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Brent

M y heart skipped a beat.

Why it was doing that, I had no idea.

I’d seen her last year around campus a few times. That blonde hair and those blue eyes drew me in like a moth to a flame. The way she viewed the world was pure and good.

This year, she was becoming tainted, and I wanted to prevent it from happening as much as I physically could. Being in her bed and watching her sleeping face was as close to heaven as I would ever get–God was sending me to hell for sure. The scrunch between her eyebrows when she looked at me–full of animosity and curiosity at the same time–was gone and her expression looked so innocent.

So sweet.

The anxiety of seeing her and Sloane in the same room rushed over me, no matter how much I tried to push it down. Keeping my cool would be next to impossible. I was truly fucked with how my body responded to Fallon being near me and having Sloane in the same vicinity.

“Babe!” She snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Did you hear what I said, or did you take drugs from the back room or something?”

It was laughable that she thought I would stoop as low as to take drugs. She really thought that little of me between that and how she treated me like a dog.

I pretended to pick some lint on my shirt to avoid her daggers for eyes. She thought of me as her property, too. We hooked up, sure.

But, babe? No way.

Swigging my whiskey from my flask, I tuned out whatever else she was going on about. That high pitched voice felt even more shrill when I simply didn’t care anymore. “Stop calling me babe.”

More whining. “I can’t help it!”

Considering she’s the one who told me our hookups were noncommittal, I should have known better before sticking my dick in crazy. She never minded what I did outside of her, but laying the stakes on me in public was far beyond ‘noncommittal’ if you asked me.

A sleek black dress and a face done up so much that it looked ready for the red carpet was calling to me. I excused myself while Sloane was distracted by some groupie fawning over her. The girl that I spent the night with pulled me in like a magnet. I was the moon that circled her.

And she looked just as gorgeous now as when she tried to make herself unattractive in stained sweatpants. I shook my head of the thoughts as Josh called out my name. Approaching her directly when I still wanted more was a dangerous game to play with the uproar that would be caused by the whiny little devil herself.

If she wanted to kill Fallon, she’d try.

“Josh,” I reciprocated his fist bump and checked out the group of guys prepping a pool table for a round of games. “What’s the wager tonight, boys?”

“Info we have on the families involved. Loser spills. We have whistleblowers here tonight and it’s going to make things interesting to say the least.” Blonde hair came into view after I heard him. Alexander Fitzgerald.

I hated that dude’s guts.

“Ah, a wager I can get in on. Though, I keep my hands clean...unlike some people.” I threw on my nonchalant face, scanning the group of guys to see who I got a rise out of.

Playing poker was fun. Threatening people was more so.

“Fuck yeah, man! That’s what I’m talking about. Let’s play ball–er, pool!” Josh was tipsy as shit, but he was here for a good time. His family was nowhere near wealthy anymore and was just happy to be here.

“Tell us, Vaughn,” Alexander said, “do you have any dirty details on that Garrett? None of the football team showed–like fucking cowards.” He downed his drink and threw the empty cup on the floor, spitting for emphasis. “My parents are looking for any and all minute details they can use to help the prosecution. High profile case and all.”

Yeah, yeah. We loved hearing about his family’s lawyer legacy anytime he was around. He wouldn’t shut up about it wherever he went. Sure, your family was here during the founding of the country, but mine was too. Our families never had any beef between them, but after the incident, we almost did. The guy rubbed me the wrong way as icing on the cake.

“Did I lose a game? I have information, but someone’s going to have to beat it out of me.”

They all leaned in.

I took a slow swig from my flask before tucking it back into my jacket.

“What’re you all looking at? You want to hear about how I live across the street from his little girlfriend or something?” I’m going to need more alcohol for this.

Josh perked up. “We live across the street from her? I might need to make a trip up the street to offer a shoulder to cry on. She’s a hottie.”

That pissed me off enough to beat the shit out of him, friends or not. The thought of anyone touching her like that pissed me off. She was mine .

“No, you little gnat. She’s top family here. If anyone is introduced to her it’s going to be me. I already have it in the works that she’s going to be mine. She’ll be sure to be interested in my services.” A twisted grin grew on his face.

Great. Maybe I should have done drugs. At least I’d be able to fucking deal with all this talk about the girl that was mine and would not be touched by the likes of these fucks. Sorry, not sorry, Josh .

But I made a move that I would regret. “Have at it, she seems uptight from what I’ve seen of her. She’s over there if you want to get your head bit off.”

He clapped me on the shoulder and handed me the pool cue, walking in her direction. I dug my own grave with that one and I wasn’t sure I’d let him live through the night if he put his grubby hands on her.

Someone needed to bring another round of drinks. I needed to be drunk for this.

“Alright, boys. Who’s ready to play pool?”

Taking the first shot, I broke the balls and landed two in.

Someone piped up. “So, do we know for sure that Garrett’s family is guilty of what’s rumored? We only have one family identified and sometimes we like to gang up and take out the weaker dog. There’s more than one family getting destroyed at any moment and we need to find out who they are–if that’s even happening.”

I handed the pool cue off, observing the conversation. Keeping my mouth shut with important information was my main goal. Finding out what people knew was the second. Anything I heard at either party was to be immediately reported to the Dictator as soon as possible. Full write up.

“A guy in my class ran out as soon as the text dropped.”

“And who was that?”

The cue came back to me, and I took my shot while listening carefully.

“Oh gosh, uh, was his name pencil? No, that’s not a name. Pens and pencils...Oh! Penn. Is that a name?” He sounded very drunk, but Penn was most definitely a name. Penn was a top family, reigning over whatever they wanted to. They were a political family with an affinity for insider trading.

“Penn Windsor? Money laundering for sure if they’re not pegged for insider trading.”

Yep, just like I said. It was plausible they could have been taken down too. Bradford’s family operated in finance, and they could have held hands and reigned in the cash. There were large rings and smaller rings operating in dirty business.

My family kept it in the family. Until Maria Montgomery entered the stage.

A group of people caught my eye from where I stood. Fallon, Sloane, Kelly, and Alexander all together in one little hushed conversation. Sloane was motioning between Alexander and Fallon, clearly introducing the two. I wasn’t aware that Fallon and Sloane were acquainted and that made everything just that more complicated. But more than that, what the fuck was she doing?

Matchmaking and vying to maintain her family’s status.

Sloane was obsessed with this little fucking list she compiled of the wealthiest families who attended WBU. I still remember the day she beelined her ass over to me to let me know that I was number one on the list. She was clearly trying to cement her place in the world by sleeping with me and being seen around me, but I was too stupid to see it. Getting my dick wet at the time was more important than anything she was saying.

At least she shut up when it was in her mouth.

Focus!

Alexander smiled at Fallon and shook her hand. It was creepy. He motioned at her, and she handed over her phone. This bastard was trying to get her number, and she didn’t even have mine in her phone!

Kelly looked between all three of them, critiquing and criticizing everything with her arms crossed. As she should. Shane appeared behind the group and tapped her on the shoulder, pulling her away from the other three. Great, Fallon was alone with the sharks, and I was nowhere to help.

“Brent, what do you think?”

I blinked and refocused on the group. “Sorry, what?”

“What’s your opinion on Shane Jones?”

“Who the fuck is that?” I swore I heard it just earlier.

A few chuckles erupted around the table. “Get your head out of your ass, Vaughn. He’s the campus dealer, bro. Sources say his family is bankrupt or some shit.”

That was a name to add to the list in the files. Especially if he was close enough to what was mine. Reaper and the boys could do some recon for me on that.

I took my next shot. “If I want drugs, I’m not going to some shitty campus dealer. I have respectable men for that. Everything is speculation right now, but I wouldn’t say I’d be surprised.”

A voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard chimed out behind me. “Babe!”

Fuck me in the ass with a cactus.

“I’ll be back, guys.” The table gave me some extra sexual remarks as I backed away from the table ready to rip my ears off my head if she used that tone of voice again.

“Stop fucking calling me that. What do you want?”

“Come on, I’ll show you.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me right to who she’d been talking to.

Alexander winked at me as Blondie looked up, startled to see me. The girl I just slept with, cuddled all night, and stayed for breakfast with was being dangled in front of some other man right in front of me. I looked her over, giving nothing about my thoughts away and stayed casual.

I nodded at him. “Alexander.”

“Brent! My man!” He raised his glass at me. “Thanks for the nudge on getting me this beauty.”

Cringe. Don’t express shit, Brent.

Her eyebrow perked at his statement. She was wondering what the hell he was talking about and why I told him to take a shot at her.

“Brent, baby, I’m helping the Fallon Montgomery. She came to me for help earlier because of that trashy Bradford family legal drama. I figured I should introduce her to some top ten boys to remake her image and induct her into our world. Aren’t I doing so good with helping her?”

“Mhm.” I’m sure she did not seek out Sloane for help.

“ Aaand since we will all be at the after party, I’m excited to see the budding romance between two powerful families. He’s second and she’s third, and I will be named the matchmaker at their wedding. Ah! It’s all so exciting.”

Sloane was fucking insane.

Fallon kept her mouth shut. Good girl.

Alexander turned to her, putting his nasty hands in her hair to brush it back. “Want to go somewhere private to talk or shall we save that for the after party? I have a contact that will be bringing some pretty white lines to the exclusive VIP gathering.”

My fists itched to hit him until his brains were splattered on the floor.

She perked her lips into a grin that looked genuine. “I think I can wait for the after party. I just got here and need to loosen up first.”

Oh, Blondie, you have no idea how deep in shit you are. The very elite’s kids and friends partied, took drugs, and fucked each other in those parties. Literal elite orgies. The guys I’m sure took full advantage of hopped-up girls who wouldn’t say anything anyway.

Sloane checked her phone. “My house is opening in an hour if anyone wants to get there early to start their party fun. Brent, let’s go.” That purr in her voice might have convinced me in the past, but I didn’t trust Alexander for a moment with what was mine.

No way in hell would I let him get her alone.

“Yeah, no. I’m going to head back to the guys.” I avoided eye contact with Fallon.

“Ugh, you’re no fun, but that’s okay.” She put her hands on me. “You can just stay over with me later. Anyway, have you ever met Fallon?”

I glanced at her for a second, more regret building in my bones. There was also the issue of not trying to lick her entire body with just my eyes. “Nope,” I said, emphasizing the ‘p’ and it hurt me to know this was for her best interest. “Which is surprising because her name is everywhere now. Did you even go to this school last year?”

“I did.” She had that adorable sour tone to her voice again. “Did you?”

I crossed my arms and stood taller. “Guess you really did live under a rock like they say.”

She suppressed a scoff and turned her attention back to Sloane. “I’m going to head off and have some fun with my friends before the afterparty.”

“Your friend that slinked off with her beau, Shane? They might want some alone time.” Sloane wiggled her shoulders at her like they were brand new best friends. “I’m sure Alexander can help you party with your friends. He’s quite the gentleman.”

“At your service. C’mon, let’s go have some fun.”

I didn’t want to interject, but I felt I had to. “Shane as in Shane Jones?”

“That’s her boyfriend.”

God, Blondie looked so good while she had that sour attitude with me.

“One of the guys at the pool table said some interesting things about him and his family. They think he’s got something to do with the shit–could be just rumors though. Might want to keep your entire house clean if I were you.”

“Then I do need to find her.” The gears in her brain were turning and she most likely thought everything was turning into a giant conspiracy around her.

Watching the innocence in her eyes start to fade was going to break my heart.

“Heard he sells shitty drugs on campus.”

Sloane looked excited with the new information presented to her. “What a layer to add to the story! A drug dealer could be a fun twist. I should talk to my parents this weekend to see what’s going on in our circles...”

I had to make some quick moves to get people to move the way I wanted them to. Fallon was going to hate me, but what I did now was all for her.

“Sloane, why don’t you go and round up the important people for the afterparty and we get things started early? You can do more sleuthing, and we can continue this there.” I grabbed her by the waist and gave her a bland kiss I hoped Fallon could see through. Whether or not she hated me, I would be keeping her safe under the wing of my grandfather.

My kiss earned a giggle from the whiner, and she moved quickly to oblige me.

Alexander was hauling Fallon off in some random direction while looking at her like a hungry animal.

My night was fucked.