Page 40 of River of Deceit

River gives her a strange look, but he turnshis attention to me and Blaze. “I’ll pass the background checks, I have the money, and I’m literate enough to fill out some forms. Unless Chaos—Kappa Alpha—discriminates…”

“We’re only questioning your choice of friends right now,” I say, my focus still on her. I already knew she was dangerous, but now I’m wondering how much power she wields beyond a simple knife in her pocket.

There might be a reason she isn’t afraid of Blaze, one that has nothing to do with her lack of self-preservation instincts.

“You obviously see the appeal in being friends with Pandora, too,” River says with a brittle smile. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have called her to hang out.”

Blaze’s attention is firmly on River. “Do you seriously know Giulio Pavone? That’s not something you should make up if you value your life.”

My gaze snaps to him.

That isn’t how Blaze usually talks to other people.

No, there’s a hint of interest there, an actual desire to know more about River. Like that connection to Giulio Pavone matters.

My mouth goes dry while I try to figure out a way to contribute to this conversation in a way that doesn’t make me look like a jealous idiot.

“I’m not stupid enough to claim that connection without it being true,” River replies. “My dad has worked for him for years.”

He has to be lying. River can’t have connections like that. Not that there aren’t other heirs to crime syndicates on campus—no, there are more than enough of them—but that he’s here, now, trying to worm his way into Blaze’s orbit doesn’t make sense.

“I heard he’s crazy,” Pandora says. “Giulio Pavone, I mean.”

“What could you possibly have heard about him?” Blaze asks her. “He’s not exactly a public figure.”

Even I barely know anything about Giulio Pavone. He doesn’t bother Blaze’s family, and the Bouchards don’t have public interests on the East Coast. If the Pavones are running criminal activities thesedays, it’s kept extremely secret, hiding behind their legitimate “gentlemen’s” clubs.

Still, Blaze has mentioned that the few times someone has suggested making a move in New Bristol, George Bouchard would shut it down because of Pavone’s presence.

“You don’t read the true crime sites? It’s how I learned all about the kind of shit frat boys do,” Pandora answers with a smirk. “But I learned that firsthand, too.”

She’s still pushing Blaze.

I’m going to have to do more research about Pandora.

I don’t even know her last name, I realize now. Until I know who she really is, I have no way of properly protecting Blaze from her. He’d laugh at me for thinking that, but it’s true.

I think Pandora is a bigger threat than River right now.

She did bring him here though. Maybe that’s one way to learn more about her. If I get close to River, he might spill what he knows.

“Why do you really want to join?” I ask him.

“I told you. It sounds up my alley. I want to be a part of Greek life. Brotherhood, et cetera,” he replies with a shrug.

“Do you know anything about frats?” I ask him.

“I learn fast,” he says vaguely.

Blaze shakes his head, then goes to the front door. He blocks the door so he can punch in the code without Pandora seeing. “If you’re serious, we can talk to Zayden about it. We’ll put your bid in right now.”

I hope this means Blaze is on the same page as me. We’ll find out what River knows, then deliver him back to Pandora—mottled in black, blue, and red.

“Wow, generous,” Pandora says sarcastically. She sticks close to River as we all file inside the building, and I don’t miss how his hand starts going to the small of her back before it drops back down.

Yeah. River definitely knows all about Pandora.

“Iamgenerous,” Blaze counters. “I treat my friends well.”