“I can help,” he offers.
“Nothing comes for free around here,” I snap, throwing his earlier words to me back in his face. “What’s in it for you?”
“I’ll tell you where to find those files and how to get your hands on them, if you agree to give me them when done.”
“Which files?” I ask warily.
“All of them.”
“For the whole school?”
“Yes. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it. You don’t have to give me your file by the way.”
“Or Elsie’s,” I add.
“Deal.”
“I’m going to need something else from you,” I tell him.
“You want me to get you out of here, because you’re slowly learning that Monty brought you here for a reason, and you could pretty much kill any student in this school aside from his sons, and he still wouldn’t set you free,” Baxter answers, stealing the words from my mouth.
“What do you know?”
“Everything,” he replies.
“Will you tell me?”
“I can’t. It’s not part of this deal. But I will have a plane waiting for you to get you out of here and then home, if you take my offer.”
“Deal,” I don’t hesitate to accept his offer. He’s right; something is going on with Monty and those Knox boys and he’s not going to let me go.
I’m angry. What do I care if some secrets are spilled? I plan to find out what the hell those Knox boys have done to land themselves here, and I will use it against them as one last act of revenge before I leave. It’ll teach them to fuck was a Rossi. I need to remember who I am.
Baxter gives me a dark grin that makes my insides squirm. Shit. Did I just make a deal with the devil?
I get called out of first period. I was expecting it, but Sawyer collecting me from my SELF class threw me.
“In trouble again, Amelie?” Maggie tuts. I throw her a withering stare and don’t deign to answer.
Kalen isn’t in class today. Actually, I didn’t see any of the Knox brothers in assembly this morning, which was odd. Wouldn’t expect the perfect prefects to be truanting. I’m glad though; I’m clinging desperately to my anger, but part of me desperately hopes it was all an awful misunderstanding. If they fell before my feet begging me to listen and to understand right now, I would be tempted to listen. And I’m pretty sure that would lead to me cancelling my deal with Baxter. I can’t do that. I have to get out of here and Baxter is my ticket.
I saunter out of the classroom like I don’t have a care in the world.
“Hey, lover,” I say to Sawyer, winking and startling him.
“Are you out of your ever loving mind? Keep your voice down and close the classroom door,” he chastises.
“Sorry,Sir,” I smirk.
He storms off down the corridor and barely gives me a chance to keep up with him.
“Amelie, what did you do?” Sawyer asks me after a while. He sounds exasperated.
“Why do you assume I did something?” I ask defensively.
“Dad’s office was broken into this morning. We all know it was you.” He sounds so resigned, like I’ve let him down somehow.
“Where are the twins and Kalen?” I ask, ignoring his question.
