Page 6 of Ruthless Chaos

His personal life is a mystery, too. I don’t know his parents, or even if he has siblings. I don’t even know my mother’s name, since he had it taken off my birth certificate. I was always homeschooled and was never allowed to keep friends.

Two years ago, when he wanted to upgrade the security on my wing of the house, he decided against fingerprints because he didn’t have any.

Over time, I had deluded myself into thinking that things were normal, because I had spent the last five years living in New Hampshire. That was the longest we had spent in one place.

Now I know that it was a bad sign.

“So, he’s not in the coffee business, huh?” I ask.

My father never told me what he did for work, but I remember asking him if he sold coffee since he drank so much of it. I was younger than five at the time, because Dolores laughed when I asked him.

He nodded, and I’ve believed it ever since.

Uncle Laurent shakes his head. I’m embarrassed that he knows I believed that.

“What does he do, then?”

His lips form a hard line. “It’s not my place to say. He needs to be the one to tell you if he so chooses. But here’s what I can tell you—” He pushes the SFU packet closer to me. “Your father asked me to keep you safe while he sorts things out. This is the best way to do that.”

Reluctantly, I peruse the glossy brochure. There are smiling young adults on the front, standing in front of a chalet-style building with snow-capped mountains in the background.Saint Frederic University, a private university for the world’s most private people.That’s an odd selling point.

“What makes this place so safe?” I ask, flipping through the pages half-heartedly. The brochure is filled with the same generic shtick you’d expect from a university booklet. Promises of a positive learning environment, world-leading faculty and lifelong friendships.

Uncle Laurent’s eyes light up at my interest. “Saint Frederic is unique. The students there are all like you.”

I quirk an eyebrow. All of them are being hunted because of their crazy parents?

“They’ve all had…unusual upbringings. Their parents send them to Saint Frederic because of a Peace Treaty that declares it neutral territory. Regardless of the feuds that exist, killing is forbidden there.”

My jaw slackens as I try to process what he’s said. “Isn’t that forbidden everywhere?”

“You have scars to prove otherwise, don’t you?”

His words chill me, and I think of what I saw when I looked in the mirror last. Though most of the scars from the blast faded, there’s still a huge one on my abdomen. The doctors told me that it might never go away completely.

My throat is thick. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. There have been two attacks on my life so far. It wouldn’t be hard to assume that there could be a third.

Uncle Laurent continues in my silence.

“Your father is a dangerous man, Al. He has many enemies. Fortunately, everyone else at Saint Frederic has parents like that. It’s the safest place for you right now. Unless you want to go with your father’s original plan of having you locked up in a high-security bunker in Moscow for the next year.”

The air seems to disappear from the room. As much as I hate the idea of this wretched university—it’s no Harvard, that’s for sure—I can’t handle being locked up against my will again.

I’d kill myself before I let that happen to me.

“What’s it like there?”

He drums his fingers on the conference table. “It’s different. Intense. Most of the students are involved in the…family business. They know the stakes.” He looks away from me for the first time during the conversation. “Truthfully, it will be difficult at first, but I’m confident you can carve out a place for yourself among them.”

I’m confused. “I thought you said it was safe.”

Uncle Laurent sighs as though he understands something I don’t. “It is because you won’t be attacked there. But that’s about all I can assure you of.”

What the hell does that even mean?

He’s being dodgy about this whole thing, which just makes my uneasiness about the situation worse. My palms start sweating. Uncle Laurent cuts me off before I can voice my feelings.

“It’s a delicate situation. The Peace Treaty ensures your safety once your allegiances are declared to the school, but we can’t do that.” I furrow my eyebrows. “You see, your father isn’t well-liked, even among these people. Though there have been rumors of him having a child, nobody knows for sure.” He starts rooting through his satchel. “We can’t tell them who you really are, as that might just put another target on your back. So we’ll have to invent a backstory for you.”