Page 18 of River of Deceit

BLAZE

“You could have had her mouth,” I say to Asch. “I would have held her down for you.”

“I know,” Asch says. “I wasn’t?—”

He stops short when we enter the frat house and spot Zayden directing the cleaning efforts. Fuck, I was hoping to avoid all this. That’s why I’d convinced Asch to grab a late dinner with me.

Fucking Pandora was a nice bonus.

She’d looked amazing on her knees, glaring up at me.

Fightingme.

I thought she’d roll over easily, a slut like her. But even when she’d used her teeth, that had only gotten me harder.

It’s a contradiction.

Easily agreeing to fuck us one minute, shooting us down the next. Cutting Asch—and the thought still makes me seethe—then getting on her knees in fear.

I don’t know what to make of her, and part of me wants to take her apart to see what makes her tick.

Break her, smash her to small bits, and put the pieces back together into somethingnew and different.

She thinks she’s strong.

I’ll show her she’snothing.

“Yo, Bouchard, good timing!” Zayden says with a very pointed look. “We got a bit of a situation.”

That doesn’t sound like he wants me for cleaning. I glance at Asch, then wave him away. “I’ll join you later.”

Asch bristles at being dismissed, but I’m not about to let him get involved in whatever’s got Zayden upset enough to need my help.

“Yeah, okay,” Asch says. “I’ll go help clean up, I guess.”

I watch as he goes to join the others, taking a trash bag and tossing empty cups inside. If he can help clean the frat house, why is it so hard for him to keep his own room clean?

I shove that thought aside and follow Zayden to the private room we use to entertain the more important guests.

I put on a gracious smile when I see an older man with graying hair, a bad combover, and oversized glasses sitting on the plush leather couch. The suit he’s wearing looks like he bought it at a designer store but neglected to get it tailored. This is Percival Stringer, the dean of the university, who ostensibly has power over the entire school.

We all know that the school’s entire funding could easily be taken away if he pisses me or my family off. That nice suit he’s wearing? He won’t be able to afford it if he crosses us.

He might not get to go home to his wife and kids at all, if he so much as breathes wrong around us.

“Dean Stringer!” I greet amiably. “What can I do for you?”

Zayden shuts the door behind us while I take a seat opposite Dean Stringer.

“As I was telling Zayden,” Dean Stringer says, “I just wanted to get your perspective on this situation. Somebody showed up at campus security this morning, claiming she’d been… well, taken advantage of at a party you hosted last night. But I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.”

My vision goes hazy.

It’s because of the passed-out chick last night.

“I’m sure it is,” I agree smoothly. “You know that Kappa Alpha Omega Sigma is dedicated to upholding its upstanding principles. We’re about brotherhood, community, and academic excellence.”

Dean Stringer nods along. “I know that, yes. But the young lady in question, she says she has proof of what happened, and… well, her demands are silly, but she’s threatened to go to the police—and to post her proof publicly.”