Page 15 of Forgotten Sacrifice

I flip on the lamp, grabbing the water and taking a sip like I promised Nicky I would. Walking to the bathroom, I use the toilet, nearly doing a happy dance when pee flows freely. “I’ll never take you for granted again.”

Washing up, I return to the bedroom and flip on the overhead light. My forehead scrunches when I notice all my things from my dorm.

Opening the bedroom door, I follow the sound of a television to the living room. Vince is seated on the couch, watching a baseball game with a notepad and pencil on the coffee table, jotting something down. He’s in a T-shirt and gray sweatpants, with a baseball hat turned backwards. I’ve always known Vince was handsome, but I’m just now figuring out he’s hot.

Likehawthot.

Five o’clock shadow covering the little dimple in his chin. Hair a bit shaggy in the back and behind his ears, curling up beneath his hat. Muscular forearms I’ve never noticed because I’ve only ever seen him wearing a suit. Nice olive skin with the hint of a tattoo peeking out beneath the right sleeve of his tee.

That weird clawing feeling in my chest is back, and I shove it down with annoyance.

“You’re awake. How are you feeling?” Vince mutes the baseball game, and I startle. “Sit down, I don’t want you passing out on me again.” He gestures to the couch.

“Why are all of my things in your house?” I ask, refusing to sit beside him; instead, I take a seat in the arm chair across from the couch.

“Because you live here now.”

“What?” My eyes go wide, wondering if I heard him right.

“You’re no longer enrolled at boarding school.”

“What?” I shout.

“I’ve got a tutor lined up to help you get your diploma.”

“What?” I say through gritted teeth.

“You’re going to focus on chess without distraction, and don’t saywhatagain,” he snaps.

“What—”

“Did I just say?—”

“Gives you the fucking right?” I seethe.

“Might makes right. Luna, let’s go over our roles one more time.” He leans forward, tenting his fingers. “My role is to collect the debt your family owes my family, a debt that has skyrocketed while you were fucking around in school.”

“A waste of time, that school,” I mock.

“Your role is to focus on chess, earning your way into money-making competitions in order to pay back said debt,” he continues, ignoring my smart ass comment. “Are we with each other so far?”

“You lost me back at school.” I cross my arms.

“Do we need to take a field trip to the construction site and visit your old man’s corpse? There’s a high-rise built over his remains, but we can still reminisce about old times. It’ll be a history lesson: how history will repeat itself if you don’t fall in line,” he threatens.

“No thanks. I don’t need to waste any more time fucking around in school,” I say, pretending my heart hasn’t nearly imploded at the threat.

“Have you been cutting yourself?” he asks out of left field.

I square my jaw. “I’ve sent you pictures proving I haven’t.”

“Have you been cutting other parts of your body besides your wrists?”

“Why?” I lean forward in my chair. “You gonna make me strip again?”

Vince shrugs. “If it comes to that.”

“I haven’t cut myself since the night youmurderedmy dad, not that it’s any of your business.” The fear of Vince making good on his threat having outweighed the temptation, not that I’d ever fucking admit that to him.