Page 63 of The Unravelings

“Yeah, well, he already set that up once.” I frown when Mack looks back at me and narrows his eyes again.

Fucker.

“My advice? Don’t show up to the Coliseum for the rest of the damn semester. He’s only going to call you out more, and he can only beat your ass there,” Wilder says, rolling his unlit cigarette between his fingers. “For some reason, you’re under his skin.” He smirks with delight.

“I could take him,” I proclaim.

I could. Mack. Hux. JJ. I could take them any day. The only fucker I don’t know about is Malic, but there’s no way in hell he’d go along with Mack’s bullshit.

“Yeah,” Wilder snorts. “I’m aware. You got a mean left hook and uppercut. You’re good. If you ever want to practice pummeling in Mack’s face, come by our gym sometime.”

I cock my head. That’s not the first time Wilder has invited me to spar at his gym. And you know what? Working out my frustrations might be nice. Better than drinking myself to death and falling into an addiction I could easily cope with. Jordy and I always mess around and wrestle. I always win, of course. But having a healthy outlet to relieve this tension building in me would help.

“Yeah, uh, thanks. I’ll take you up on that.” I nod once.

“Come by after five on Thursday. It’s an open gym. The sparring mats will be open.”

I open my mouth to answer, but a loud, booming voice greets us at the front of the room.

“Settle down. Find your seats!” the professor says into a small microphone, projecting his voice throughout the classroom.

Well, that’s a new feature.

“Today, we have several things to discuss. If you’re familiar with your syllabus, then you know we’re about to dive into our first group project of the semester.”

I stiffen. A group project? I really need to study up on my papers for these classes to learn what to expect.

A few students murmur excitedly, claiming each other as partners.

“Now, don’t get too excited. I will be the one assigning your partners. You’ll be placed in groups of three. You will work together for the remainder of the semester.” He holds up a folder thick with papers. “Each person in your group will receive an overview of the case. But only one folder contains your complete case files. Do not misplace them. One folder per group. You lose it. You automatically get a failing grade.”

On the smart board behind him, information appears. Cold cases from Greenwood. You’re the detective. Solve the case with what you have.

“This semester, we’re going to look at real cold cases from around town.” He grimaces. “Unfortunately, the department has a lot. So we have quite a bit to work with. Inside your folders, you will find all the evidence collected. Witness statements. Or, in some cases, no witnesses were available. It is up to you to help solve a real case. And if you’re lucky, you’ll bring real criminals to justice.” As he says the words, his eyes slide from Mack to Wilder and then across the room.

Ah, he knows who runs this town. He knows who the culprits might be.

Wilder sighs. “Well, this should be interesting.”

“Yeah, getting to solve a real case. That’s pretty cool.” My words come out maybe a little bit too enthusiastic, laced with excitement.

“You seem pleased about it. You gonna become a detective someday?” Wilder raises a brow, checking me over with an assessing eye.

Oh, if he only knew that I’m already a detective with a secret agency. I’m sure he’d murder me where I sit. This entire campus would. Minus the innocent students here on scholarship and the civilians. Only the Mafia heirs and the future gang leaders and members would care that I’m an agent of Veritas.

“Something like that,” I mutter under my breath, trying to deflate my enthusiasm.

Act cool, Liv.

I may not be good at hiding myself from JJ. Or making good decisions while drinking at a bar. Or keeping my cool in the face of danger. But I’m excellent at reading case files and catching the inconsistencies and small details. It sends thrills through my veins.

The professor drones on, explaining in more detail his expectations for these cases and how we’ll present our project at the end of the semester. Oh, and how it’s 80 percent of our grade. Wonderful.

As he begins to read off names and students move to join their partners, I zone out, still feeling the effects of my period holding me down. Oh, and the bruises on my face and ribs. I glare at Brutus, who moves to meet with two other students he’s partnered with. He’s been awfully quiet since the fight, probably biding his time to get back at me.

My abdomen cramps slightly, but quickly vanishes. I huff. This should be over by now. Gone. Left me alone. Of course, my period has always been unpredictable. Coming and going as it wishes and staying longer than it needs to.

“Jackson Wilder, Oliver Davenport, and Macklyn Owens.”