Page 109 of Kings & Corruption

I thought that would be the end of it but he picked up a pen, then grabbed a small piece of paper and started writing.

He handed it to me, and I looked down and saw that he'd written a phone number under the nameJosh.

He smiled. “Just in case you change your mind. Call anytime.”

“Thanks." I folded the piece of paper and slipped it into my bag. "See you next week.”

I had no intention of ever using the number, but it would be rude not to accept it, and there was always the chance that he was genuinely trying to be helpful, although my experience with men so far told me it was unlikely.

I left the lecture hall and started across campus to the admin building. The cafeteria was humming with students looking for a warm place to socialize, and I grabbed a hot coffee and a bagel, plus two packages of cream cheese, because what was the point in having a bagel if you couldn't slather it with an inch of cream cheese?

I spotted Claire sitting with Quinn and Erin at our table. Claire waved me over and I hurried across the cafeteria, casting a glance at Neo, who was sitting next to some blonde, his hand between her thighs under the table.

He wasn’t even trying to be subtle, and I was suddenly mad with a feverish brand of jealousy that made my face feel hot.

It was ridiculous. I didn’t own Neo. Just because we’d made out in the middle of the road didn’t mean that he owed me anything.

I didn’t evenlikethe big asshole.

"Hey girl," Claire said as I approached the table. "Have a seat.”

I sat between Claire and Quinn, but Quinn didn't notice, too busy talking to Erin about some guy in her sociology class.

"I haven't seen you in a few days,” Claire said. “Where have you been hiding?”

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to tell Claire everything, to let down my guard completely and take my chances.

But sitting in the cafeteria made me realize something: the only people who had been at the ball were the students and teachers at Aventine. That meant someone at the school knew I’d been inside Dean Giordana's office, and whoever that person was had also sent me the threatening letter.

It wasn't safe to trust anyone. In fact, the weirdest thing of all was that the people I could probably trust the most at Aventine were the Kings. They’d been at the house when the letter had been delivered and had clearly been surprised by the fact that my earrings were in the envelope.

Even Neo.

Either that or they were very good actors.

“Willa?" Claire was looking at me expectantly. “Are you okay?”

I smiled. “Fine," I said. “Sorry. I guess I'm distracted by all the homework I just got assigned in Psych.”

Claire laughed. "By the homework or by Professor Ryan?”

I raised my eyebrows, playing along. “He is pretty hot for a teacher.”

I was relieved when Claire took the bait and ran with it, waxing poetic about Professor Ryan's dark hair and blue eyes while I looked around the cafeteria, wondering who was threatening me.

And why they wanted me to stop asking questions about Emma.

Chapter47

Willa

The house was on a quiet street surrounded by other houses almost exactly like it, all of them small two-story farmhouse-style homes that had probably been built sometime in the early 1900s. The neighborhood was set back from Main Street, and I was grateful that there was hardly any traffic as Rock and I made our way to the side yard that was home to a couple of trash cans and a shovel.

We hadn't talked much about how we were going to get into the house. I assumed he had some kind of master plan, but when we got to the sliding glass door at the back of the house, he opened it like he’d been there a hundred times before.

“How did you know?" I whispered, surprised it was unlocked.

He shrugged. "I didn't. But no one locks their doors around here.”

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