“If anyone finds out, I’ll lose my scholarship.”
I shrug. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”
“I don’t know if I can,” she whispers.
Her confession reveals the depth of her struggle. I pity her. Gage runs a drug empire, so he’s familiar with narcotics. He just doesn’t care that they ruin people. He certainly doesn’t give a shit about this girl and how it’s wrecking her life.
“Make a choice,” I say. “I’ll pay for it whether you give me information on Gage or not.”
There’s a moment of silence between us, filled with unspoken words and hidden motives. Her gaze darks back and forth, her tumultuous thoughts flitting across her face, betraying the tension simmering under her skin.
“Eric took a phone call when he thought I was asleep,” she says slowly. “I don’t know if it’ll be useful to you or not, but he did mention your last name.”
I listen attentively as Brenda divulges the details of Gage’s recent setbacks, her words painting a picture of vulnerability within his empire. The insight into his organization will allow me to tip the scales in my favor, especially now that I know he’s seeking to negotiate arms deals with my competitors to protect his supply chain. The Order likes everything to stay “in the family,” and the council will be pissed when they find out.
I relish the thought.
“Anything else?” I ask her.
Brenda shakes her head. “That’s all I heard.”
“Choose the facility you want to go to, and I’ll cover the costs,” I say.
“Okay.” She eyes me warily, her expression guarded. “Are you sure you don’t want to hook up? I’d do it for free.” When I shake my head, she runs her gaze over me and gasps. “You’re hung up on someone. That’s it, isn’t it?”
I don’t respond.
She smiles at me, and for the first time, it’s sincere, without any ulterior motives or deception. “She’s a lucky girl.”
Delilah is more than lucky, she’s my obsession. Every recruit entered a vow of celibacy for their senior year, but my oath was made way before then, to a girl who doesn’t even know my name.
Well, not yet.
When Delilah learns it, she’ll be screaming it.
Chapter 13
DELILAH
It’s time to fuck thecarpeout of thisdiem.
At least I think that’s how the saying goes.
I grab my cell phone and put it on silent, but not before checking it for new notifications. My excitement for my first day of college dwindles at Ben’s lack of communication. I texted him yesterday several times about my new friends, the beauty of the campus, and how much I was looking forward to seeing him.
And… nothing.
We haven’t talked on the phone since I told him the details of my pending arrival on orientation day. At this point, either my foster brother is erasing me from his life, or something’s wrong.
The former is too painful to even consider. That leaves me with a sense of foreboding.
I need to find him. Someone in this university has to know Ben, and hopefully, they’ll tell me where he’s been hanging out. It’s his senior year. There’s no way he’d not attend his classes and graduate.
Unless he’s no longer the boy I grew up with.
A tide of memories floods my brain, making my heart squeeze in on itself. I slap a hand to my chest and pull in lungfulsof air to help me breathe. My mind fills with inside jokes and whispered secret dreams, the things that kept me from giving up in hopes of something better.
Ben, the one person who made me feel loved and valued, isn’t here on the first day of a major achievement in my life.
