Page 137 of Kings & Corruption

“But we didn’t talk about you,” I said. “What’s new? Seeing anyone?”

She rolled her eyes. “These Columbia boys are all trust fund babies. Either that, or they’re the opposite of trust fund babies and spend all their time studying.”

“Well, you’re in New York City,” I said. “No one said you have to stick to campus right?” She bit her lower lip, a Mara tell for holding something in. “What’s up?”

“It’s not the same without you,” she said. “I don’t really have any, you know,friends.”

“Are you serious?” Mara was the best friend — and the funnest — I’d ever had.

“It’s just weird,” she said with a sigh. “I’m not really connecting with the people here. Maybe it’s me.”

“It’s not you,” I said. “You’re amazing. It’s only been a few weeks. You’ll find your people.”

I thought about inviting her up to Aventine for a weekend, but the way things were, I didn’t want Mara within a hundred miles of Blackwell Falls. We weren’t just talking about unexplained disappearances anymore.

“Thanks, girl,” Mara said. She suddenly looked tired. “You’re right. You should go have your dinner.”

I didn’t want to leave her, but I really was starving, my stomach emptied out after being sick followed by a day of hardly eating. “You sure?”

She smiled. “Hell yes I’m sure. Go eat with your hot Kings so I can live vicariously through you. I have homework anyway.”

“Okay,” I said, “but I’m going to check on you later."

“Deal,” she said.

I gave my mom a quick call — straight to voice mail, but I’d tried — then found the guys downstairs in the living room. Neo was queueing upLove or Moneywhile Oscar and Rock argued over how much it would take for Jennyfer, one of the finalists, to take the money instead of continuing with Maxx (yep, he spelled his name with twoXes).

“You’re looking better,” Rock said when he saw me.

“I feel better. Thanks for the food. And the books.” I looked at Neo, because I didn’t want to assume he had no part in it.

He scowled. “Don’t look at me, Jezebel. Thank these two cunt-whipped losers.”

I swallowed my disappointment. Whatever reason Neo had for cleaning up after me and canceling the fight, it had nothing to do with his feelings for me.

“Where should I sit?” I asked Rock.

“Your usual spot,” Rock said.

“I have a usual spot?”

“You do now.” Rock took one end of the couch and patted the spot next to him. “Next to me.”

“I think you mean between the two of us,” Oscar said, taking the other end.

The doorbell rang and Neo opened the drawer on one of the side tables in the living room and withdrew a gun.

“That’s the food.” He tucked the gun into the back of his jeans and headed for the front door.

“We’re answering the door with weapons now?” I asked.

“Just until we get the gate installed,” Oscar said. “Neo has a rush on it.”

Maybe I should have objected, or at least been unsettled by it all. But the truth was, I found it comforting. Someone was kidnapping and killing girls, maybe the same someone who’d been following me around, taking pictures of me and scratching my eyes out in them.

Maybe the same someone who’d taken Emma.

Living with three guys who carried guns and knew how to use them wasn’t a bad insurance policy. The world tilted on its axis as I realized I was slip-sliding into the same world I’d grow up in, the one I’d sworn I’d escape.

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