Page 79 of The Ruthless Note

“I got time to burn,” I say simply.

She pushes away and walks over to the waiting room outside the surgery ward.

I see that she’s in defense mode and give her some space. “I’m going to use the bathroom.”

She doesn’t even look up.

I head down the hallway, pass the bathrooms and ask for directions to the admin office. When I’m done, I return to the waiting room.

Cadence is sitting with her eyes closed and her head lulling from side to side. Did she not get any sleep last night?

I slip into the chair beside hers and catch her with my shoulder when she starts drifting off. She nuzzles her cheek against me. In sleep, her face is pure and innocent.

The sounds of the hospital fade into the background as I watch her. The slope of her nose. The shape of her plump lips. The tiny breath that hits my neck.

That stupid knot in my chest pulls tighter and I fight it off by reminding myself that I’m doing all this just to get into her pants.

It doesn’t mean anything more than that.

Shedoesn’t mean more.

I’ll do whatever I can to lower her defenses, but the moment I’ve had my fun with Cadence Cooper, I’m never going to think about her again.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

CADENCE

“Oops.”

The word is accompanied by the splash of soda all over the floors I just mopped.

My head whips up as fury sparks in my veins. Paris and her primped little minions laugh like they’ve accomplished the coup of the century.

“Clean that up,Brahms.” Paris falls into the chair behind the teacher’s desk and kicks up her feet. “Dutch’s orders.”

I’m not sure what pisses me off more—that she’s here terrorizing me on Dutch’s behalf again or that she’s using his nickname to do it?

Paris and her airhead helpers are watching me closely to see what I’ll do. I refuse to give them the satisfaction of being flustered.

“Dutch sent you?” I ask.

Paris blows on her nails. “He wanted me to welcome you back to school. We missed you.”

My fingers tighten around the broom. I haven’t seen Dutch since that day in the hospital. After Vi came out of surgery, he stuck around long enough to make sure she was okay and then disappeared.

I’ve been out of school for a few days helping Vi recover while also taking on more shifts at the diner in order to start chipping away at the hospital bills.

When I went in to make my first payment yesterday, the admin told me we qualified for a special fund and that all the surgery costs, as well as the overnight stay and medication, had been covered.

At first, I was ecstatic.

Then I pressed her more about the program.

She started faltering over her words, giving me vague answers and eventually shut down all further questioning.

That sent my suspicions through the roof.

I don’t think Vi and I were randomly chosen for anything. We’re not that lucky.