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thirteen

It’s not the air conditioning that makes the studio so cold. The wood claps under my heels as I step onto the dance floor on the second story of the sports complex. Mitch stretches without looking at me. He didn’t bother to turn on the lights.

With a huff, I toss my bag next to his near the entrance and flick on the fluorescent overheads. I face him and throw my hands on my hips. “Well?”

He spins and practices our routine while watching himself in the mirror. “Well what? Thought we’d start with samba today.”

Is he not going to address what happened the other night? He certainly seems to have something up his ass. If he doesn’t want to bring it up, I definitely won’t.

It’s been awkward enough when Amelia gives me sly smiles and says, “ Ooooh, Ryan Cardell” whenever I pass her on the way to the bathroom.

And Valencia rolls her eyes, murmuring, “So gross.” Like she wouldn’t have done the same if Logan had put her over his lap.

I’d already threatened to tell Logan she has a huge crush on him if she even dared to tell my brothers what happened.

“Samba is fine,” I say to Mitch and start my warm-ups. Neither of us talks throughout, except about the routine.

Once we get into our practice moves, he stretches to roll, but not enough. “I need more space, and it feels like you’re rushing.” I point to the mirror and try on my own.

Mitch snorts and kicks his toe in the air, then wanders off to catch a breath with his hands on his hips.

“What?”

He swipes a hand through his sweaty brown hair. “You. Needing more fucking space and feeling like I’m the one who’s rushing.”

So, he is mad. Shame makes me pause, then I decide to just cut practice short. I hurry to grab my bag, but he runs over and grips my forearm. “Where are you going, Pippi? Trying to get even more space from me? Rushing away like you do?”

“Let go of my arm.” My eyes narrow on his dark blue ones, and he releases me with ease.

“See you in class, I guess.” He saunters toward the back of the room, shoulders stiff and up to his ears. As I grip the door handle, he says a final warning. “You know he kills people, right? Maybe you find that hot.”

My eyebrows stitch together with outrage at his audacity. Not even bothering to give him a response, I hurriedly exit and change in the locker room.

It’s early on Friday and I’m feeling utterly unmoored. By the time I make it to my now single bedroom, I know I can’t spend two days here alone. Without Gwen, these four walls are hollow, a constant reminder that something nefarious may have happened to her.

So I toss some things in my backpack and grab my phone.

Me

I’m coming home for the weekend.

Mom

Be careful! Text me if you have trouble.

On the ride, I attempt to analyze my messy soup of thoughts.

Ryan Cardell is a problem. Not only is he taken and already appointed , but it’s to my sorority president.

No matter how much his body excites me, he’s off limits after this month.

Him fucking with me is only making me more and more confused.

And I feel like the other woman. He’s also not well… mentally.

And, according to Mitch, possibly a murderer.

The thing is, my family comes from a long line of organized crime. It’s not that big of a secret. I think I would know if Oz had hurt someone, but Adal likely has. Nico, too. My father, most definitely . So if Ryan has murdered people, I hate to admit that most men in my life probably have.

I thought that’s what the brothers had to do for their fraternity initiations. We’ve all heard the rumors. But it’s also known that Beta boys are different. The goodie two shoes of the crew. Or those who become scientists and doctors. Not mafia leaders and politicians.

Maybe it should bother me, but the possibility that Ryan Cardell is dangerous because he murdered people isn’t a factor. Only that he seems to have me in his sights. Like a predator.

How do I get him off my back? Should I tell my brothers and my father?

If I did, I’d cause not only Ryan’s life to end, but possibly a tidal wave of problems for my family.

Cardells and their ilk and Freidenbergs and ours going at it like the Capulets and Montagues.

That’s not a war I’m ready to start. My stomach twists into a knot at the thought.

Ryan’s social media makes it seem like I’m into him. What if he shows people the video of me on my knees begging him to put his cock in my mouth? What if Valencia tells everyone I let him finger-fuck me in a restaurant?

Instant cause of death: mortification.

I’d never be allowed out of my room. If my father saw it, I could kiss any semblance of a normal life goodbye. Locked in a chastity belt until my Culling, and possibly even after that.

It’s not like he doesn’t know what goes on in Greek life at Northview. Adal was in Delta . But I think he’s na?ve enough to believe us girls are protected or never thought anyone would mess with Maximillian Freidenberg’s daughter.

Despite feeling uneasy about Ryan’s obsessiveness, he hasn’t threatened me. Oddly, I don’t feel unsafe with him. In fact, I think it’s the opposite.

By the time I pull up to the gates of the Freidenberg estate, I decide to stay quiet about it unless I sense danger. I’m beyond familiar with weapons and can take care of myself. Except when Ryan’s not casting a lustful hex over me, making me agreeable to whatever he says.

If I’m supposed to be his for the month, do I even get a choice?

When I walk in, Mom leans over the counter, talking with Mrs. Kroft, our cook.

Mrs. Kroft hates everyone, except for me.

As I stroll in through the swinging door, she gets a sparkle in her light gray eyes and pulls out a tray of my favorite almond cookies from the double oven, holding up a finger to her lips to let me know they’re my secret stash.

“You need breakfast. Don’t worry, no eggs. Only center-cut bacon. Just the way you like it,” Mrs. Kroft says, and I grab a handful, shoveling two pieces in my mouth.

“Hey, no problems getting here?” Mom asks as she gives me a side squeeze.

“Nah.” I steal a cookie from Mrs. Kroft’s tray as she continues plotting out the menu on the whiteboard in front of her.

Mom reaches over, brushing some of my hair over my back, and leans her elbows on the island. “You seem down.”

My mother is a beautiful woman, with her dark hair and light brown eyes.

She still dances ballet in her studio downstairs and enjoys sparring with my dad at the gym, too.

Most of my family deals with problems physically and not emotionally.

So it’s difficult to tell her when something is bothering me, but I take a deep breath and try.

“Gwen has been missing since Monday, and I had to tell the campus police, but there’s been no word from her.”

I skip over the part where I have an insane stalker who won’t leave me alone and that Mitch has iced me out because of it. And that I feel guilty that those facts are causing me more distress than my roommate’s possible demise.

“Oh my god, that’s horrible. Where was she last seen?”

“At our Greek event. The police are trying to narrow down who last saw her.”

If I spill anything about the cloaked man, not only could I get in trouble with the sorority, university, and organization, but my parents would never let me return to school.

Dad and Adal bust in through the front door, loudly discussing something and laughing. Mrs. Kroft skirts to the butler’s pantry, clearly annoyed with the ruckus.

“Hey, pup.” My dad stops to give me a kiss on my cheek and a squeeze while I snag a stool at the butcher-block island.

“Hi, Dad.”

Adal snatches the cookie from my hand and shoves it in his mouth before I can grab it back. “Mm, my favorites.”

Mrs. Kroft returns only to smack him on the back of the head. “Those are for your sister!”

Adal rubs his head, but doesn’t even appear sorry.

“You two are later than normal,” my mom says.

“Hung up with Bear Cage stuff,” Adal says, then gives a slight chuckle. “New guy. He’s really good.” My brother grabs two beers from the fridge and hands my dad one.

Dad leans over the counter with my mom between his arms and cracks open his drink with a hiss, chugs half of it, then presses his lips to my mom’s head.

“New kid there has impressed me, and we’re trying to get him prepared for his first match.

” He points the top of his can toward me. “You home for the weekend, pup?”

“Yeah. Thought I’d watch a movie with Mom tonight. You up for a rom-com?”

A big smile crosses her face as she reaches for my hand. “You have no idea how ready I am. You’ve been gone for two weeks, and I’ve had to be in the same room as action movies every evening.”

My dad swats her ass, but she grabs his hand in a lock until he submits with a sly grin.

“I’ll take a shower and see you in the den in half an hour,” I tell her.

“I’ll make the popcorn!” she calls out as I head out the kitchen door with Adal behind me.

When he opens the front door as I pass it, Nico stands, ready to meet him. Probably for some club activity.

“Hey, Pip-squeak!” Nico greets me over my brother’s shoulder.

“Hey,” I say politely.

Adal pulls on his boots while squatting on the preacher’s bench near the entry. With a nod toward his friend, he heads out. “I’ll meet you there.”

Nico grins, eyes skating over me in that way he used to get away with. “Looking cute tonight. Got big plans? Wanna be my backpack?”

Last year, I would have begged to tag along. My heart would have soared, and I would have talked Gwen’s ear off about it for weeks.

Now, I just don’t care.