Page 141 of Kings & Corruption

“I’m glad,” Claire said. "That makes me feel a bit better.”

“But Claire…” I lowered my voice. “You know something right? That’s why you knew it was a bad idea for me to ask about Emma.”

Her face turned a shade paler. “I don’t. Not really. Just… you know…rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?” I didn’t want to push, especially now, but it was as safe as it was going to get. We were out in public, no different from eating together in the cafeteria every day. We could be talking about anything.

“That the guys at Aventine liked to fuck with the Bellepoint girls,” Claire said. “But I’ve never seen it. Not once. I would have reported it if I had.”

I nodded, wondering what it meant. “I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to keep your distance,” I said. I’d finally made a friend, a real friend, and now I was going to tell her to stay away from me. “I'm poison right now, and the last thing I want is to put a target on your back. It's better if you steer clear of me for a while.”

Claire reached across the table for my hand and looked into my eyes. "No way. Friends don't abandon each other when things get tough. Besides, if someone wants to fuck with me, I welcome them to try. My family would have their heads on a pike.”

Her certainty did nothing to calm my worry for her. Emma had been a member of the Russo family, one of the oldest and most powerful Mafia families in the region, and it had done nothing to keep her safe. True, my dad had been MIA by that point, something that might have made whoever took her feel more confident, but I still wasn't big on gambling with Claire's life.

"You're a good friend,” I said. “Actually, you're the best friend I have here. Make that the only one.”

It was true, but it was also a deflection. Claire could opt out of steering clear of me, but I would do my best to avoid being alone with her until I found out who was trying to stop me from asking questions.

"Are you kidding? School is so much better with you here,” she said. “You have no idea how bored I was before you came. I mean, Erin and Quinn are great and everything, but I've never met two people who can talk about absolutely nothing for so long.”

I laughed. I loved hanging with Erin and Quinn, but I knew what Claire meant. It wasn't hard to tune out their endless chatter.

“What are you up to the rest of the day?” I asked, eager to move on to a less stressful topic.

She rolled her eyes. “Research for the Bad Ball. I think I’m going as Charlotte Corday.”

“Who’s Charlotte Corday?” I knew it was tradition for Aventine’s student body to dress up as notorious criminals for the Bad Ball on Halloween, but the name didn’t ring a bell.

“She was an assassin during the French Revolution, and not on the good side,” Claire said. “She stabbed the leader of the revolution to death in his bathtub.”

I laughed. “Nice.”

“Have you decided on a costume?” she asked.

“Ugh. No. I kind of forgot about it with everything else that’s been going on.”

The Bad Ball was the last thing on my mind, but it was less than a week away, so I needed to figure something out.

“We’ve got that covered,” Rock said, reappearing next to Claire.

I looked up at him. “Great, but I’m guessing I need a costume too.”

“That’s what I mean,” he said. “We’ve got your costume covered.”

I had to force myself to frown at him, just to prove the Kings couldn’t boss me around. He didn’t make it easy. He was so fucking beautiful, so easygoing, like some kind of cheerful god. “What if I don’t like the costume you picked for me?”

“You will,” he said. He turned his smile on Claire. “No offense, but you’re in my seat.”

I rested my forehead in my hand. “Oh my god, Rock. Rude.”

Claire laughed and stood, obviously feeling better after our talk. “It’s all good. I have to go anyway.” She leaned down to give me a hug, then spoke softly next to my ear. “I’m here for you, girl. Text or call if you need anything. And I do mean anything.”

“Thanks.”

“Everything good?” Rock asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

I hesitated. I hadn’t told the Kings that I’d talked to Claire, that she’d been the one to point me in Nikki’s direction. I hadn’t trusted them enough to tell them.

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