Page 55 of Kings & Corruption

“Have we given you any reason not to trust us?” Rock asked.

I floundered for an example and couldn’t find one, which just made me more annoyed. I focused on the scenery outside instead of answering, until I remembered something.

“Hey, did you guys go out last night?” I’d heard a car outside just before midnight. When I’d looked out the window, it had been just in time to see the Hummer’s taillights disappear down the long driveway.

Oscar pulled through the gates at Aventine. “Uh, yeah. We had an errand.”

“An errand? At midnight on a Sunday?” I asked.

“Yep.” The answer was curt, a clear signal that he wasn’t going to say any more about it.

I couldn’t see his eyes because of his sunglasses, but he was definitely hiding something, and Rock, who was usually good for a steady stream of cheerful conversation, was quiet.

Interesting.

We passed the admin building and kept going toward a cluster of matching stone buildings that dotted the rolling lawn.

My mom had been right. It was a stunning campus, like a real-life Hogwarts but with criminals instead of wizards. The sweeping lawns gave way to a ring of trees that acted as a natural barrier against the outside world. The sidewalks were dotted with kids walking their way to their first day of classes, most of them in couples or groups, all of them looking a lot more relaxed than I felt. If I hadn’t known better, I might have believed Aventine was just like any other college on the first day of a new year.

“You have Psych first right?” Oscar said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How did you know that?”

He shrugged and somehow made the gesture look sexy as hell instead of apathetic. “I know a lot of things, tiger.”

He pulled into the parking lot at the center of the stone buildings that housed classes and lectures. The lot was almost full, but Oscar slid the Audi into one of three empty spots up front.

We got out of the car and Oscar lifted a hand. “See you back here after class.”

I started toward the cluster of buildings up ahead, then stopped walking when I realized Rock had fallen into step beside me.

I stopped walking. “What are you doing?”

“Going to class.”

I narrowed my eyes. I was definitely getting paranoid, but who could blame me? “Where is your class?”

He sighed like I’d caught him stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. “Okay, it’s back that way,” he said, gesturing toward Oscar’s retreating back. “But I’m going to walk you to class. I have plenty of time.”

I glared up at him. “I don’t need an escort to class.”

“I know you don’t need it, but it’s something I want to do,” he said.

“What if I don’t want you to do it?”

Something hardened in his face, and I was reminded that for all his easygoing charm, he was still Rocco Barone, son of a notorious Mafia boss, criminal in training.

He was still dangerous.

“Too bad,” he said, draping an arm around my shoulders. “Now let’s go. You’re going to be late.”

Chapter25

Willa

Iwould never admit it to Rock or Oscar, but I was glad Rock came with me to class. When we got to the lecture hall, every person in the room turned to stare, and they definitely weren’t all friendly.

I watched in real time as some of their expressions shifted from malicious to neutral when they spotted Rock at my side. I was hoping for a spot in the back, one where everyone might forget about me, let me fade into the woodwork, but Rock clearly had something else in mind, and I forced myself to keep my head up as he led me down the stairs of the amphitheater-style lecture hall to the front.

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