Page 18 of House Rules

I’d barely had time to process the sting of the jail statement when her eyes went vague and slid past me, focusing on something over my shoulder. I’d turned to look and found nothing there, but when I returned my attention to my mother, she had steepled her hands in front of her and was mumbling frantically against them.

“Mom?”

“It’s okay, I’ll fix it, I swear,” she murmured, the words so low and slurred I could barely make them out. “And then we can go in the car, and it’ll begood, I promise?—”

“Mom, sit down.” Putting an arm around her shoulders, I steered her toward her couch. She lay down immediately, turning onto her side so she was facing the back of the sofa. I stayed a few minutes longer, my hand heavy on her shoulder, until her body went lax and the muttering ceased.

Then I left. It wasn’t the first time she’d lapsed into cuckoo territory, and it wouldn’t be the last. She used to tuck me in and tell me I was going to save her one day. Now she doesn’t even notice when I leave. If that’s love, I don’t want it.

In the hall, I scroll back to the string of text messages we’d spent the last couple of days exchanging. A new one had come in while Mom was berating me.

Con:you’re in the offices, right? Phoenix is supposed to be meeting with Dad…maybe you could hang around and find out what’s happening?

Me:Yeah, give me a few

I glance around the corner at the closed door of Mr. Masterson’s office. One of the housekeeping staff…some chick I’m fairly positive I’ve had relations with, is next to a cart just outside of it.

“Psst.” Her head jerks up, and I paste my most charming smile on my face. “Hey, darlin.’”

“Maverick!” She beams and starts my way. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing much. Just having a little chat with the parental unit, you know how it is.”

She makes a yuck face. “So glad I don’t have to deal with that. Are we partying tonight?”

“Maybe.” I shrug. “Hey, who’s in there with Masterson?”

“Uh…well, his secretary, of course. But he called one of the maids in. Phoenix Jones. I was trying to figure out what was happening.” She gives me an arch look.

“That sounds intriguing. What could he possibly want with a maid?” This girl is dumber than a bag of hammers, and half as useful.

“Right? That’s what I said. I mean, she’s just?—”

“Why don’t you go scout it out, see if you can learn anything? She’s one of you guys, right? You can chat her up when she comes out, satisfy our curiosity.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. Wait here for me?”

“Absolutely.”

With a last lingering smile, she goes back to her cart and knocks lightly on Masterson’s door. I pull my phone from my back pocket.

Me:I have one of the maids on it.

Con: Perf. This’ll make losing a year worth it.

Earlier today, Con had been the one to break the news that our expulsion was an entire year. I’d have figured on him losing his shit, as he and Atticus actually cared a little about their standings at the university, and we were in our senior year and right on the brink of graduating.

Instead, he came in wearing one of the biggest shit-eating grins I have ever seen.

“Why the fuck are you so happy?” I barked.

He rubbed his hands together. “Because that means Phoenix will be at our beck and call for the whole year. We have an entire year to break her, use her, make her beg. I like the idea of that.”

Alarm mixed with anticipation slithered down my spine. Con had a complicated history with Phoenix.The speed with which he’d jumped on this chance to ‘break’ his former girlfriend was a tiny bit disturbing.

Atticus must have felt the same way. “Explain,” he snapped.

The smile slipped, and Con moved to the bar to pour himself a whiskey. When he spoke, his voice was matter-of-fact, the words without inflection. “I told you, not only was her cunt dripping for me, but she even took a finger up the ass without complaint. Pretty sure that was what pushed her over the edge and had her coming, that tight little pussy milking my fingers for everything it could. She’ll be begging me for it in no time.”