Page 8 of Science Project

And while I had wanted to keep it a secret from Redwood, Imani wasn’t stupid. She was one of the brightest people I knew, and she had surely put it all together now. Over the course of the past few months, I had become the supplier for the most feared gang in town.

CHAPTER

FIVE

NICOLE

Mouth salty with cum from a man I hardly knew, I walked out of his home and down the front yard in the dark toward Dad’s car parked on the side of the Redwood slums. His car hummed lightly over the fall wind.

“Go good?” he asked through the open window.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Did you get what I needed?”

After blowing out an unsteady breath, I reached into my bra—trying hard not to wince at the bruises on my chest from the man’s harsh grip on me—and pulled out a small note. I handed Dad the piece of paper and shrugged my shoulders forward. “Here.”

“Good girl.”

I shivered in disgust at the nickname that most girls found sexy. But I couldn’t.

At least not from him.

Across the street, João from Poison sat on his porch steps and watched us. I shielded my face with my bangs and hoped that he didn’t say anything because I feared that I’d burst into tears in front of Dad. And I couldn’t do that.

“Get in, Nikki. You have another appointment.”

“Dad,” I whispered from outside of the car, “please. I need to study.”

Not that I could care about school … I wanted to, but I didn’t have the energy or time.

“We’re going to see Dr. Aldridge, then going home.”

“Okay,” I whispered, peering over at João again, who was now smoking with Landon.

Once I slipped into the car, Dad placed a hand on my knee. I stared out my passenger window and watched the houses fly by as he drove down the road, manicured fingers digging into my palms. I glided my tongue across my teeth, wanting the salty taste out of my mouth.

“Any news on Yui?”

“I’m partners with Akio on a science project,” I said.

“Oh, yeah?” he murmured. “How’s that going?”

“Fine,” I whispered.

When he stopped at a light, he peered over at me. “It’d best be going better than fine.”

“I don’t have any information yet,” I said quietly. “It’s only been a day.”

He dug his fingers into my thigh and continued driving. “It used to take you a couple of hours to get what I needed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I want something by the end of the week.”

“Okay.”

“I’m being serious, Nicole. No more second chances.”

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