Page 15 of Innocent Princess

Holy shit-tarts.

This job is... it's the real deal. All the hack jobs I've done have been child's play compared to this one.

Hack into the Camelot University bank account, containing all the fundraising money, and transfer the funds to several offshore accounts. The payout? Fifteen percent commission.

Last year, the school brought in more than two hundred thousand dollars.Shit.That would be thirty grand. Granted, thirty grand wouldn't come close to covering bail if the hacker got caught, but it sure is a pretty figure.

There is a lot to consider, and with all the jobs I take, I consider the payout and the potential of being caught, thoroughly.

I glance at the time and realize this whole exchange has me running late. I'm going to have to revisit this tonight. I log out of the messaging app and snap my laptop shut. The messaging system shows I've read the details, but I don't reply. The history of this conversation won't be saved, but if I decide to take the job, I'll have all the details I need.

Right now, I'm late for a date—a study date with Zella and company. I quickly make my way through campus while contemplating the job offer.

Several minutes later, I make it into one of The Labyrinth Library's elevators, I stare down at my phone, rereading another email that just came in. I'm not one to check my email multiple times throughout the day. It's normally just school-related, sale ads, and a few techie newsletters. However, this current email string has me pretty damn invested.

You have five days to let us know if you want the job.

That's a relief. Four days is plenty of time to assess the risk.

I step off the elevator to the second floor, which is comprised mostly of study rooms. I chuckle at the fact that I've been in the library twice in one week. While I'm not big on study groups, I want to spend more time with Zella, even if it means more time with Wells.

We've avoided each other since the dinner incident a couple weeks ago when he tried to make me look like a bad guy in front of her. Since then, I've been to class once, which was when Zella invited me to their study session.

They didn't tell me what room they would be in, so I start walking. It doesn't take me long before I see them through the windowed wall. I slow my stride and take in the sight before me. Zella is sitting next to Cameron, and Wells sits across from him, with his back toward me and the door. Zella has a smile on her face while she listens intently to the conversation.

I eye Cameron and wonder if something is going on between the two of them. They are always together, as I’ve seen them from afar several times over the past couple of weeks. They seem close, but I can't tell if it's just friendship or something more.

I'm not sure there's room for one more suitor in the tiny room. Coming to a halt at the realization, I give this some thought. Clearly, Wells is into her. Though, I know Wells also has an on-again, off-again girlfriend. Maybe that ended. With the two of them, do I really want to throw my hat in the ring? I don't normally work for girls' attention, never had to. I've never had to fight another dude for one either.

Something about Zella makes me want to jump in and fight for her. The innocence that moves around her is alluring, yet when she talks, she’s such a strong and optimistic personality. Not to mention the way she bites her lip just draws me in every time. She demands my full attention. Without permission, my legs move again, as if my body is drawn to her as much as my mind. I guess I'm doing this.

I'm a few feet from the door when Zella spots me. The smile that crosses her face when she sees me makes me want to puff out my chest and stake claim no matter who I’m up against. But I keep my cool. After all, I have a reputation to maintain.

"Ryker! You made it." She moves her books around, making room for mine on the table in front of her.

"Do you not own a watch?" Cameron mutters beside her.

"Yeah, something you should know about Ryker is that he’s always late. He's too cool to be on time," Wells adds.

I eye him, though, because his tone isn't laced with annoyance. I focus back on her and drop my bag to the table. "Hey there, Blondie."

Cameron lifts his arms in a confused gesture. "What about us? No, ‘hello there, Wellsy’ or ‘hi, Cam?’"

They all snicker, but I play along. "She was the only one happy to see me. Plus, I'm only here for her anyway. You tools, I can do without."

Zella surprises me and doesn't blush. Normally, it's all she does around me. Wells chuckles, and Cameron acts perturbed at my response. I really hope he isn't into Zella as well. I like the guy; I think we could be friends.

"Okay, so what did I miss? Have you figured out how to ace this test next week?" The last thing I want to do is study. I’d rather spend the next hour getting to know Zella, alone, but I'll have to make do.

I’ll ask her out on a date, preferably without twiddle dee and twiddle dumb around.

"Ah, not exactly. These two like to gossip." She points with her thumb at the guys. "It's always best if we get that out of the way first."

They both nod and grumble their agreement.

“Time to start though,” Zella tells us.

We all pull out our study guide, notebooks, and textbooks. I'm not a notebook kind of guy, so I slide my laptop out of my bag, open up a new doc, and get ready to do this thing.

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