Page 10 of Claimed and Shamed

I roll my eyes. “I can take care of myself, Sawyer. I don't need you or Hudson telling me what to do.”

Sawyer leans forward, his voice low. “Stevie, listen to me. I'm not trying to boss you around. I just don't want to see you get hurt. The Elites have connections all over campus, and they're not afraid to use violence to get what they want. They’re also rumored to be one of the main suppliers of drugs here at the university.”

“Why are you and Hudson so sure that any of these awful things will happen to me? I didn’t get any of these vibes during my first rush event. It felt fine and I actually enjoyed it. There weren’t any drugs in sight. Besides, just because everyone does them, doesn’t mean I have to do it too. Don’t you think I’m smarter than that?”

“It’s not just drugs, as I mentioned. They have connections. They could be involved in much more serious shit that we know nothing about. Drugs could just be the tip of the iceberg with them.” He sighs. “Looks can be deceiving, Stevie. That’s all I’m saying. Keep your eyes open. Besides, what were you and Hudson doing to spark this conversation?”

“You’re being ridiculous, honestly, and we ran into each other as I was leaving the rush event. He asked what I was doing there, not that it’s any of your business anyways,” the lie comes to me quickly and seems innocent enough.

My phone buzzes, interrupting our conversation. It's Hudson.

“What does he want now?” I mutter, answering the call.

“Stevie, we need to talk,” Hudson says urgently.

“I'm kind of in the middle of something,” I say, glancing at Sawyer.

“It's important,” Hudson insists. “Can you meet me in the park in ten minutes?”

I hesitate. I'm not sure I want to see Hudson right now, but I also can't ignore the urgency in his voice. I’m also not sure how to explain to Sawyer why Hudson wants to talk to me.

"Fine," I say reluctantly. "I'll be there."

In the end, I don’t even have to come up with a lie because Sawyer seems to have realized it was Hudson on the other end of the line and doesn’t look curious at all.

“He probably just wants to apologize for being so harsh. I know Hudson and he probably blew up on you when he found out you were rushing, all because of his personal vendetta with Henrik. Just hear him out. Knowing him, he probably woke up feeling guilty. You know how he is, he gets a hot head quickly, but he’s really a good guy at heart.”

“We’ll see. Because if it’s more of this, I don’t need it.”

“Hey! I’m sure I was a lot nicer than he was. We’re just worried about you, Stevie.”

“Like I said, I can take care of myself. I’ll see you around.”

Sawyer watches as I gather my things and head for the door, hurrying out of the café. I can’t wait to see Hudson, so I can put him in his place for interfering with my life. Telling on me to my brother? What are we, back in high school?

As I walk towards the park, I can't shake the feeling that something big is about to happen. When I arrive at our spot at the park, Hudson is on the phone.

He’s obviously talking to his mother, but his tone is different. Usually when he talks to his mother, they are arguing about his future and his parents’’ unrealistic expectations. This time, it almost sounds to me as if he is agreeing with mother, which is unlike him. What could they possibly be talking about?

Chapter Six

Hudson

God, I fucking hate phone conversations with my mother.

“Hudson, with graduation coming up, it's time you committed yourself to the family business. We've been waiting for you to take over the reins.”

“Yeah, I know I need to find a job and make plans for after graduation, Mom.” I’m trying to just go along with what she’s saying, because that always seems like the fastest way to avoid an argument and also to get her off the phone.

“I'm glad you understand. Your father and I have been talking about this for a while now.”

“I'll do my best to find something suitable, Mom.” I choose my words very carefully because I don’t want to agree to anything specific as concerns the family business. I know I need to make something of myself, but I decided long ago that politics will never be a part of my future. My true passion is underground fighting and what I really want to do is go pro, but I know neither my mother or father would ever understand that passion. In fact, even Sawyer doesn’t support it. He won’t come to any of my fights, he feels so strongly about it. Stephanie is the only one who comes to and supports my underground fights.

Speak of the devil…

There she is, trotting up to me with a very puzzled look on her face.

“Hey, Mom, I have to go. I'll talk to you later.” I quickly end the call before my mother can continue the conversation.