Page 16 of Hate Game

“Not anymore,” Mom says. “I called in a favor. As of this Monday, Rue will be attending Cambridge High. She can catch a ride with you.”

I point my finger at Rue. “There’s not enough room in my GT-R for a big troublemaker like her.”

“Now, Son?—”

“Did you forget the bad rep she has? The sheriff detained her for stealing. She spent time in juvie for assault.”

Rue looks away, but I don’t miss the flush of red on her cheeks. My gut clenches. Shit, I’ve gone and made the situation worse. I’ll make it up to her, but now isn’t the time. I can’t have her anywhere near me. Thinking about her drives me crazy, but living with Rue under the same roof will be insanity and chaos.

“Are you firing Rue?” Dad asks.

“If that’s an option.”

“It’s not,” he says.

“She can stay elsewhere and still keep an eye on me.”

“Rue also needs a place to stay.”

“With one of the most promiscuous guys in Cambridge?” I say.

My mom gasps.

I wince. “Sorry, Mom. It’s not true.”

The relief on her face… “Malice, where Rue was living isn’t safe. She explained everything.”

Not safe? What the fuck? I give Rue my most intense stare down. She shrugs. I clench my jaw. So help me, I will get the truth from her. “What about it was unsafe?” I ask my parents.

“That’s between us and Rue,” Mom says.

“How about I rent one of those fancy trailers and park it alongside the garage? For good measure, I’ll hire a bodyguard who will keep her safe.”

Dad grunts at my ideas and, taking Rue’s suitcases, he heads for the stairs. “I’ll put these in the bedroom on the right.”

Rue hurries after him and takes them back. “I can do it. Thank you though.”

I roll my eyes. What a suck-up.

“I’ll set these up there and be right back to sign the papers.”

“What papers?” I look after Rue.

“Rue’s employment contract. Her official title is Malice-sitter.”

For real? Dad takes my disgust the wrong way, misinterpreting it as a hardship. It’s not. Rue is an inconvenience I would rather not deal with now or ever.

Dad’s face softens, and he clamps his hand on my shoulder. “We don’t like coming down hard on you, but what happened went beyond breaking your promises.”

“Isn’t letting a girl stay with me breaking the same promise again?”

“Rue is no ordinary girl.” His fingers dig into my shoulder. His eyes search my face. “She is Riley’s little sister. Midnight is fond of Riley, and that fondness extends to Rue. There will be no messing around with the Lee girls, you hear?”

“Will Rue get fired if I do?”

“Do you want to risk getting pummeled by Midnight?”

I’m a moody son of a bitch. What I’m not is mean and vindictive. “No.” I drop the idea of getting Rue fired.

---