Page 39 of River of Deceit

“What the hell,” Blaze hisses. He walks over to her, arms crossed. “Frat douches? Really?”

Pandora seems surprised to see him. “Oh, I thought you’d be inside waiting with your cock out or something.”

I follow Blaze, hoping I can get close enough to prevent any bodily harm. I start to make a retort, but my attention is drawn to theguy that’s with her. “Who’s this?” I ask, keeping my voice even. “Only members of the frat and our guests are allowed inside.”

The guy smiles at me, though it’s brittle. “I’m here to put in my bid. Pandora spoke so glowingly of all of you that I knew I had to get in on the action.”

I doubt any friend of Pandora’s would want to join Kappa Alpha based on anyglowingrecommendation. I glance at Blaze.

He looks just as wary, but instead of shutting it all down, he says, “Youwant to pledge? Why? There’s a process. Forms. Background checks.”

We’ve already flat out rejected bids from people who don’t fit Kappa Alpha’s image. There’s no reason to entertain any of this at all.

All Blaze has to do is say no. Full stop.

I give Pandora’s friend another once over. Pandora is completely relaxed, but the tension in her friend is obvious. His shoulders are stiff, and his arms are coiled in a way that makes me think he’s ready to throw a punch at any moment.

I get closer to Blaze so I can intercept a blow. I don’t trust either Pandora or her friend to stay docile.

Hell, I don’t really trust Blaze to keep calm either.

Pandora pouts at us. “River’s a good pledge. He’s strong, he does boxing, he loves roofie-ing girls as much as the rest of you?—”

River glares at her. “I have never roofied a girl, and you know it, Pandora,” he says, but he sounds exasperated instead of offended, like he’s used to Pandora’s strange comments.

It’s all I can do to keep my expression open and friendly. “No one roofied any girls,” I say. “Carly had a little too much to drink, that’s all.”

Declan’s still too terrified to even look at Blaze.

“I don’t need to roofie anyone to get laid,” Blaze adds, but his lip twitches with a hint of amusement. “And who wants to fuck an unconscious chick?”

“I don’t know what you’ve been doing this past year, actually,” Pandora says to River, confirming my thoughts that not onlydo they know each other, but that they were at least close in the past. “But it sounds like you’re all in agreement anyway. You all strongly dislike roofies. My statement is still true.”

River makes a disgruntled sound, but he doesn’t argue against Pandora. “Anyway. Sign me up for your frat.”

“I guess I needed those forms after all,” I tell Blaze. It’s not his fault I’m still feeling a little raw about having to get rid of a whole stack of things I might’ve needed in the future.

“Youdon’t need those forms.” Blaze looks between us. “River would need them, if he were going to bid, which he isn’t, because Kappa Alpha Omega Sigma is exclusive.”

Finally. He’s going to shut this whole thing down, then we can get rid of him.

Maybe it’ll make Pandora leave, too.

“I’m not even allowed to bid?” River asks. He goes for his phone. “Your rush week info says anyone can apply.”

I shake my head. “That doesn’t mean you’d get accepted. There are important considerations?—”

Before I can list off all the criteria for being accepted into ΚΑΩΣ, the criteria I barely fulfill myself, I’m interrupted.

“Ooh, did you know his dad works for Giulio Pavone?” Pandora says casually. “Fucking scary, both of them. Giulio once visited while I was at River’s place, and… well, I’m glad he didn’t think I was worthy of working at one of his clubs.”

Giulio Pavone, as in, the most powerful mob boss on the east coast? If she’s name dropping him, does that mean she knows about Blaze’s family after all?

That’s not the kind of name people would even think to use. Someone like Declan wouldn’t know who Giulio Pavone is.

Of course, Declan is a dumbass who probably doesn’t quite understand why the Bouchard name carries so much weight around campus beyond the money they throw around.

The question is why Pandora knows its significance.