Page 19 of Deceit & Destruction

My eyes widen slightly.

“Wearen’t going anywhere. This is my problem. The only reason why I was willing to take Webber on the offer to tutor you is because with the baby coming, I need more space and I thought if I started tutoring you, word would get out and I could build up a new roster of students.”

“Yeah, well, we need a new plan because you’re a hundred percent right. If Blackthorne finds out the baby is his, he’s going to ruin you, and while he may be too much of a cunt to kill you, don’t doubt he doesn’t have a whole slew of minions he could hire to do the job.”

Hearing him say it makes it real for some reason.

“I can’t ask you to get involved.”

“You didn’t ask me, I volunteered myself for the cause.”

“Why?”

He shakes his head.

“Truth?”

I nod.

“I have no fucking idea,” he admits, swiping a hand over his face. He pauses and fixes me with a determined stare. “But you should know once I get myself into something, I see it through to the end. Unless of course I can benefit from it in some way—then I send it to hell in a handbasket.”

He lifts his broken arm.

“Case in point.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t crash the car.”

“Neither did you,” I argue.

He raises an eyebrow.

“So we’re on the same page. You think it was intentional too.”

I shrug a shoulder.

“I know you tried to avoid the collision and the other car went out of the way to hit us. I’d say it doesn’t get more intentional than that. Do you think it was Blackthorne or one of his guys? I guess that would explain how he knew I was in the hospital.”

He considers my theory.

“Possibly, but until we know for certain I think we should keep all options open. Do you still need a room?”

“That depends. Do you still need a tutor?”

“No, with my arm out of commission, my grades don’t matter. Nothing I do will get me on the field this semester.”

“Then I guess I don’t need a room.”

“But you do need me to sell the lie we just told Blackthorne.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting you take the room. If it makes you feel better, then I guess you can tutor me too. Now that my football career has tanked, I need a new plan. Maybe Shakespeare will rub off on me and I’ll become a fucking poet.”

“Not with that mouth.”

His lips curve.

---