Page 141 of Devil's Bargain

TWENTY-THREE

Nina.

I scan the crowds of students in the car park outside of school for any sign of April. “Where is she?”

Ben is tense next to me. “When did you last talk to her?”

“I thought you had fallen out?” Josh says, taking a bite out of the croissant that he insisted on stopping for this morning on our way to school.

“You’re always fucking eating!” Matt grumbles.

Josh holds it out to him. “Want some? It’s ham and cheese.”

Matt eyes the croissant skeptically. “You know I don’t like that shit.”

“Can we please focus!” I plead, throwing my hands out by my sides. “Where is she?”

“She’s not been active on the group chat for the last three days. It’s not like her,” Steph points out, scrolling through her phone.

“I don’t get it. She messaged me to say she’s unwell, but when I tried to ring her, she didn’t answer.” Dallas looks at me. “Did she ring you?”

“She did.”

Steph looks up from her phone. “But?”

I fist handfuls of my black hair, a feeling of cold dread rising inside me. “I was hurt. I didn’t answer.”

“Fuck!” Ben growls, pacing. “Jesus fucking Christ!”

Matt tenses beside him. “What do you know?”

Ben blows out a breath and stares off in the distance before shaking his head. “Nothing more than you at this point. She came to me a couple of weeks ago and made me promise not to say anything. She needed someone to talk to, and she didn’t want to worry Nina.”

My heart hurts at that. April is my best friend, and she felt like she couldn’t talk to me.

“And?” Matt asks, urging him to say more.

“Well, I told you that her mom couldn’t afford the rent. They were facing eviction. She had days to come up with the money, so she entered into an agreement with a man.”

I feel sick.

“That’s all I know. The man filmed her and used it as blackmail material to get her to fuck him for free.”

Matt balls his hands. “Who is it?”

“I don’t fucking know!” Ben growls. “But I’m going to find out.”

“It’s Mr. Scott,” Josh says, brushing pastry off his black t-shirt.

We all turn to stare at him.

He looks up, and his eyes widen. “What?”

“How do you know who it is?” Steph asks, pocketing her phone as Ben stops pacing.

Josh looks between us all. “I thought it was one of those open secrets we have.”

I step in front of him. He’s tall, so I have to crane my neck. “Just tell us how you know!”

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