a piercing noise blew it away.
Air pressed in and solidified around me, holding me upright as Dax peeled out of the parking space and tore off in a haze of smoke and squealing tires.
I pressed my hand to my chest. Slowly, it came away with blood.
The peaceful college scene was broken. Students ran screaming in every direction, tossing aside things and people in their haste to get away, and I was the reason.
I’ve been shot.
“Ezra?! Ezra!”
Legs giving out, I landed hard on my knees. The world blurred as a thought entered my mind.
Always maintain a position of power. Otherwise trash like Aiden, Roman, and Dax put you on your knees.
If only I’d known that was a warning.
“Ezra!”
Hands caught me before I fell.
“Au—”
“Don’t try to talk.” Austin eased me onto the ground. “You’re going to be okay, Ezra. Just breathe and— Ezra, don’t close your eyes! Look at me. Look—”
Darkness closed in, swallowing me whole.
Chapter Twelve
Valentina
“Leighton’s been asking for you.” Sofia cut her muffin in half and offered me a piece. We were taking up a corner booth in a cute café near my Developmental Psych class. “You’ve missed all of our events for the last few weeks and you haven’t been by the house.”
I bit off a big chunk of chocolate chip muffin to spare me time to answer.
I can’t be around her. Watching her smile and laugh and joke while the picture of her standing over his body with a dripping knife is burned in my vision.
But I knew my reprieve was coming to an end. She was reaching out through Sofia. Soon, she’d bring her demands to me.
I swallowed. “Sofia, do you trust me?”
She paused with the food between her teeth. “Do I trust you? Why do you have to ask? You know I do.”
“I’m going to ask you to do something and I need you to do it without asking questions. Just trust that I have a very good reason.”
“Val, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
Taking a deep breath, I replied, “Remember at the start of the year we said we wanted normal. Normal classes, normal friends, normal relationships, and a normal life.”
“Yes,” she said slowly.
“Well, Zeta Rho Sigma will give us none of those things. Sof, I want you to drop out of the sorority.”
I thought about this for days. I knew Leighton wanted me, but she wouldn’t have Sofia too. Whatever was really going on in that house, couldn’t change Sofia or who she was, but she didn’t have to be around it
either.
“Drop out of the sorority,” she repeated.
I waited for her to say more. She didn’t.
Sofia studied me for a long spell as the muffin dangled from her fingers.
“Let me ask this,” she began. “Do you want me to drop out because Ezra was right all along?”
I nodded rather than speak.
“I’ll write the resignation letter tonight.”
I reached for her hands. “Thank you, Sof. Besides, you can still hang out with Keily, Palmer, and the girls. You’re kicking butt in class and you snagged yourself a dashing, British boyfriend. You don’t need the Sallys.”
Sofia flushed. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Yet,” I finished.
She sighed like I was the most frustrating person she ever met. “Anyway, you’re right. The sorority was a fun thing for us to do together, but we never needed that place. We’ll do something else. Join a club or devote more time to eating at every restaurant on this campus. Next week, we do the sushi place.”
A weight lifted off my shoulders. What was I worried about? Of course, Sofia trusted me.
“I heard they have an amazing tempura chicken roll,” I said. “Blair said if we try it once, the place will drain our bank account for the rest of our lives.”
She scoffed. “Is that supposed to put us off? We’ll go tomorrow.”
My phone went off in the middle of me cracking up. I fished it out of my bag.
“One sec, it’s Ezra.” I hit accept. “Hey, how—”
“Valentina? Is this Valentina?”
I frowned. “Yes. Who is this?” An odd wailing sounded in the background. “What’s that noise?”
“It’s Austin from the Sam house. Valentina, you need to get to Mount Evergreen Hospital right away. Ezra’s been shot.”
A buzzing went off in my ear. I heard someone speak from far away. “What did you just say?”
“Someone shot him. He’s on his way to the hospital now.”
The phone clattered to the table. “Sofia, we have to go now.”
“What?”
I snatched up my things and seized her wrist. “Right now!”
We ran the whole way to her car.
On the way to the hospital, the flood of calls came in from Maverick, Jaxson, Ryder, Caroline, and Amelia. It was a chaos of shouts, tears, confusion, and figuring out who would get to him first.
