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Brady surveys him with narrowed eyes. “Your father is Brandon Bryant, the congressman out of Vermont, right?”
“So what if he is?”
“Who do you think funded his last campaign, the girl scouts? Without Havoc House, dear old dad would still be toiling as state comptroller.” Brady drums his fingers on the mantle of the fireplace. He has himself positioned so that he is standing directly beneath a wooden carving of a skull with a lotus flower over one eye: the symbol of Havoc House. “I bet you have even bigger political aspirations. Maybe it’s the White House calling your name. You won’t get there without Havoc House.”
Everybody knows that Cole is our resident dark horse. He does a pretty good job of pretending to be the affable jokester, but he knows how to wheel and deal when it's what he wants to do. He makes friends everywhere he goes, and he will take advantage of those connections when it’s necessary.
I’ll never admit it out loud, but he was the only other person who had me worried about whether I’d get elected president of our year.
If Cole makes it to the presidency, no one will see it coming except the people who actually know him. His ambition probably eclipses mine, though he’s better at playing the long game.
But Cole doesn’t seem particularly concerned about Brady’s threat. “I have a feeling I can get to where I need all on my own.”
“I don’t think you’re hearing me,” Brady warns.
Cole’s smile is entirely unrepentant. “The only thing you should be hearing is how sick I am of your shit.”
After a long beat of silence, an answering smile spreads across Brady’s face. Brady smiles like he knows a secret that he has no intention of sharing. “You really don’t get it, do you? It isn’t just about whether or not Havoc House will help you. It’s a question about whether or not Havoc House will be standing in your way.”
There are more than a few gasps around me and I fight the urge to roll of my eyes. It really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that there are consequences here greater than just getting kicked out of Havoc House.
My gaze rests on Brady’s face. I see anger there, but it’s still hard for me to imagine him killing anyone. Before he showed up here as our alumni representative, I wouldn’t have thought he had it in him.
Appearances can be deceiving. I probably understand that better than anyone here.
The humor is gone from Cole’s expression. “That sounds like a threat.”
Brady only shrugs, but he knows that he won this round. “Whatever it takes to motivate you lazy assholes. You’re not just letting me down, but all of Havoc House. There will be consequences if you don’t come through.”
Cole doesn’t respond, but the look in his eye is deadly as he settles back on the sofa. I can practically see the wheels turning in his head.
Another senior, Xavier Thornton, pipes up from the back of the room. “So what’s the plan?”
“Feel free to make a suggestion,” Brady snaps.
“She isn’t going to be scared away by some pedestrian crap,” Fred Phillips, another senior comments. He would have never made it through our pledge year if he didn’t have distant ties to the British Royal family. “It’s not like we can kill her.”
A faint note of sarcasm enters Brady’s voice. “Not unless you think you can get away with it.”
Most of the guys laugh, but Brady doesn’t join in.
Something tells me that he isn’t exactly joking.
Brady abruptly ends the meeting and tells everyone to stay out of his sight for the rest of the weekend. I almost make it to the door before he calls me back.
“Not you, Van Koch.”
Schooling my face, I turn around. “What’s up, man?”
“Wait, a minute.” Brady moves past me to shut the French doors. The glass has been painted over so no one will be able to see us, but sound travels pretty easily through the house.
My heart kicks up with an unhealthy jolt of anticipation. If Brady has figured out that I’m working with Evangeline, being kicked out of Havoc House will be the least of my worries.
I lean against the back of the couch with my arms crossed over my chest, striving for calm. I can’t give anything away, not when I have no idea what he knows.
Someone will probably hear it if he tries to kill me.
Brady frowns at me. “We have a big fucking problem.”
