Page 42 of Freestyle
“We’re here to talk about Rowyn,” I state bluntly.
Phoenix cuts in, his voice dripping with determination. “We need to know everything about her, Lyndsy. Everything.”
Her eyes widen as she steps back, allowing us entry into her room. “What’s going on? Why do you need to know?” she asks, suspicion lacing her tone.
“Rowyn’s been avoiding us, and we need to understand why. We care about her, Lyndsy,” Phoenix explains, his voice filled with sincerity,
Her eyes snap to mine. “You fucked her, didn’t you?” she accuses, her voice dripping with venom.
“We didn’t just fuck her,” Nix growls, his eyes blazing. “We claimed her.”
Lyndsy’s eyes widen, her mouth falling open in shock. “You did what?”
“Rowyn belongs to us now,” I state, my voice firm and unyielding. “And we’re not letting her go.”
Lyndsy’s gaze flickers between us, disbelief clear in her expression. “You can’t be serious,” she says, shaking her head. “Rowyn doesn’t date, like ever. How you got her to sleep with you, I’ll never know.”
Phoenix chuckles, a low sound that holds a hint of danger. “Oh, we’re dead serious, sweetheart. And trust us, it didn’t take much convincing.”
“She’s scared about something, and we need to know what. She’s avoiding us like the plague,” I admit.
Lyndsy crosses her arms over her chest, her expression hardening. “Probably because you two are the biggest playboys on this campus. She knows you guys have a reputation, and she’s smart enough to stay away from you.” Lyndsy scoffs, clearly not impressed. “I’m sure she doesn’t want to be just another notch on your bedposts.”
“Fuck!” Phoenix growls, slamming his fist against the wall. “I can’t believe we didn’t see it sooner. It’s her past, isn’t it? What happened?”
“I don’t know everything. She was in a ton of foster homes before she turned eighteen. Something happened in one of them. I only know because she was drunk one night and kept talking about someone named Albie,” Lyndsy says, crossing her arms.
“Who the fuck is that?” I ask. “Did he hurt her?”
“I think so, but I can’t remember what she said.”
“We need to find out who he is,” I state, my eyes narrowing in anger.
“I will make a few calls and see what I can find,” Nix replies, pulling out his phone.
“We need to keep a close eye on her, make sure she’s safe,” I add.
Nix nods, his expression darkening. “No one touches what’s ours and gets away with it.”
Nix pulls out his phone, dialing a number quickly. “We need to figure out how to fix this, how to show her that she can trust us, that she’s safe with us.”
“Thanks for the tip, sis,” I throw out as we begin walking down the hall. We need to get to Nix’s computer to do a background check on Rowyn.
Nix quickly types in a few commands, and within seconds, information begins to pop up on the screen. “Got it. Rowyn Caddel, nineteen years old. Grew up in foster care, bounced around to different homes until she aged out of the system at eighteen. No criminal record, but there is a note here about a juvenile record.” He clicks on the note, and more information appears.
“Accessory to grand auto theft. She was fourteen at the time.”
“What the hell was she thinking?” I mutter, leaning in to read more. “Looks like she’s been keeping her nose clean since then. No more arrests, and she’s working her way through college. Wait...” I trail off as a thought occurs to me. “What’s this note about? Alberto? Would that be the Albie Lyndsy was talking about?” I point to the screen, and Nix clicks on the link.
The file loads, and we’re hit with a wave of information. “Alberto was Rowyn’s foster brother. He’s in a mental facility now. Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD).” Nix skims through the report. “It’s only flagged in her files because he had police called on him during her stay there. Other than that it doesn’t say much else, but it looks like he’s been in there for a while.”
“Damn,” I breathe out. “That’s rough. No wonder she’s so closed off. I wonder what he did to her. For some reason, I know this guy did something. It’s just a feeling.”
Nix nods, his eyes still scanning the screen. “It says here that she’s currently employed as a waitress at the Quad Bar and Grill.”
He glances at me. “We’re going there.”
I grin, already thinking of the possibilities. “I was about to say the same thing.”
