Page 17 of Mercy in Betrayal

I hate lying to Cassidy more than anything, but I don’t have a choice. If he knew I had gotten jumped on my first day of school, he’d put me right back in my gilded cage.

And it was nothing.

Just a random robbery that happens all the time. I was carrying a cash box—there’s no way it was anything else. But Evie and Cassidy would immediately jump to the worst possible conclusion and swear that it was a conspiracy—some mafia thing—and determine that it was too dangerous to risk allowing me to attend school on campus.

I’m not giving them that opportunity. I will go to school like every other girl my age.

“Let me see your class schedule.” Cassidy holds out his hand and snaps his fingers, the gesture imperious.

Pressing my lips together, I reach for my bag.

I planned for this. During my training for the coffee-cart, I talked to a lot of other students. One was a pre-med student who lamented long and loud about how terrible his class schedule was. I swapped my class times for his, an easy fix with one of the word processors in the library.

He was a full-time student taking extra classes to graduate a semester early.

Cassidy had paid for me to be full-time, but I had downgraded to part-time during the orientation period.

The doctored schedule will give the illusion that I’m busier with classes than I actually am.

I hand it to him and watch as he looks it over.

“You’re taking too many classes.”

“No. I’m not.”

“I think you should start out a little slower.”

I feel the flush creeping up, a visible precursor that my temper is about to break loose. Evie steps forward, placing a hand on Cassidy’s arm.

“Now, hold on a second. Rowan is perfectly capable of managing a full class schedule, and one doesn’t necessarily inform the other, you know.”

He looks at her irritably. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means her class schedule doesn’t have anything to do with when or how she got home. She just needs to be more careful—” Evie turns the full weight of her stare upon me. “Don’t you, Rowan?” I nod. “I won’t hear of her being given less of a challenge just because she’s female. Challenge is good.”

Cassidy opens his mouth, and Evie holds up a palm to silence him. “We can make arrangements for her transportation, and Rowan will abide by them, but you’re not going to hold her back.”

A pang of affection for my sister-in-law strikes me in the region of my heart, followed by one of guilt. I look down at Clementine to hide it, then stand and gather my things. “Thank you, Evie,” I mumble. Clementine in tow, I go to my room.

Frustrated, I drop onto the bed and stare at the ceiling. I hate this feeling. I try to be honest, but God… I’d be locked in this sleek Manhattan tower until I turned forty if I didn’t do something.

My phone buzzes, and I pick it up to see a message from Vivi Valachi.

Vivi: How was the first day?

Me: Crazy.

Vivi: Crazy good or crazy bad?

Rowan: I don’t know. (Laughing emoji.)

Sitting up, I tug my shirt over my head, and then discard my bra. I have to stand to shimmy out of my trousers and find a satiny nightgown but quickly turn off all the lights except the small one beside the bed and climb beneath the covers. Vivi and I continue texting as I sink into the pillows and allow myself to relax for the first time all day.

Rowan: I met a man.

Vivi: Oh, yeah? Tell me more.

Rowan: There’s not much to tell. He was just…different.

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