Page 74 of The Deceptions
It's in every molecule in the air. Making my teeth grind and an uneasiness crawl through me.
It's been a long, quiet summer without my peers. I retract that. Quiet was not included in our summer adventures. The homefront was loud and chaotic. The empty campus was our sanctuary. Quiet and empty, devoid of noisy humans. Leaving only Hux, Mack, and I here, running jobs for Franco throughout Greenwood like one of the dutiful foster sons we are. Sitting in on meetings at the casino, running contraband from city to city, participating in car races, and leading raids.
The quiet was soothing, but I knew it would end when everyone returned to their college life at one of California's most prestigious institutions.
Louder than fucking ever.
Fuck. I pinch the bridge of my nose, wishing I could hide behind my screen and never emerge into the real world. But I can’t. We have business to attend to. Shit to do. And with classes starting on Wednesday, there’s no time to slack off and hide in the silence. I need to face the noise head-on, even if I’d rather not.
Silence is my comfort. A soundless environment I found peace in when I was eight and the world suddenly stopped turning and making noise.
I sigh with relief when my hearing aids naturally adjust the volume, blocking out the voices and muffling their existence. The pressure on my skin eases, and I no longer feel tight and scratchy with the urge to run back to our home.
I promised Hux I'd help him today. Well, until Amanda texted and whined she needed him, throwing a wrench into our plans. Per her fucking usual.
So, that leaves me, watching my peers from the shadows as I rest against the weathered brick of the administrative building, waiting for Hux to deal with Amanda's—well, I'm not quite sure. There's always something with her. She never leaves him be. Always up his ass to do this and that for her. And now, after being forced to put a ring on her finger, per Franco’s request, it’ll only get worse. For all of us.
Unless I find a loophole in their grand scheme to marry Hux and Amanda for alliance purposes. And if anyone can do it, it’s me.
Adjusting my posture, I lean against the weathered brick with the muffled noises of everything happening around me softly in my ears. Relief hits me out of nowhere, and I close my eyes, unfurling my muscles. When I peek an eye open, a few girls I recognize walk by, but they don't notice me here watching them from the shadows.
I may be unable to hear their conversation as they pass by, none the wiser of my presence. But I can read their lips. Every word spoken. Every sigh passing between them. In my world, it comes in handy to be able to read people. Their expressions. Their lips. Their body language.
My specialty.
I cringe, turning sharply on my heels with wide eyes when the double doors of the admin building burst open, smacking into the brick with a loud thud and revealing my scowling best friend. His shoulders reach his ears, bunching with every step he takes down the small set of stairs leading to the sidewalk. Other people notice his sudden outburst with slack jaws and whispers. Yes. That’s the infamous Huxley Crewes. The King of Greenwood U that everyone drools over when he makes an appearance.
“Hux?” I question loudly, not garnering his attention.
He continues to march away from me, pounding his feet into the grass and kicking up dirt in his wake. Every person he passes gives him a wide berth now, no longer staring with admiration. Instead, it’s fear wafting from their pores. Smart. He's likely to start swinging if someone gives him lip or the wrong sideways glance.
Always with the violence.
“Huxley.” My voice dips low, attempting to catch his attention as I jog after him. “What did she do this time?” I gasp for breath, putting a hand on my racing heart.
Running is not my forte; if I had it my way, I'd stay behind my computer screen to accomplish what I needed. Hell, I'd even go to virtual classes just to avoid the noisy world and everything it has to offer.
Too bad that's not in the cards for me.
"I run Greenwood U now, boys," Franco says with a grin, pacing in front of us as we sit in the suite overlooking his casino floor. Something in my stomach drops when he stops, looking between the three of us with something odd sparkling in his eyes. "So, you'll be good to show the student body who their kings are."
"Kings?" Hux asks, tilting his head.
Franco's grin widens. "You're the Kings of Greenwood U now."
"And you run it now?" Mack asks, smacking the gum in his mouth loudly. Well, until Franco sends him a glare, he stops with a huff.
Franco shrugs, not exactly confirming a change in command. "This is where you boys come in. The future is in your hands. Our organization. This town." He licks his lips. "Greenwood has potential, and we're going to exploit it for all its worth.”
Whatever that meant. That day, we were given instructions on how we should run our clubhouse. Hold initiations. Find more members. Introduce them to our life and expand our business around the United States.
“Not here,” Hux grunts, slowing his steps to a normal pace. “Let’s go home.” He nods toward the back of campus where our house sits on the hill overlooking the entire damn world.
Well, that wasn't our original destination.
"You don't want to..." I trail off when the fury in his eyes connects with mine, and my lips snap shut.
Okay, then. We're not doing that right now. Not that I don't blame him. That's an entirely different type of shit show he’s involved us in. Albeit necessary for the good of campus, but very fucking messy.
