Page 81 of Nightmare

I laugh, shaking my head at my best friends, “I’m not.”

There’s lots of reasons why I don’t want to agree to this plan. The first being, I have no goddamn interest in following in my father’s footsteps. I don’t want to be anything like him. That’s how we got into this shit in the first place.

“Travis?” My father’s voice echoes around the room.

I pull my phone from the table and unmute it, “I’ll talk to the boys.”

My father sighs, “I’ll call you tomorrow for your answer.”

He hangs up before I have the opportunity to tell him to fuck himself, then Mac and Jax are both on my ass.

“You’re doing this, Travis.” Mac says first. “We go to Harvard, play ball, get degrees, join the firm, meet some nice girls, have some babies, live normal lives and never have to blow someone’s brains out again.”

I laugh, then it’s Jax’s turn. “You’re smart, think this through. Do you have a better option?”

“We don’t even know if this will work! We get Diego locked up and then what? Everyone who supports him is going to come after us.” I yell.

Mac sits up straighter, “They’re going to spread like ants when he’s gone, no one will know what to do. By the time a new leader is put in place, we won’t be a second thought. Our names will stay out of the media, no one will ever know it was us that turned him in.”

I rub my hands together, standing up, “I need some time.”

* * *

The next day,I’m pacing back and forth in my bedroom with my phone grasped tightly in my hand, waiting for my father to call.

I’m going to agree to his deal.

I’ll go to Harvard if he gets us out of this.

For Jasmine, I’ll get away from the life that took hers.

My phone rings, and I stare at my dad’s contact info as it flashes across the screen for a couple rings before I answer it.

“Hello?”

“So?” He says, straight to the point.

“We’ll do it.” I say, “We’ll go to Harvard next year.”

He laughs humorlessly, “Oh no, son. You’re going nextweek. I spoke with the dean, and they’ve accepted late admissions for this school year for the three of you. Start packing. I’ll let you know when to come to my office for the meeting with the DA. Keep your phone on.”

He hangs up before I can protest, then I’m storming out of my room to tell Mac and Jax the news.

We’re going to college, bitches.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Travis

present day

Olivia is sittingup in bed when I enter, catching me off guard. I stop dead in my tracks, and her eyes search my face – something simmering underneath them.

“Pretty girl.” I say, taking a step towards her to get back into bed.

She moves backwards on the bed, making me stop again.

“I heard you.” She says, her face blank, “I heard you talking to Jax.”

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