Dove dropped her phone onto the mattress then face-planted into the pillow beneath her with a groan. “This is stupid. Why do we have to solve crimes? This isn’t Blue’s Clues or, like…Scooby Doo. Can’t we just get to the fun part? I signed on to kill people. This sucks. I don’t want to play anymore.”
“Aw, my poor homicidal baby,” Morgan teased, petting her like a cat. “We’re only first years. They’re not going to ask us to kill, like, skilled assassins. Some bloated over-confident mob guys sound exactly like the sort of people Boone would green light for death.”
“It’s so boring,” Dove whined, scrunching up her face in a pout.
“Don’t worry, assassin Barbie,” Luca said. “I doubt it’s gonna be your kill anyway.”
Dove made a face at him. “Oh, and I suppose you think you’ll get to do the honors?”
“Oh, please,” Drake said. “If anyone is getting this kill, it’s Payton. He’s Boone’s little fuck-pet.”
If Drake was trying to offend Payton, he clearly didn’t know him very well. “He’smypet, darling. And a very well trained one. But I don’t want the kill.”
“And why’s that?” Diego asked.
Payton scoffed. “It’s beneath me.”
Drake rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“It’s true,” Payton said. “You seem to be forgetting that I am the only one here with an actual body count.”
Mos sat up at that, spinning until he faced Payton. “About that…I’ve been dying to know. How exactly did you manage to get into this program when you already failed the requirements before it started?”
A secretive little smile played at Payton’s lips but he said nothing.
“Did you fuck Boone?” Persephone asked, not sounding like she cared one way or the other. She still hadn’t looked up from her screen. “Like for real? Is that how you did it?”
“Trust me. Once I bag that big game, you’ll all know it,” Payton said with a smirk. “I’ll have his dick stuffed and mounted on the wall.” When they all stared at him, he rolled his eyes, then sighed. “I have no idea why they let me in. Probably something to do with my father pulling strings. It usually does.”
“Speaking of fucking the instructors,” Morgan said, tone salacious, locking eyes with Gift. “Rumor has it our little Gift gave Park a gift of his own.”
Gift’s mouth fell open, his whole body suddenly on fire. “Oh, my God. Shut up.”
Drake’s brows made a run for his hairline. “Is it true? Did you finally give it up to yourhia?” he asked, tone mocking.
“Wait, what? Give what up?” Diego asked, checking back into the conversation.
Dove and Payton both gave Drake a flat stare, but it was lost on him.
Drake was looking only at Gift. “His virginity.”
“You were a virgin? Aren’t you old enough to drink?” Mos asked at the same time Luca said, “Did I miss a memo? Is everyone fucking an instructor around here?”
Gift’s phone chirped, giving him an excuse to look away from the others. A text from an unknown number.
Unknown
Do you have time for a lesson? Meet me in the gym.
Aspen? Honestly, Gift didn’t care who it was. Anything was better than this stupid interrogation. He didn’t hesitate.
Gift
Sure.
“Sorry, gotta go.” He jumped up from his spot. “Needed in the gym.”
He hopped over Payton, then tripped over Dove’s feet, almost landing in Morgan’s lap before righting himself and reaching the exit.
