Page 44 of River of Deceit

“What deal?” I ask with a shrug. “She’s a friend, that’s all.”

She’s Blaze’s new obsession, but she’ll be like that Mustang. After he’s gotten his fill of her, after he’s worn her down and used her up, he’ll be done.

I have to believe that.

“A friend,” River repeats, his skepticism easily apparent. “I can tell by how you ordered her to come here.”

“She’s the one who decided to show up,” I point out. “She doesn’t strike me as the type of person to follow an order unless she wants to.”

River smiles at me, though there’s a dangerous edge to it. “No,” he agrees. “She’s not.”

“What’s the deal with you two?” I ask. “You her boyfriend?”

“Something like that,” River says.

I give him a nasty smile. “Might want to keep a tighter leash on her, then. She was ready to jump on our cocks.”

River’s eyes narrow, but he looks away. “Yours, and everybody else’s.” The words, strangely, lack any bite. He keeps walking toward the stairs before he continues, “She’s her own woman, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Yeah, I’d noticed.

I’d noticed a lot of things about Pandora that set me on edge, and her being her own woman is the least of them.

“How do you know her?” I ask, following after him.

“School,” River says, that edge returning to his voice at the word.

Childhood friends, or lovers, and that means he has more insight on her.

“You don’t sound like you actually like her very much,” I comment, hoping I don’t sound like I’m fishing

“It’s complicated,” he says vaguely.

I bet it is. Nothing about Pandora iseasy, I can tell that much.

But whatever he’s hiding, whateverthey’rehiding, I’m going to find out. I’m going to sort this mess, get Blaze to finally take me seriously, and…

I’m not sure what the end goal here is, but it doesn’t include Pandora and River getting cozy here with Kappa Alpha.

“I bet,” I reply. I don’t think I’ve given Blaze enough time to do whatever he’d planned with Pandora, but I’m tired of playing interference so Blaze can get laid. “Come on, before your girlfriend pounces Blaze.”

He smirks, starting to speak, only to cut himself off.

Instead, he follows me back to the room, and I’m left wondering what he’d have said if he hadn’t stopped himself.

Later.

I’ll figure all of this out later.

9

BLAZE

The door shuts, and I step into Pandora’s personal space. She looks up at me, the dark eyeliner making her eyes appear even wider.

“What are you playing at, Pandora?” I ask, reaching out to stroke her jaw. “You think that guy is going to protect you from me?”

“No,” Pandora says. She doesn’t move away from my hand.