Page 23 of Reasons We Break

“Why would I? Let’s go.” Her nails sink into his hoodie like claws. His coworkers hoot in the background. “Anddefinitelybring the hard hat.”

Two hours later, Rajan’s back in the elevator up to the corrections department. He leans his head against the wall, watching the numbers go up and wanting to kick something. Why did Kat set their meeting so late on a Friday, anyway? According to the judge, he has to come running whenever Kat calls—and she’s scheduled these to happen once a week. Which feels like a waste of time. Of which he already has very little.

And no, that didn’t bother him with Chandani earlier. She got his mind off things for a while. But after she kicked him out of her house, saying he was thelastperson she wanted to be caught with, it felt like he’d wasted an hour he could’ve spent figuring out his dilemma with the Lions.

Less than a day left. He’s completely screwed.

As Rajan walks through the waiting room, another guy emerges from the hallway on his way out. Rajan remembers him from last time. He’s bigger than Rajan, older too, with gothic-font tattoos running down his arms:REIGN IN HELL, the motto of the Silver Aces, wrapped in serpents. Unsubtleandunoriginal. But the Lions’ main rivals have always been that way.

No words are exchanged as they pass each other, but Rajan sees thefuck youin Snake Tattoo’s glare loud and clear. He hopes he radiates it, too.

Damn, maybe this gang psychology thing they talked about in juvie was legit.

Kat’s waiting in her office with her usual batshit smile. Her dress today is checkered, her long blond hair pulled back into that same low ponytail. “Welcome, Rajan. Any plans for the weekend?”

“Just counting down the hours.”

She chuckles. “I’m sure. How was Hillway yesterday?”

Rajan tenses. Shit. He totally forgot about that. If he apologizes first, maybe they’ll let him stay? He doesn’t want a mark on his recordalready.

“Listen, I—” he says at the same time Kat says, “I heard nothing, so I assume it went smoothly. What were you saying?”

“Nothing.” Rajan glues his jaw shut. He’d thought they were writing him up, but maybe not.

Kat studies him. “How’s your mentor? Simran?”

His mood sours instantly. He plucks a toothpick from his pocket and sticks it between his teeth. “She’s all right.”

“Did you get along?”

“I wouldn’t know,” he mutters. “She barely spoke to me.” It hurts to even say. But he’d better get used to it. This is how it’s going to be from now on.

“If she’s treating you poorly—”

“I said she’sall right,” he says forcefully. “Can we talk about something else?”

After a long pause, Kat flips a page in her file. “Have you heard from the Lion’s Share?”

Rajan stops chewing on his toothpick. Yes, he asked for a topic change, but where didthiscome from? “How would you know if I did?”

“We rely on you to tell us.”

She doesn’t look up, and he resumes rolling the toothpick between his teeth. This is clearly a routine question. And a stupid one. “You think I’dtellyou if I breached probation?”

“Yes.” Kat offers another unnerving smile. “Because you wouldn’t want me to find out some other way. Such as upon your arrest. I’d rather be able to help before that.”

He scoffs. “And how would you help?”

“Well, for example, we could relocate you again.”

“Relocate?”

“Yes. Just like how you were relocated to Kelowna for probation. Move you somewhere you can avoid negative influences and instead be surrounded by positive reinforcements.” At his blank look, she clarifies, “Social supports, family. Can you think of another place like that?”

He finds himself considering the question seriously. When he was younger and doing stupid shit constantly, his parents debated moving him across the country, to live with his father’s side of the family in Halifax. He doesn’t know them well, though. “I dunno. Maybe.”

Kat tilts her head, eyes glinting. “If you need that, I could do the paperwork in a day.”