I heard a low murmur from the room as I approached, and I slowed down. The voice was familiar, and I recognized that low tone.
“You only sent twelve.”
I stopped walking as I leaned forward to listen.
His voice was unmistakable. Lower than in our session. Sharper. All the lazy charm was stripped out.
A pause.
“Twelve’s not going to see me through the next month, and you know it. What the fuck are you playing at? I gave you a tip already. Place your money right, thank me later.”
The words held a weight I didn’t want to unpack.
What the hell was he involved in? Twelve what? What kind of tip?
Another student rounded the corner and stopped in surprise to see me. “Oh, hey, you scared me.”
Shit.
I forced a smile, muttered a quick “Sorry,” and kept moving, praying Dante hadn’t heard us, like I’d heard him. I didn’t look back to find out.
I left the library and headed across campus toward the arts building, walking faster than usual. To hell with my chisel, it wasn’t worth going back for. I’d plead ignorance.
The night air was cold, but not cold enough to erase the sound of his voice from my head.
I bypassed the main entrance, taking the gravel path around to the back. My fingers were stiff as I slid my key into the lock of the shed, the familiar scent of metal and sawdust wrapping around me like armor.
His words kept coming back.Twelve’s not going to see me through the next month, and you know it.
Twelve what? What tip?
I let myself into my shed and locked the door behind me. I stood in the dark for a moment before I turned the light on.
For the first time since being assigned to him, I wondered if my father’s suspicions might actually be justified.
Chapter 6
Dante
I couldn’t concentrate today.
I hadn’t been able to since I walked out of the room last night and saw her rounding a corner of the library. I did my squats, but my mind was on the evening before.
How much had she heard?
That fucker, Knox, had been texting me all last night. Okay, he hadn’t texted meallnight. He’d texted three times, but fromhim, once was too many.
I knew what I was doing was risky, but I kept telling myself it was only for a short time.
The campus had been quiet by the time I got back to my apartment. Dustin was still out, and the low sound of ESPN from Noah’s room meant he was home but wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon. It’s possible that the guy studied film more than I did.
I’d gone into my room, tossed my bag on the couch, pulled my phone from the hidden zip pocket, and glared at it. The burner lit up without a contact list, just the way I liked it.
One message waiting.
Fucker: I need more than the basketball team
It’s what he’d called me for, it’s what I’d hung up on him for already. I sat down, kicked my feet onto the coffee table, and wondered if I could tell him to go fuck himself. But I needed those painkillers, and he was the only one I knew who could get them for me.
