Page 55 of Brutal Kingdom

“This isn’t about her living arrangements. What do you know about probate court?”

Bella lies through her teeth for a living, so I watch her hands as she answers the question. “It’s the place where housing issues, estates and wills and trusts are filed. Right?”

“It’s also where wills and trusts are challenged.” I give a moment for that to sink in. This time I watch her face. She blinks, narrows her eyes and averts her gaze, all in the span of ten-seconds. I pretend not to notice the brief look of panic on her face. “I think she’s doing an article on the Kingsley Hollow court system. More specifically, how they handle the filing of someone’s will.”

Bella relaxes, sitting back in the chair as much as she can without tipping it over. “Okay. What does that have to do with us?”

“It’s Jordanna we’re talking about. She likes to dig and find a scandal. Last semester we were her favorite research topic. We should find out who she’s going after next.” I lean back and sip my coffee. “I was thinking we could warn them.”

“You’re right. We should find out who she’s targeting and let them know.” She flips her hair. “You know she hates everyone with money.”

“She didn’t seem to hate Noel, Sterling, or Dixon last semester, and seems pretty fond of Graham this semester.”

“Because they helped her fool us. And you know how she is with her pussy. They’re all obviously being led around by their dicks.” She cuts her eyes at me. “No offense.”

I take the jab in stride. I’ve got bigger issues to worry about than Bella commenting on my sex life. “None taken.” After a beat, I ask, “So what do you think. Does my history with Jordanna have me seeing foes when they’re really windmills?”

She gives me what’s supposed to pass as a comforting smile, but her tone is downright condescending. “I don’t think you’re being paranoid at all and I’m glad you brought this to me, Logan.”

“You are? I thought you’d be pissed about meeting me here away from the rest of the group.”

“Yes. Ordinarily, I would, because you don’t summon me. That’s not how this works anymore. But you were right to have this discussion in private. Frankie and Hal are out for blood. You saw what they did on hell night.”

Right on cue, Bella refuses to take responsibility for any of the shit she does. Frankie and Hal may have thrown Jordanna into the room, but it was on Bella’s orders.

I pretend to believe her when she says, “Those boys would blow this all out of proportion, so we need to take care of this ourselves.”

“Jordanna would have to be targeting someone big…” I let my voice tail off and furrow my brows as if I’m struggling with a thought.

She takes the bait. “You think you know who it is?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe. I didn’t think anything of it, but last semester she was asking a lot of questions about the Ruttledges. When I asked why she was suddenly interested in them, she fed me some line about being curious because her mother rents one of their properties.”

“Oh Logan. You know you can’t believe anything she says. She was digging for info. What did you tell her?”

“I said they own a lot of commercial and residential properties all over. That’s public knowledge.”

“She didn’t ask anything else?”

“Like what?”

“Like where they bank or where they invest their money?”

Now that’s a weird segue if I’ve ever heard one. “Nope. Investments never came up, but that doesn’t mean she’s not looking into those too.”

Bella nods, leaning closer. “She’s fixated on those of us with money. I think it must be because she doesn’t have any.”

Ri-ight. Turning her favorite phrase against her, I ask, “You want me to get into this?”

She looks up from her phone and shakes her head. “I’ll handle it.”

“I don’t mind. Frankie and Hal aren’t the only ones who want a pound of flesh.”

“Exactly. All of you are too close to this. I’ll have my people look into it and let you know if I find anything troubling.”

Her people? The ones who are paid to do her bidding? “You’re right. We should come at her from opposite sides. I still need to work on getting that blackmail folder she has.”

“Um. I don’t think we have to worry about that anymore.”