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“It was awkward and kind of scary.” Zadie shrugged. “He didn’t take his gun out again, so that was good. He used his phone a lot, we talked a little, and um...I don’t know. He got a call, I think from his brother, then he rushed out of here really fast. That was right before Helen and Lock got back.”
Elena drummed her perfect nails on the arm of her chair. “That’s it? Your first time being held hostage, and that’s the extent of your story?”
“I’m kind of hoping it’s my only hostage experience.” Zadie tucked her hair behind her ear. “That would be great.”
Elena wagged her finger at Z. “I think something else happened. One day, once we’ve dismantled the corrupt patriarchy in Savage River and shoved dicks down Daniel and Reno’s throats—perhaps each other’s, I haven’t decided—I’ll get the full story from you.”
Zadie released a sound that was a cross between a whimper and a laugh. “There’s no story.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed to suspicious-looking slits. “Okay, babe. I’ll drop it for now. Now, let’s discuss everything I know about Daniel that could positively ruin him.”
With Elena’s graphic revenge plots as bedtime stories and Zadie’s meds, I got a full night of dreamless sleep, so by Monday, I was aching, but feeling close to human. My hoodie mostly covered the bruises on my throat. I couldn’t do much about my face, but if anyone asked, I’d tell them it came from a rad skateboarding accident.
Thankfully, everyone minded their fucking business because the meds wore off by midday, and I was a grumpy, aching bitch. My head was down on the table when Lock sat down beside me in Shakespeare. I grunted at him in greeting. He laughed back.
Except that low, lovely laugh wasn’t Lock’s.
I peeked up, finding Theo’s gentle smile. “You’re not Lock.”
He cupped the back of my head and leaned his face closer to mine. “Sorry to disappoint. I bribed him to switch seats with me today. How are you?”
“Bitchy.”
He kissed my head. “Does it hurt, baby?”
“It doesn’t feel great.”
“One more class, then you can go home and take a nap. You can do it, Tiger.”
I nodded. “Okay.” His hand rested on top of the desk. I knew hands like that. Swollen and scabbed-over knuckles. Maybe it was how I grew up, but I liked it. His fighting hands turned me on and sent a rush of heat between my legs. I pulled his hand to my lips, touching his knuckles gently. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” He dragged his thumb across my lip once. “It was my pleasure. Do you understand me? I loved every second of delivering that message to Daniel.”
Watch me make it burn.
Warmth pooled low in my belly at the savagery of that statement. “I wish I’d seen it.”
His grin was smooth and wicked, and he gave me the kind of look I never knew he had in him—a look that said he understood exactly why I wished I’d been there to see him beat the hell out of Daniel, and it wasn’t only about retribution.
Theo helped me sit up and scooted his chair closer so he could drape his arm around the back of mine. And I let him. I was feeling all kinds of vulnerable and strange, and having Theo near muted all that. I barely paid attention to a thing Davis said, but the hour went by fast anyway.
After class, he walked me back to my dorm and followed me inside without asking if it was okay. When I told him I needed to nap, it felt natural when he had lain with me, even though we’d never just lay in my bed together without it leading somewhere.
We were face to face, barely touching. Our feet were stacked together, and Theo’s fingertips were grazing over my injuries.
“I have the money Daniel stole,” he murmured. “You don’t need to worry about working this week, okay?”
An anvil lifted off my chest. “Okay. That’s good. I was wondering if I could play the sympathy card for tips, but dudes don’t really come to strip clubs to hear our life stories.”
His exhale was heavy. “You’re not working there much longer. Do you hear me?”
I touched his mouth with my fingers. “Shut it. We’re having a nice moment. If you start trying to act like my daddy, I’ll have to be a brat.”
“You just got the shit beat out of you, baby. How can you think I’ll let you go back there?”
“The strip club didn’t do it. Reno did. And guess what? I’ll have to go back to him too. This is me. There’s no escaping it. Not yet anyway.”
He cupped my cheek. “Soon. This will be over soon.”
