Page 29 of Forbidden Deviant Games

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grit out. My hand throbs. “But don’t you ever fucking insult him like that again. You think I was trying to find someone richer than you?” I laugh. “Please. Your money means nothing—not to me and not to the real world. Mitchell Vikson is twice the man you’ll ever fucking be. I don’t care where he came from or what he does.” As I say the words, I realize they’re true.

When Viks gets all commanding and possessive, it scares me. It makes me want to run. But at the same time, I realize that he’s probably the safest place I could ever be. I hated him, but now, I trust him.

Wait.I pause.When the fuck did I ever start to think of my hatred towards him as past tense?

“You are fucking him.” Josh’s words draw me back to the present and I refocus on him, loosening my grip.

“Go away, Josh,” I say, taking a step back. “Stay out of my business and out of my life.” I turn my back on him and start walking.

“Haley, please…” Footsteps echo against the pavement at my back as he starts to follow me.

I stop and look back and he freezes, his hand outstretched towards me. It’s not just sad, it’s pathetic. “This is my final answer, Josh,” I say. “I don’t want you and I never have. So, please, do us both a favor and get lost. Stay away from me and if you know what’s good for you, stay away from Viks.”

15

VIKS

Patrick Kennedy has a backer.It’s the only excuse, the only reason for why I haven’t yet caught the bastard. I scrub a hand down my face as Jackson’s fingers fly across his keyboard. Several small screens that reflect the recent security feed from Eastpoint University are set up across two of his monitors.

“I’ve run a facial recognition program across every single one of these cameras,” Jackson says. “He’s never been found. He shows up at the club, but never on campus.”

“Do you think the students could be getting it at the club and then taking it back to campus?” I ask.

“It’s possible,” Jackson says as he presses a button, and somewhere in the room, a printer whirs to life. He rolls across the floor towards it and pulls off the first sheet, handing it to me as he scoots back in front of the row of monitors on his desk. “However, the reports I’ve scanned from local medical facilities and the police department tell a different story.”

I scan the contents of the page and scowl. “It’s spreading,” I curse, “like a fucking disease.”

“Yup.” He pops the end of the word and shakes his head. “And that means he’s got partners—at least one on campus. We haven’t seen his face on the security feeds, but he’s the only one we know to look for. There’s a second dealer, and they’re probably working together.”

He’s right. Though some might believe all drug dealers are competition, that’s not always true. From what I know of my childhood, there were far too many dealers in my small shithole hometown to count. Dealers selling the same drugs often came from the same distributor. In some cases, this one especially, when a new drug hits the streets and expands in a fast spread—that means they’re trying to expedite the popularity of their product.

Haze is getting passed around like candy and its value is plummeting for now because it’s so readily available. I need to catch Kennedy, who I suspect is the distributor, before he cuts off the supply and watches the newly addicted rich kids from Eastpoint try to kill each other as they sell their souls for their next high.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and to my ears, it’s a damn death toll. I pull it out and answer it. “Vikson.”

“Where’s the dealer?” Carter’s voice is hard.

“I’ve got a name,” I inform him, stepping up next to Jackson and setting the report down. “He was at the club night before last.”

“And you didn’t catch him?”

“There were extenuating circumstances,” I say.

“Do those extenuating circumstances have to do with Haley Montgomery?” Nicholas asks.

I freeze, my fingers reaching out and locking onto the edge of Jackson’s desk, squeezing until I can hear the wood creak. Nicholas blows out a breath. “I don’t care who you fuck, Viks,” he says. “But unnecessary distractions are not permitted. I’ve given you as much room as I can—”

“Do you not trust me?” I demand.

“My trust is not in question,” Nicholas replies. “Your ability to keep your head out of some college girl’s pussy is. Dump her and get back to work. I need you to keep your head on straight. If she ends up being a liability—”

“She won’t be,” I snap.

“Are you telling me you won’t dump her?” Nicholas’ voice is quiet, stunned.

“I…”I can’t. Not her. Never her.How can I make him understand? Nicholas is a strong man. He cares for his son, and in a twisted obligatory way, his wife, but he’s never been in love. Not the way I am with Haley. The very thought of letting her go makes my chest ache like my heart is punching at my ribcage, trying its damnedest to get out and go to her. So what do I do? I fucking lie my ass off.

“She’s a target,” I say instead. “I’m using her as bait.”

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