"I can't thank you enough for this," I tell Kay as she parks in front of the gates. The party is where the residences are on campus, but she won't be allowed in without a guest pass.
Her feline-like green eyes stare at the gates before she turns to me.
"Why didn't your boyfriend drop you off?" The no-nonsense tone shows this woman hasn’t changed a bit since leaving the North Shore.
Behind me, her daughter, Mia, is in her booster, tapping her feet repeatedly on the back of her mom's seat. Kay turns around,and one dark look makes the six-year-old stop. Then she turns it back to me and cocks an eyebrow, still waiting for her answer.
"Erm, we argued, and I didn't want to drive in case I drink too much. I'm sorry you had to go out of your way for me."
"I don't give ashhabout going out of my way for you. What I care about is that you're still dating aneffingloser who thinks he's going to be the new kingpin of the North Shore. You need to leave his…butt, Nyx. You've got a new life coming for you, and you’ve worked too hard to let him hold you back."
God, it's hard to remember she runs a mafia empire when she stops herself from cursing in front of her daughter. I pinch my lips and stay quiet. I don't ever want Kayla to know that Chase is still paying some of my father's debts. She herself has covered too many of them, taken care of me too many times after my mom left. I have no right to ask for any more favors.
"Auntie Nyx," Mia calls from the back. "Are you going to get drunk and puke? Ew, are you going to puke? Alcohol is bad. Very bad."
A small laugh escapes me as Kayla turns around again.
"Why do you know anything about alcohol?" she says.
"Daddy says alcohol makes you puke."
"Your daddy's right," I tell her. "Thank you…again," I add to Kayla.
"Tell me when you're home," she says as she puts the car in reverse.
I open the door, but she stops me. "Got anything on you?"
I feel my eyebrows rise.
"To defend myself?" I chuckle. "This is an SFU party. We're far from North Shore trouble."
She shakes her head, huffing like I'm an idiot, and opens the glove box in front of me to pull out a small switchblade.
"You'd be surprised what those rich boys are capable of. They've got the kind of money and contacts that put them abovethe law. It makes them reckless. If you end up having to use this, you call me, not the cops. Because you are, for a fact,notabove the law."
"It's just a house party," I say weakly. "Stop scaring me about those boys."
"Daddy says if a boy talks to you, you have to put your thumbs in his eyes, and scream—AH! AH!" Mia’s little screams pierce through my ears. "And then run, and run, and run, and call Daddy." She shows me her thumbs and smiles. "In his eyes. Do you have Daddy's number, Auntie Nyx?"
"I…don't actually," I answer. "Dear God," I mumble to Kay. "Only if hetalksto you?"
She rolls her eyes. "You know how Nate is."
"Yeah, fucking terrifying."
"Bad word!" I hear from the back.
"Effingterrifying," I correct. "But I don't think he cares that much about me."
"Nate only cares about the girls and me. That's just how it works in his brain. ButIcare about you. A lot. So if anything happens"—she points at the knife—"put thatshhin his neck and callme."
I smile. I might not have a dad like Mia's, a mom who ever contacted me, or even a boyfriend who cares. But I have Kay, who's always protected me. I still don't take the blade, though, because that would be effing insane.
"I'll be fine, Kay," I assure her. "Wish me luck."
"You're being fucking dumb!" she calls out as I close the door.
All I hear is Mia screaming that her mom said a bad word as I walk away.
