Page 13 of Forbidden Hearts

I grab my gun from under my seat, tuck it into my back, and walk to her apartment.

It’s time to get some answers.

Chapter 7

Alex

A loudBANGwakes me up.

I open my eyes and keep perfectly still, trying to figure out if the sound is real or part of my dream. It sounded close.

Suddenly, footsteps appear in my living room. They get louder as they approach my bedroom. Without losing a beat, I sit up and reach for the wooden bat I keep beside my bed. I clench it with both hands as I hold my breath and glance at the door.

“Son of a bitch!” a man yells. “Almost fucking tripped on the goddamn stool!”

Oh no.

I recognize that voice. I put the bat back in its place and walk out into the living room. Jacob is leaning against a wall, stumbling with each step he takes.

“What are you doing in my apartment?” I ask him.

“I felt like seeing you, sweetheart,” he slurs.

I hate when he calls me that. But I hate it even more when he shows up unannounced at my apartment. “It’s Monday night, Jacob. I need you out of my apartment.”

“I just want to talk,” he says, balancing up on the wall. “I’ve had a shitty night. Ben and some of the boys picked me dry in a poker game. Those pricks. I’m sure they cheated somehow.”

“I have school tomorrow,” I say firmly.

As uncomfortable as it makes me to talk back to him—being my boss and the leader of a biker gang—he keeps crossing the line. He’s an asshole and a pain in the ass.

A few months ago, when he decided I had to sleep with him to get more hours at work, he made me give him a key to my apartment. I have tried to end it several times, but every time I do, he reduces my hours. If I had an alternative way of makinggoodmoney, I would change apartments and never show up at his club again.

But San Marquez is a small college town. Most jobs in town pay very little because they have an infinite supply of college students waiting to be exploited for cheap labor. The only reason Jacob pays well is because he has trouble recruiting workers. Every college student in town is afraid of working with a biker gang, so Jacob makes up for it with higher wages. The tips are usually pretty good, too.

“That’s what I’m here to talk about. School,” Jacob says, stepping forward and reaching for my chin. I recoil from his grip immediately. His face sours, but he continues, “Have you made contact with our mutual friend?”

His breath reeks of beer. I try my best to hide my disgust.

“I have. I’m supposed to meet him during his office hours on Thursday, but I’m not sure if I’ll go.”

“What aren’t you sure about?”

“About going through with this,” I say. “He may fool everybody in class, but we both know who he really is. He’s dangerous.”

“Danger is relative,” Jacob slurs. “He’s just one man. I have an entire army. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Still.”

“It’s all about perspective, sweetheart,” he says. “Don’t think about it as you doing me a favor. Think of it as you doing your sweet mother a favor. She needs that money.”

Even in this drunk state, Jacob knows how to be persuasive. I know he doesn’t care about my mom. He only cares about himself. But he is right that she and I can put the money to good use.

“I’ll go to his office hours,” I finally say.

“And do what?”

“Seduce him. Get him to trust me.”

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