Page 105 of River of Deceit

I try to tell myself I don’t care, but I know better.

More than that, though, it would mean that our path to finding Rachel’s killer would be blocked. Like Pandora, I believe the answers can be found in Kappa Alpha. I have an in simply by virtue of being male. She can try to get there by manipulating Blaze and Asch, but I can do more.

I can do better.

Fresh grief and guilt washes over me as I think about Rachel, and I walk faster toward the frat house. She’d been my friend, too, and regardless of what Pandora might think, I do care.

I care enough to put aside my grudge against Pandora to find out what happened to her, after all.

As I reach the frat house, others are heading inside, and I join them. What the fuck could be so important as to call us all here in an emergency meeting? What happened to make Zayden threaten to kick people out if they don’t attend?

I enter the “party” room—the converted ballroom—finding a place against the wall to rest my back against, and scan my surroundings. Blaze and Asch are already here, unsurprisingly, and so is the majority of Kappa Alpha.

It takes a while for everybody to file in. It’s the first time I’ve seen everybody packed into the house at once when it isn’t a party. Even during hell week, not all of the older frat brothers participated.

“All right. Now that we’re all here—” Zayden starts.

Before he can continue, somebody interrupts, “Declan’s missing.”

Declan? I try to remember which guy that is. I think he might have been the one who kept badmouthing Asch, and to a lesser extent, Blaze.

That’s really the only thing I know about him. Not very memorable, I guess.

“Declan,” Zayden stresses, “Is currently at the hospital getting stitched up. Which is why I called this meeting in the first place.

I get a bad feeling.

I glance across the room to Asch, who’s watching me in turn. I quirk a brow, and he gives me an unreadable look.

The other guys all break out into chatter. With almost seventy people crammed into the room, they drown out whatever else Zayden is trying to say.

I can see Zayden getting frustrated, and part of me is amused by it all. Let Zayden sweat a bit.

Blaze suddenly whistles loudly. The entire room goes quiet, and everybody looks at him.

“Are you all gossiping old ladies?” Blaze demands sharply. “Shut the fuck up and listen to what Zayden has to say.”

I see Zayden scowl at Blaze before he puts on a slightly nicer expression.

“Yeah. Thanks, Blaze.” Zayden coughs. “Declan is getting stitched up, because some cunt stabbed him.”

Some cunt stabbed him.

Anger ripples through me because I instantly know whichcuntthey’re referring to. I want to hurt Zayden for daring to call Pandora that. If she stabbed Declan…

I want to say she had a good reason, but then, this is Pandora. She doesn’t always need a reason to choose violence.

Still, I don’t think she’d have jeopardized her search for Rachel’s killer for nothing. She’s impulsive, dangerous, and yes, a little crazy, but she’s also not stupid.

“The first order of business: stay the fuck away from Pandora Pavone.” Zayden holds up a printed-out photo of Pandora. I recognize it from our high school yearbook, and I want to know how the fuck Zayden got a hold of that picture.

“She’s a crazy bitch, and she’s banned from the house. If you get yourself tangled up in her despite all our warnings, there’s no saving you.” Zayden’s eyes land on me. “Got it?”

I stare back at him.

There’s no way Pandora’s going to accept this as a reason for me not talking to her. If anything, finding out that I’ve been forbidden from seeing her will make her want to do it even more.

I’ll have to talk her down, though I’m not entirely sure how.