Page 74 of River of Deceit

I’m used to Pandora being a project for both of us, and being left out of an interaction perturbs me on a level I don’t understand. “Sowhat happened after you caught her here and tried to talk to her about the… flower mafia?” I prompt.

“She got kind of weird.” Blaze looks around, but we’re alone in the greenhouse. “She was hiding something. I felt it in her pocket, and she completely derailed everything after that. The key? Some sort of tracking device? But I forgot to check back after I fucked her.”

I stare at him. “You fucked her?”

“Uh, yeah? That’s what she’s there for, right?” Blaze starts walking through the greenhouse, admiring the various plants on display. “She mewled so prettily for me. She pretends to hate me, but her cunt clenched around me all the same.”

My hands clench into fists at my sides, though I relax them as I follow him through the greenhouse. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I’m acting irrational, and I know it, but I don’t like that he didn’t bother to even brag about it to me.

“We got busy planning all the pledge stuff, so I forgot.” Blaze pulls out his phone again and taps at it. “Speaking of, how’s our little brother doing?”

I rub the bruise on my side I’d gotten punched in. I’m still humiliated that Blaze stepped in to break things up, but I also remember how Blaze had helped patch me up.

I’m still pissed Fenrir started that fist fight over River. What’s so fucking special about him?

“How am I supposed to know?” I retort. Fuck, why am I reacting like this? It’s not like I’m jealous, but he’s going to think I am if I don’t calm down. “I haven’t talked to him in two days.”

Blaze laughs. “Maybe he’s avoiding you. You gotta assert yourself more, Asch. Stand your ground, demand he meet you in private or whatever. His entire future is in your hands right now. Have fun with it!”

Something twists in my stomach, and I stop dead in my tracks. “Do you have fun knowing you holdmyentire future in your hands?”

I need to stop.

I need to calm down.

Blaze tilts his head at me. “What are you even on about?”

I take a deep breath. I’m being stupid. I may rely on Blaze a lot, but he does things for me because he wants to, not because he wants to hold them over my head. I shake my head. “Nothing important. I’ll find him today and talk to him.”

I don’t think I’ll “have fun” fucking with him, though. Blaze wants him to break, but if we push River too far, he’ll drop out and we’ll lose the opportunity to connect with River’s family. The same family that has ties to the Pavones.

“I got in trouble with the mob, and they cut it off.”

I glance down at my hand. If I piss off Blaze, will his family do the same to me? Blaze acts like his father is nothing but a savvy businessman, but I know better. I didn’t grow up in Blaze’s shadow to not know what goes on behind closed doors—even if Blaze often shuts those doors before I can walk through them.

“Okay, Mom wants me to bug the botany people for seeds,” Blaze says. “Maybe I should start a flower mafia.”

I snort. “Yeah. That’s the kind of organized crime I’d be into,” I joke. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll see if I can find River. I’m sure I have some things I need him to do for us.”

The truth is that I don’t particularly like this side of the fraternity. I still remember how bad hell week had been for me, how I’d been sure they’d been doing their best to drive me off. At least River is only contending with people who want to test his mettle.

He’s not the scholarship student dependent on his best friend for everything.

We walk out of the greenhouse, and I squint at the bright sun. I’m about to tell Blaze that we should head to the frat house when I notice someone lurking nearby.

River.

I narrow my eyes as I look at him. Did Pandora send him here? Why would she? The idea of her spying on the greenhouse for a rival is ridiculous, but what interest would they have here? I guess shecould just like pretty flowers, but she seems like the type to prefer them deadly.

“River!” I call out, meandering over to him and clasping a hand on his shoulder. “Glad to see you.”

From the look on his face, he doesn’t believe me at all, but he fakes a smile. “Yeah, I was looking for you.”

And I have a bridge I’d like to sell you, I almost retort. “Yeah? I’m glad that’s the reason you’re out of the frat house.” I squeeze his shoulder. “Considering you’re not supposed to leave except for classes. You wouldn’t want to break the rules, would you?”

River tenses. “I did have class,” he says. “Then I thought I’d try to find you. One of the brothers said he saw you were.”

I’m increasingly skeptical, and I glance at Blaze. He can’t believe this any more than I do.