“I need your help.”
The smartass expression he’d been wearing dried up, replaced by a lethal intensity that reminded me why he was not only one of my best friends but my first call in a crisis. “You never ask for help. You’re Mr. Independent.”
It was how I survived, but this wasn’t about me. “Every aspect of my life has been controlled since I was born, with the aim of building the perfect political family for Mom to achieve her goals. You know that. I know that. I don’t have to ask for help because it’s either done for me, or I’m forbidden from doing it. But this…it has nothing to do with that side of my life.”
“Tell me what it is, and I’ll make it happen. Or I’ll make it go away.” He slapped his hand onto my shoulder before smoothing down the crease he made and releasing me. Connor and my other old friends got me in a way very few did, not even Oliver. I’d learned how to keep my idiosyncrasies under control, but with my core group, I didn’t even need to try.
Taking a breath, I admitted my darkest secret: “I’m sure you remember when I was sixteen and my dad was caught fucking his secretary.” The whole world remembered it, and that was the turning point for Mom in having the support of her country. “I went off the rails for a few months–I honestly can’t even remember those days. One night I got super fucked up and took out Mom’s Bentley and by the time I sobered up, I was wrapped around a pole.” Connor started to pace, and I could tell that he was not going to take this next part well. “Daisy was in the car with me.”
Connor cursed so loudly that there was a chirp of birds nearby taking flight.
“Daisy. I wondered what the hell happened to her. She just vanished from your life after you spent weeks fucking her on every available surface.”
“I was a piece of shit during that time. And I got one hell of a wake-up call after the crash. Daisy was dead by the time I came back to consciousness. Her throat was slit by the broken glass, filling the entire floor of my car with blood. I fucking killed her, and when I realized, I panicked and called Abraham Cromwell.”
Connor stopped pacing. “Who the fuck is that?” His shoulders were tense in a way that suggested he wanted to punch shit.
“Evelyn Lewisformerly Cromwell’sfather.”
It took him a beat to realize who I was even talking about. “New girl? Why would you call her father? What’s her connection to you?” Connor detested not understanding a situation—his instincts had saved his life more times than I could count, and they made sure he never walked into a situation blind.
The fact that he hadn’t known one of my secrets was no doubt throwing him for a loop, but this was one I’d expected to take with me to hell, where I belonged.
“Abraham was friends with my mom in high school. Like old,oldfriends, and he was around for years even when my parents were married. And not that Eve remembers it, but we used to hang out all the time when we were younger. She went to live with relatives for some reason and we lost contact, but her dad remained in our lives. Mom always called himMr. Fix-It.As in, if you had a problem, he was the one who could fix it. I don’t know why the fuck I called him that night, but in my panic, that was all I could hear. Mom’s voice telling me tofucking fix it.”
“He covered it up for you.” Connor knew how the seedierside of our world worked. “Are you sure Eve doesn’t remember you?”
I nodded with a huff. “Yeah, she shows no recognition at all; she was pretty young the last time we hung out. But I remember her.” Even back then she’d been all big hair and stormy-grey eyes, always following me around.
Connor stared out across the covered path for a few minutes, mulling over the story. “So what do you need my help with, then? What’s new girl and new girl’s dad got to do with the trouble you’re in?”
This was the part he’d be most pissed about. “He called me a few months ago and told me Eve was in danger. He asked if I could get her into this school and keep an eye on her while he cleaned up whatever mess almost got her killed at her last school.”
A realization dawned on Connor’s face. “That’s why you’ve been all over her. I couldn’t quite figure it out. I mean, sure, she’s hot, but nothing like the straitlaced bitches you usually enjoy.”
Evelyn was gorgeous with her thick, purple-black hair, long tanned legs, and intense blue-gray eyes that shifted color with her emotions. I wasn’t immune to her charms, that was for sure, but Connor was right: she was quirky and messy, which was far from my type.
Not to mention I had a politically advantageous girlfriend, which meant Evelyn was solidly off-limits.
“This explosion today almost took her out, and I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but I’m not taking a risk with her again. Abraham knows a secret that could destroy not only my life but Mom’s. I need to ensure that I don’t fuck this up.”
Connor growled, his chest rumbling, which was the signal he was about to lose his shit. “Fucker is blackmailing you. Maybe we should just take him out and wash our hands of the entire situation.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I don’t think he’d actually reveal it, but it’s still a debt I owe him. A huge one.”
Connor nodded as if he understood; in his family’s line of work, he was rather familiar with debts. Blood, money, life—they dealt in it all. “While I don’t think this is a good idea, bro, especially since we don’t have enough information to know what we’re protecting her from, I get why you’ve got to do this. You know that your debts are mine. I’ve got your back in whatever way you need. Do you have a plan?”
Thinking about how the last plan ended, I was ready to try out the new one. “I had a plan, but today showed me that, in an emergency, I’ll be too far away to keep her safe. I think we need to bring in the other guys. I have a feeling that keeping one EvelynLewissafe is going to require a team.”
Speaking of, I needed to get to the medical center and make sure she was still doing okay.
“Okay, what do you need from me?”
Leaning in, I lowered my voice. “You have to go to Dean Attworth and get him to agree to move us, the guys, and Eve into a co-ed dorm. Right now she’s in the female dorms, outside of our protection and far too vulnerable. I need her under the same roof as me, and I need all of you assholes there too. It wouldn’t hurt to get one of us into each of her classes as well.”
Connor rubbed his hand across the scruff he hadn’t bothered to shave this morning. I had no idea how the feel of it on his skin didn’t bother him, but very little bothered my best friend. Except his brother. With that in mind, I added, “And we need Ethan.”
His fists clenched and he almost looked like he was about to throw punches. “Fuck no. We don’t need that bastard.”
