She nods.
“Do you speak Portuguese,” I ask.
Brows furrowed, she shakes her head. “No, I’m Mexican, so Spanish.”
I frown. “So, why call her a piranha, then?”
She shrugs. “She’s like the fish. She hunts down men, has a pack of vicious girls with her at all times, and her mouth cuts like a blade when she opens it.”
Ah. That does make sense. “Good description.”
“Does it mean something else in Portuguese?” she asks, and I nod.
“Yeah. Slut.”
Her lips smash together, and I can tell she’s fighting to remain quiet as her shoulders shake with silent laughter. “I think I like your version better,” she whisper-shouts when she finally gets control of herself.
Me too, I think to myself, though out loud I ask, “Anyone else I should steer clear of?”
Her features tighten and she nods. “Yeah. Silvia Parrish. She’s a senior like us so you might have classes with her. She and some friends jumped me in the bathroom earlier this year. I wouldn’t mess with her. I think the guys have effectively put her in the doghouse but still…I’d be careful.”
“Oh, my god. You were jumped?”
“Shhhh…. Not so loud.”
I cringe. “Sorry. But seriously? Why were you jumped?” That sort of thing would never fly at the academy. There are rules and consequences. No one there can afford to be suspended let alone expelled which is what would happen if you got into a physical altercation with another student.
She huffs out a breath. “It’s another long story. But the Cliff Notes version is that she wanted my boyfriend. It’s not really worth going into but seriously, steer clear. You can’t trust her.”
I swallow hard. What sort of school did I walk into this morning? Brawls in bathrooms is not something I signed up for.
“Don’t worry, though. She won’t try anything with you. At least I don’t think she will. She hates me because I have the guy she wants, but unless you start dating a Devil, I think you’re in the clear.”
Relief washes through me. “No worries there. Not really one for dating guys right now.”
“Girls?” she asks, and I choke on my cracker, coughing hard as I smack myself in the chest.
“What? No.”
She raises both arms. “Hey, no judgment here. If you’re into girls—”
I shake my head. “I’m not. I just…I don’t date. I have a lot going on in my life, and boys are a complication I don’t need.”
She smirks. “I’ve heard that one before. But if you change your mind, let me know. It might be fun to play matchmaker, you know?”
Ha. I highly doubt that.
FORTY-FIVE
Emilio
“Emilio. Hurry up. I’m not going to be late because of your ass,” Aaron calls, heading toward our last class of the day.
“Bro, I’m cutting. If you’re late, that shit is on you.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Roman and Dom—who’d been walking beside him—stop and turn toward me, scowls stamped across their faces.
“Why? Something up at home?” Roman asks, concern immediately coloring his voice.
I sigh, wishing I could take my words back. I’d lie, but these two fuckers are like brothers. Hell, I’m closer with them than I am with Roberto and Antonio, my actual blood brothers. Aaron, on the other hand, he’s a work in progress. Definitely still a fucker. Dammit. I don’t want to lie to their suddenly concerned faces.
