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Through the passionate kiss, I cracked my eyes open just enough to spot Deacon standing in the doorway to the frat house.
How long had he been standing there? Had he seen Rector leave? Did he care?
Our eyes met. The deep blue of his eyes bore through me, questioning… maybe even accusing.
He was beyond angry. He was pissed.
Chapter1
Rhode “Rector”
I looked out the window of the Escalade, my eyes on Brook as a deep sense of loss took over me. In addition to the pain of losing her, I watched the fraternity that I’d helped build fade into the distance… and fall into the hands of my childhood friend.
Damn. How had things gone so wrong?
Shake it off, I told myself with a shudder.
I brought my attention to the road ahead. We left the university campus, left the city and soon we were on a long and winding road that led to the prestige of my father’s lakefront home. Lined with tall mature trees that offered a thick canopy over the road, the landscape was that of dreams. Beyond the trees were the rolling hills that led to majestic homes.
Immaculate grounds. That was the order of the day. Not a single home in the area allowed a blade of grass to grow too long. Not a weed intruded on the perfection of the lawns. Trees were routinely pruned and kept tidy. Rose bushes were healthy, their blooms treasured.
The winding road brought us to a narrow paved private road. Only a quarter of a mile further was there a gate.
Gustave, my father’s chauffeur, dutifully entered the four-digit code that slid back the gate.
“Dad said he was going to have a more modern device put in,” I said to Gustave. “He said you’d only have to pass close enough to a detector, and it would pick up on a transponder in the car.”
Chuckling, Gustave nodded as he drove past the gate. “Indeed, young Rhode. Your father has many times mentioned such a device.”
“Then what is he waiting for?” I said, annoyed by the inconvenience of having to stop at the gate, but not quite understanding why. “It’s not like he can’t afford it.”
Still chuckling, Gustave gazed up at me through the rearview mirror. “I do believe that your father has other priorities, young Rhode.”
“Yeah, right,” I muttered as we drove past the precision cut lawn dotted with thoughtfully placed trees and bushes.
The closer we got to the house, the edgier I felt. My father. The confrontation with my father.
I wasn’t ready.
My phone rang and I almost jumped out of my skin.
Calm down, will you, I silently berated myself.
“Yeah,” I said, taking the call from Deacon. “You couldn’t be bothered to come out to say goodbye, but you call me the minute I’m about to arrive at my father’s door?”
“The lake house?” Deacon said with a wry chuckle.
“Yeah,” I said with a grunt. “The lake house. What’s up?”
“Listen, Rhode,” Deacon said, his tone too serious and far too mature for his age. “We need to talk.”
“Right. Is that why you didn’t come out to say goodbye? Because you need to talk to me?”
“We’ve been played.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I said, my irritation growing.
“Jesus, Rhode. You’re a smart guy. You’ve never let anyone pull one over on you. Why are you letting it happen now?”
