Page 54 of Snitches and Serpents

Indecision swirls through me. On the one hand, I’m wary of making deals with strangers that I know nothing about. But on the other hand, I really do need his help. When Tristan finds out that I haven’t been arrested and expelled, he’s going to come after me again. And like he threatened earlier, he only needs to succeed once while I need to anticipate his moves and evade them every time. But if I have a safety net, someone who can get me off the hook when Tristan sets me up, it changes the entire game.

And besides, this stranger has already proven that his word is good. I went from definitely getting charged to released with all charges dropped within a few hours. If he can do that, he certainly has influence over the police force just like he claimed.

I lick my lips.

“Well?” he prompts. “What’s it gonna be?”

“Deal,” I reply.

His mouth curves up in a lopsided smile. “Good.” Then he holds out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

I hesitantly hand it over. He seems amused by my caution, but doesn’t comment on it. All he does is to simply take my phone and dial a number.

A distinct vibrating sound comes from his pocket.

He ends the call.

“Save my number,” he says as he hands me my phone back. But when I take it, he doesn’t release it. Instead, he remains holding it while locking commanding eyes on me. “And text me with updates.”

“I won’t be able to follow him around all the time,” I say, still holding on to my side of the phone. “I have class.”

“I know.”

I’m just about to ask if that means that he’s okay with only getting sporadic updates, but before I can get a word out, he abruptly releases my phone and starts walking away.

“Wait,” I say. “What should I call you?”

“Call me whatever you like,” he replies while he keeps walking.

Standing there, my phone still in one hand, all I do is to stare after him as he disappears into the darkness. I should feel worried. Or at least unsettled. But I’m not.

Instead, I only feel fire burn through me. I feel like something inside me has snapped. I trusted Tristan, I did everything he said, and he screwed me over. If it’s war he wants, it’s war he’ll get.

No more holding back.

20

TRISTAN

Leaning against the wall, I scan the crown of drunk people while Paul makes his rounds. Music thumps through the living room. It’s so loud that I swear the bloody windows are rattling.

To my left, a group of guys laugh and shove each other as they play beer pong around the dining room table while another group of both guys and girls are making out on the red couches in the middle of the room. And everywhere in between, people are clustered together on the floor, either dancing or screaming to be heard over the music as they try to talk. I shake my head at all of them.

I really don’t want to be here. I need to study. There are now just over two weeks left until the first week of exams, and I have some seriously intense classes this semester. I’m smart, and I do genuinely enjoy learning about this, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I also need to study in order to pass the exams. Which is why I should be seated at the desk in my room right now. Not leaning against the wall in the middle of a party.

But I can’t leave.

My gaze sweeps across the room again before landing on Paul. He’s seated on the armrest, chatting up some girls on the couch. I have already determined that there are no threats to him at this party, but I still can’t leave. Because this is my job.

Paul is here to sell, and I’m here to make sure that no one messes with him or tries to take the product without paying for it. Or if they do, I’m here to make sure that they come to regret it.

But none of the guys who usually make trouble are at this party. It’s just a house full of drunk art students. Which is the best crowd to sell to. Lots of them do drugs, to help with creativity or whatever, and practically none of them are inclined to violence. But even though I know all of that, I still need to be here and lurk behind Paul’s shoulder like the god of death.

So I lean against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest, and scan the crowd for threats that won’t come.

Soon enough, my mind drifts back to Elle. Again. Ever since I got her arrested last night, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. She keeps popping up at the most inconvenient times. Especially the sight of her in handcuffs.

A small flicker of guilt pulses through me.

---