Page 19 of River of Deceit

“Demands?” I repeat.

“Yes. She wants the entire fraternity investigated, and certain members expelled.” Dean Stringer looks at me expectantly.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I’m going to murder whoever roofied the chick.

I don’t particularly care about the girl, but doing it at the first party of the year, one attended by several hundred students, was beyond stupid. It’s not like there weren’t plenty of easy lays available last night anyway.

Like Pandora.

Except she wasn’t so easy after all.

“That won’t be happening, of course,” Dean Stringer assures me when I say nothing. “But I thought I would let you know and ask how you want to proceed.”

“Yeah. Tell her the allegations are being investigated.” I share a look with Zayden, and he nods. “There’s nothing to find, of course, but if she continues to make demands, I’ll talk to her personally.”

We all get up, and I shake Dean Stringer’s hand.

“I’ll let my father know how helpful you’ve been,” I tell him, and that puts him at ease.

Dean Stringer smiles back and allows himself to be led out by Zayden.

I grit my teeth and storm out to the main hall, where everybody is still busy mopping and throwing out empty cans.

“Which of you fuckers roofied the girl last night?” I demand, looking around the room.

They all freeze. Asch looks at me with confusion.

“Nobody?” I go around the room, peering at everyone’s expressions carefully.

They all look sheepish, and a few of them cower in fear. Only Asch is still relaxed.

I knowhewouldn’t do something so stupid.

“Okay. If nobody is willing to come forward, that’s fine,” I say, smirking. “I’ll have to assume it was a group effort. Keegan, Brock, and Holden.”

The three of them jump to attention, and I notice the others relax a fraction.

“You three are on toilet duty this week. And the next. And the one after that,” I say cheerfully. “Until we can figure out who actually did it.”

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Keegan complains. “We’re paying a maid to do all that shit. You can’t make us do it.”

I go up to him and poke him in the chest, still smiling. “You think I give a shit? You three will be on toilet duty for the entire fucking year, unless you can figure out who fucking roofied a chick at a public party and left evidence behind.” I glance around the room. “If there’s DNA evidence, I’m not just going to make you clean. I’m going to break your fucking fingers for being so goddamn idiotic.”

Everybody visibly swallows. Keegan looks like he wants to protest, but he’s figured out that shutting his yap is the smarter choice.

Asch subtly motions toward another guy, the only one who is looking down instead of at me.

“Anything to add, Declan?” I snap.

Declan jumps to attention.

He tries to play it cool, but a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead, and there’s palpable fear in his eyes.

Like a shark that has smelled blood, I circle over to him and boxhim in against the wall. He’s only an inch shorter than me, and he tries to stand his ground, but he doesn’t have the balls.

He didn’t grow up with violence like I did.