Page 25 of Wild Card

“Why?” I asked the question, but she was nearly screaming it with her tense jaw and dipped eyebrows.

A muscle jumped in my father’s jaw while he looked down at his desk. There was obviously something the two of them weren’t telling me. The tension between them could have been cut with a knife, but I didn’t understand why he’d wanted to see me along with her if they were just going to keep it a secret.

“I just need you both to have a date. I can’t make it seem as though you’re available. Even if it’s that friend of yours, Juan—he’d be fine to bring. Just don’t come alone, okay?” He stood, walking slightly past our chairs, which was his silent request that we leave him alone. It had taken nearly thirty minutes to get here. I’d skipped an important class to come, and he was already dismissing us?

Taylor and I stood, giving each other quizzical looks, but we didn’t ask anything more. His terms were easy enough to understand. There would be hunters attending this party, men looking for an easy ticket to my father’s fortune, and he wanted us to appear unavailable, which was good. For a second there, I had thought he’d be willing to marry one of us off to secure a lucrative deal, but if he wanted us to look taken, he obviously wasn’t interested in trading us like we were the latest commodity to hit the market.

I walked out, feeling the slightest bit of relief rush through me. I kissed my dad on the cheek on the way out and joked, “This definitely could have been texted, old man.”

He laughed and pulled me into a hug while tugging Taylor under his other arm. “I know, but how else am I going to see my girls?”

We walked with him as far as the elevators, and for a second, I didn’t mind sharing my dad with Taylor. For a second, I felt like I could share anything with her if it felt like we were really sisters. Later I would wish I had known that feeling would come back to slap me in the face.

Chapter Ten

Information wasa form of currency in this school. If you went off my bank account, I’d be considered practically destitute. Every penny I made, I either used for rent or gas or sent back home to Kyle to help with bills. My mom would never take my money, but she was either going to lose the house my father had built for her, or she was going to take my help in the form of Kyle intervening. But, if you went based off the number of favors people owed me and information I had on people, I was rich as fuck.

I ignored the way the group of players locked their jaws and squared their shoulders as I passed by them. They’d heard one version of what had happened between Elias and me over a year ago and decided to start up shit, spreading rumors about me. I was fine with that; it only added to my credentials as a hardened criminal, so people didn’t double-cross me when they fed me information.

“Frankenstein.” One of them coughed the name into their hands, and I withheld the urge to trip the fucker.

Once I knew they were gone, I stretched my hand at my side, feeling the familiar ache. It only made me want my revenge all that much more. Walking down the east hallway toward my philosophy class, I threw my backpack down and slouched in the back row. A few girls passed, flirting with their eyes and batting their lashes. It wasn’t uncommon for one of them to drop into the seats around me so when class was over, they’d be the first to walk out with me. It was a boring routine, and honestly it didn’t hold much appeal. It wasn’t like I dated a ton…I didn’t have time to date, or to even hook up.

Shit, the last time I had gotten anywhere close to hooking up was when I was in that room with the girl who wasn’t Taylor Beck. Thinking of her made me remember her little appearance in the parking lot the other night. I had no idea how or why she’d come to be in my parking lot, but I didn’t like it. The idea that someone had put their hands on her, had mussed that hair…it just…well, fuck, it bothered me and I had no idea why. I didn’t know the girl, had been a prick to her when I essentially kicked her out of the room. Then with the way I talked to her in the parking lot…

But there was something about her that felt…just different. Something like freshly cut grass, the leather on a baseball, andhome.

“Finally,” my friend Juan said accusingly as he sank into the desk next to mine.

I laughed at his comment and dipped down to open my backpack.

“Finally what? You’re the one who’s late.”

He eyed the front of the room before peeking over his shoulder. “You missed like the last three days of class—what in the heck happened?”

My family happened. Elias changing plans and punching my kid brother happened. Working my ass off so my mom didn’t lose her house happened.

“Not much, just picking up a few extra shifts.” Not that he’d understand that. I heard his parents owned several restaurant chains and he was rich. I hadn’t known Juan for very long, just the length of this course, which had started back in January. He was cool to talk to, he liked sports, and he didn’t bullshit. I knew he lived around my apartments too, but we’d yet to hang outside of class.

“Well, Flynn Rider has been in a mood. I’m glad you’re back,” he joked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

I smirked at the use of our teacher’s beloved nickname from some Disney movie, then looked over at him and noticed he was barely dressed. He had on a pair of sweats with a hockey emblem on them, the one for our local team, the Hornets. He wore black Adidas sandals with socks and a large black hoodie, and even his hair was mussed like he’d just woken up.

“Did you just wake up?” I laughed because it was almost noon.

“Dude, my two best friends wrangled me into a TV marathon last night. They wanted to watch this new series on Netflix, and I should have told them no, but they made a seven-layer dip.”

My shoulders shook with laughter while I leaned forward, arranging my notebook in front of me. “Sounds like your friends are chicks, and if they’re single then you should definitely invite me to the next marathon night.”

Mr. Flynn started handing out sheets of paper, talking about the quiz at the end of the week while Juan leaned closer.

“I make it a point not to know if they’re dating anyone, although one of them seems to have a pesky habit of getting herself into trouble. Either way, they’re both handfuls—I think I’ll spare you.”

I laughed once more and considered again the red-haired beauty from the night at the Devils’ house. I needed to stop thinking about her. Instead I needed to focus my efforts on the girl who’d stood me—Elias—up. I needed to go see Daniel, deal in the only currency I had plenty of, and find Taylor Beck.

* * *

I openedthe front door of the team house, hearing laughter echo up from the basement. My freshman and sophomore year had been spent down there, drinking, playing pool, and organizing card games with everyone else. After Dad’s accident, everything changed, and it just didn’t hold the same appeal—not to mention that some of the team now liked to fuck around by calling me names.

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