Page 37 of Study Games

I ached every-fucking-where and I was pretty sure I both drooled and bled all over the leather of my friend’s backseat.

His words rolled around and around in my head as the coupe pulled up sharply.

They did a job on you.

I reacted way too late.

“Yeah. They did,” I croaked, sliding a little in the damp, cramped space.

“Jesus, you’re a mess.” Crush sighed, passing a flask filled with something astringent to my cracked lips that tasted like moonshine as he settled my ass on something cold and hard. “You got the right kid organized for this?”

Someone beyond me agreed, and even though I could barely see, I knew where we were.

The medical unit at Rippton U had to be one of the most well equipped in the country. It was like Candyland for students with all the kit of a fully equipped hospital. MRI, CT, CAT scans, x-ray… Whatever the med students needed to Frankenstein my ass up. The kid in the white coat wasn't a doctor or anything legit–yet–as he offered to stitch me up and pump me full of drugs.

I didn't want any of it.

“I need to get to her.”

Crush’s hand clamped over my shoulder. “Not until we see how much damage they did to you.”

“This is urgent.”

One of his mates sneaked around behind me. “So is my need to piss, dickwad.”

“Delightful.” I let the sneer fall out of the corner of my mouth, slurring a little as the hit of shitty alcohol burst through my system. I took another slug and managed to swallow another decent mouthful of the vile juice. “This is shit. Who made it?”

Crush bent to look into my face. “Mafia boy on the third floor. Room next door to yours.”

That would be the local don’s princeling who thought his shit didn’t stink. Falcon Gianio. Heard he was a good shot when it counted though and didn’t flinch from a fight. Points in his corner. Still…

“Fucking figures.”

The smile dropped off Crush’s face. “What did the twins want?”

I shook my head. “It wasn't about me. They wanted her.” Everyone and everything behind me stopped.

“The fuck did she do?”

I shook my head and the whole room swayed. “This is why it's fucking urgent, Napoleon.” I waved the med student back again when he came at me. Something on my face must have finally registered and Crush held up his hand. That, or my use of his first name damn well worked. Blessedly, the room stopped moving. Bonus. “It's not something she did. They're trying to take someone else’s penance out on her.”

“Who?”

“Her brother.”

Napoleon Crush stood tall, every inch of humor dropping from his face. “And now they've taken it out on you, too.”

I shrugged. “Add it to my tally.”

“Don't do that,” he snapped.

“Frat boy.”

“Fucker.”

I hefted an eyebrow that weighed as much as my damn soul. “What, you gonna help again? I can't pay your man right now.”

He shook his head. “Bullshit. You’re worth as much as the rest of us.”

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