Page 72 of Retribution

Nasty Nurse rolls her eyes. ‘I highly doubt you need a laptop for every class! Get a notebook.’

‘University policy,’ I half lie because I don’t think they care in English Lit, so long as you have the source material with you.

She makes an annoyed sound. ‘Fine.’

She goes off in the direction of the staff bedrooms, and I cross my fingers, hoping the pills work in time.

She comes back with my laptop and half throws it on the kitchen counter. My lips thin, but then I give her my pleasant smile. ‘Thank you, Nurse Smith.’

Her eyes narrow as if she thinks something might be up.

‘Let’s go.’

She grabs me by the arm tightly and begins to pull me along down the hall behind her. I glance at the grandfather clock in the hall. It must be over ten minutes since Sam was able to slip her the pill. At the club, it didn’t take muchlonger than that for Bennet and the mean girls to startexpellingit. I need more time.

‘Oh!’ I pull back and double over.

‘What is it?’ the nurse asks with not one shred of empathy, fake or otherwise.

‘My… My ankle! I just went over on it.’ I grasp my foot and let out a dramatic gasp.

‘I need to sit down.’ I hop to the polished wooden bench in the foyer.

Nasty Nurse doesn’t help, of course. She just watches, probably relishing the pain she thinks I’m in.

What a bitch.

She leans down, pressing on my foot harder than necessary. ‘Where does it actually?—’

She straightens with an odd look on her face and a gasp of her own. Her stomach gurgles audibly and her eyes widen. ‘I’ll be right back!’

She speedwalks down the hall toward the staff quarters, her shoes clacking so quickly it sounds like someone in one of those old movies where everything is sped up.

I stand and grab my bag. I take out the second pill and put it in my pocket.

A few minutes later, it’s time to leave or I’ll miss my pretend class, and Nasty Nurse hasn’t returned. The front door opens and Jacob’s imposing figure is at the threshold.

‘Change of plan,’ he says. ‘Nurse Smith messaged me to say she won’t be joining us.’

My plan is coming together.

‘Why not?’ I ask innocently.

He just shrugs and gestures for me to come outside. I see Joe’s town car and swallow hard.

He might be in there, ready to play more games with me while I’m forced to be still and…

My reaction is visceral. My stomach churns and the onlyreason I don’t throw up is because I know that they’ll decide I’m sick and can’t go to Richmond U. That’s not an option. So, I do what I do best. I push the thoughts away, knowing there will be plenty of time for them to upset me later. I focus on my goal–on my plan–completely.

I stare at the car as I stand next to it for a moment too long and Jacob sighs. ‘He’s not in there. Get in the car.’

He opens it and I get in. It’s empty just as he said, and he sits in the front. I listen to the conversation that Jacob has with the driver.

‘Where’s the hot nurse?’

‘Sick, or something.’

‘Too bad. She sure is nice to look at.’