Page 49 of Devil's Iris

I push thoughts of Romero aside for now and focus on my brother. Now that he's fed and a little relaxed, I bring up the topic I asked him here to discuss. “Remember what we talked about regarding university?”

“I’m not interested in applying to a bunch of scholarships and begging some fuckers to fund my education, Leni.”

We’ve had this conversation a dozen times over the past year, and I still don’t get him. He has excellent grades—getting a scholarship wouldn’t be too hard for him—but he refuses to even try.

“Wait here.” I rub a hand down my jeans as I hurry upstairs to grab the NYU packet Romero gave me last night. When I getback to the kitchen, Ethan isn’t there.Of course. Did I really think he’d do what I asked?

“Ethan!” I yell, picking up my phone from the counter to call him. No way am I hunting him down in this huge house. Who knows where he could have wandered off to?

There’s a text waiting for me from Romero, sent a few minutes ago.

ROMERO

Not just one guard. Several. Three at the gates. And twice that on the grounds. You’re safe there.

I wasn’t exactly worried about my safety before, but this makes me think about it. Who has that many guards around their house? And how come I’ve not seen any of them? They’rereallygood at staying hidden.That’s probably part of their job description.

“What?” My brother strolls into the kitchen with a small frown. “Can’t take a little tour around your house?”

“That’s not what you’re here for,” I answer distractedly as I reply to Romero.

Oh, yeah, gotta protect yourself against those enemies of yours

I lock my phone and slip it into my back pocket, then slap the admission packet down on the island.

Ethan eyes it suspiciously as he approaches. “What’s that?”

“Open it.”

He does, pulling out all the documents inside. He picks up the official acceptance letter first and blinks at it, his eyes bulging out almost identically to how mine did when I saw my account balance this morning.

“Am I tripping or is this an admission letter from NYU?Addressed to me?I didn’t apply.”

“I know.” I raise my chin. “Romero applied for you.”

“What? Is that even legal?”

It’s my turn to wave a hand. “Let me worry about that. You got into NYU, Ethan! All expenses paid,andyou’re free to pursue whatever major you want.” I beam at him, my excitement from last night surging back. One of his reasons for hesitating to apply for scholarships was that he might not get one for the course he wanted and be forced to pursue a degree he didn’t care about. My grin fades when he just stares at me blankly, unmoved by what should be life-changing news.

“I’m not going,” he says finally, dropping the admission letter back onto the island.

“What?”

“I don’t want to go to school, it’s a waste of time. I want to make money so we won’t have to keep depending on your fiancé’s good graces.” His jaw sets. “He’s the one paying for this, isn’t he? What if he wakes up one day and decides he doesn’t want you anymore? Then we’ll be back to square one, and I’ll be stuck in a school I can’t afford to attend.”

My mouth falls open. For a second, I just gape at him. As much as I hate to admit it, the little shit has a point. “Why don’t you let me worry about that possibility, Ethan? You’re just eighteen years old with only a GED—you won’t get many job options.” I should know. I’ve been there. “Your best bet is to go to NYU.”

“No.”

“You fucking dumbass.” The words are out before I think, my fist smacking the side of his head. His eyes go wide—hell, mine probably do too. I’ve never cursed at him before or raised a hand to him, no matter how angry he made me.

“You want to make money? Then go to school, get a solid degree, and let the money chase you. Or do you want to end up like Mom? Like me?” My voice cracks, my eyes stinging as Istare at him. “You think if I had this opportunity when I was your age, I wouldn’t have grabbed it?”

Ethan eyes me warily and takes a small step closer, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” he says gruffly.

I married a man for his money.I swallow the words. “This might be the best opportunity you’ll ever get, Ethan. Don’t throw it away. Romero is offering to pay all your school expenses, so all you have to focus on is getting a good GPA like you did in high school. After that, you can start thinking about money. Otherwise… you might end up like DJ.”

Ethan flinches.