She pounds again. “I know you’re in there, Professor Psycho!”
Still nothing.
“Maybe he’s asleep,” I say.
“Bastian doesn’t sleep.”
She’s not wrong. She raises her fist to knock again, but the door swings open before she makes contact.
My brain short-circuits when Rooke appears in the doorway
He’s wearing sweatpants.
Justsweatpants.
Low-slung, charcoal gray, the waistband sitting just below his hip bones. No shirt. His hair is disheveled, sticking up on one side like he actuallyhad beensleeping, and there’s a pillow crease along the side of his throat.
I’ve never seen him look this…human.
It’s weird as fuck.
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” he rasps, sounding nothing like the calm, controlled predator I’m used to.
“Who gives a fuck?” Haven says cheerfully. “We’re here for my car.”
Rooke stares at her. Then at me. His eyes narrow slightly when they land on my face, and I have to look away.
Jesus, how am I supposed to stand here pretending everything’s normal when twelve hours ago I was on my knees in his office, begging him to?—
“You’re drunk,” Rooke says flatly. “Both of you.”
“And incredibly stoned,” Haven adds, lifting a finger. “Kruger’s fault, and he’s next on our hit list.” She waves a hand. “Never mind that.” She sticks out her hand, palm up, flicking her fingers. “Car keys. Hand ‘em over.”
Rooke scoffs, glancing away as he rubs his eyelids. “I’m not giving you?—“
“It’smycar!”
“Technically, it still belongs to your father.”
“Who’sdead,which makes itmine!”
“That’s not how—“ Rooke interrupts himself with a tired sigh. “That thing is a death trap on a good day. Either of you get behind that wheel and you’re signing up for a murder-suicide tonight.”
I’m too drunk and stoned to follow.
Haven isn’t.
“Fucking drama queen. It’s basically all downhill.Andthere’s guard rails and shit.” Haven tries to push past Rooke into the house, but he blocks her with an arm across the doorframe.
“I’m not letting you kill yourselves.”
“Since when do you care if we live or die?” I blurt out.
Rooke turns to look at me with exaggerated care, jaw tightening.
“Get inside.” His voice drops into a register that makes my spine tingle. “Both of you.”
“Right,” Haven scoffs. “So you can tie us up and do awful things to us? Uh, hard pass, Professor.”
