Page 49 of Forbidden Game

Deer pitches forward, over Lee, and slaps her hands on my thighs. “Syd, it’s okay, you can tell me. Whose dick did you have to suck for that price? Or vagina. I’m very open.”

I choke on my pretzel.

Deer’s wide eyes blink up at me from beneath her anime lashes, and Lee lets loose a loud howling laugh between us, tears beading in her eyes.

“Oh, she didn’t even have to suck a dick for that deal. It was given freely. Without her knowledge, clearly.” Stevie throws us a wolfish grin as she drains the last of her wine.

“What are you talking about?”

“Sydney, your apartment costs ten grand a month.” She raises a perfect brow at me before pointing a finger at Deer. “Which you can afford, by the way.”

“I know, I’d just rather not.” Deer pushes off me and slumps back across the velvet couch.

“Hang on, rewind. My apartment does not cost that much.”

I would know if my apartment is actually four times the price I pay.

Stevie flicks her wrist. “Google it.”

I let out a huff, standing up and grabbing my phone from the bowl by the door. Lee has a strict “no phone” rule during Crime Night unless absolutely necessary. We all spend way too much time staring at the little rectangle screens during our day-to-day life that it is always a nice break.

I throw the name of the complex into the search engine and click on the website before scrolling down to available apartments. There’s only one one-bedroom apartment for rent right now, and it has a similar floorplan to my own. I click on it and wait for the price to load.

My brows pull together at the number on the screen.

I hit the refresh button and let it load again.

When the same number appears, I look up and see Stevie grinning at me over the back of the armchair, her head perched between her hands like a demonic cherub. I toss my phone back into the bowl and stalk over to her.

“Explain.”

She spins back around, her glossy lips pulling up in a smirk. She makes a dramatic show of crossing her tan legs and placing her clasped hands on her knees. Her catlike eyes sparkle with mischief. It is no surprise Aleksander fell for her the second he laid eyes on her. She is stunning.

“Parker owns the complex.”

My eyes narrow. “The Covingtons don’t own residential real estate.”

“Which is why I said Parker.” She leans forward to fill up her wine glass. “Parker Covington owns your apartment complex, and he gave you the apartment at a reduced price.”

“That’s not a reduced rate, Stevie! That’s basically fraud!” My voice comes out higher than I intended. “It can’t be legal.”

My head is spinning.

“I mean, if he did it of his own volition, I don’t see an issue with it,” Deer cuts in with a shrug.

“You really didn’t know?” Lee gives me a look of incredulity, and I just shake my head.

“I barely even knew him when I got the place.”

The excuse is weak and, honestly, does nothing to help my case. It just makes it even more confusing.

I’d only been working with The System for a few weeks when Parker had told me that it would be a lot easier if I lived in the same building instead of commuting over an hour—especially since their schedules could change on a whim. It helped that I kind of hated my dingy apartment at the time. It was all I’d been able to afford moving out to California not really understanding how much higher the rent was compared to Missouri, and the idea of living in a glitzy apartment complex seemed like a dream.

I should’ve known it was too good to be true.

“Hmm, well, he does have a nice butt. Wouldn’t blame ya if you were giving him alternative forms of payment. Just saying.” Deer sucks loudly on her boba.

“Ew.” Lee scrunches her nose. “He’s like my little brother. I really don’t want to think about his ass or any other part of his body naked.”

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