She finally turns to face us, and her gaze swivels to and settles on me. “I broke up with my boyfriend, Kendall, three weeks ago, before he headed out to France with his family. He’s due back this evening. I know the first place he’s going to stop is my house. I would appreciate some…backup. I can hit the grocery store near me. They have everything we’ll need. I’ll buy. I should be able to get you guys out of there by midnight. He won’t take much convincing. He’s a damn idiot.”
I can’t pull my attention off her. Next to me, I’m aware of Carter shifting position in his chair.
“You don’t have any older brothers who’ll take care of this for you?” he asks. “Or yourdad?”
“Please. My dad will ruin his life. I don’t want that, I only want himgone. He’s not dangerous, just annoying as fuck.”
“He doesn’t have a gun?”
“He hates guns. I’m more dangerous with a ball point pen than he is with a gun. He’d shoot his own damn head off with it.”
I realize I’m watching this like a tennis match. Carter settles back in his desk, arms crossed over his chest. “How would your father ruin his life?”
She smirks. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No.”
Her full-on smile melts me. “Susannah Joleen Evans, daughter of State Senator Benchley Evans. Former Hillsborough County commissioner, former state rep, and the spine and brain stem of the Florida GOP. You can call me Susa.”
I’m mesmerized. I’ve heard her father’s name before, bandied about between my mother, step-father, and their friends.
As someone that my step-father respects—and sort of fears.
“How old are you?” Carter asks instead of responding with his name.
“Turned nineteen last week.”
“You’re not living in a dorm?”
“No. Daddy bought me a house in New Tampa. He and Momma live up in Tallahassee full-time, even though they still have the house in Tampa. I wanted to live in a dorm. Really wanted to be on my own,finally. Had it all booked and everything. So, of course, Daddy threw a shit-fit and called the university president himself. Next thing I know, a real estate agent is calling me and begging to show me houses, and Daddy’s given him a budget to work with. That was Daddy’s compromise—my own house, or live at home. And I didnotwant to drive in from Brandon every day.”
Holy. Shit.
Carter looks at me and I realize he and I already have some sort of spooky silent communication going on. Spooky in a good way. I perfectly understand that his slightly arched eyebrows are a question. He’s waiting on me to say yes or no.
I’m useless in a fight, unless it’s exchanging snarky Facebook comments and memes.
I shrug.It’s up to you.
Carter slowly nods. “Okay. You have yourself a deal.” When he shakes with her I feel a little jealous, but now I’m not sure if it’s because someone’s intruding on my time with Carter…or because I want to shake her hand, too, and Carter got to do it first.
Then she offers me her hand.
Her grip is surprisingly firm and she looks into my eyes when we shake.
I’m…gone.
“Carter needs to take the lead,” I stupidly say, closing my mouth before I accidentally spill any of his secrets or make myself look like more of an idiot than I already have.
Her focus returns to him, her head cocked, appraising him. “Why’s that?”
“I have…experience,” he says, smiling.
* * * *
We don’t get to talk for much longer because the instructor arrives and class starts soon after. Halfway through the class, Susa gets into a discussion with the instructor that basically silences the whole room as she comes back at him with facts and figures I damn sure know aren’t in my fucking textbook.
The instructor is maybe in his fifties and crosses his arms over his chest. “And how, exactly, did you come by all this knowledge?”
