Page 28 of Made in Malice

“Thank you,” I say, taking the shirts while trying not to drop my phone. I can’t hear Alden’s muffled words at this point anyway. “You didn’t have to bring them out. I could have gotten them when I came in for my shift.”

Jimmy searches my face for a second. “Where do you go to school?” The slight tightening around his eyes sends a warning bell to my brain. For some reason, I don’t want him to know it’s Cadieux, but I can’t explain why.

“A local college,” I hedge, hoping he was just inquiring about my age to make sure I’m old enough to serve alcohol.

“What happened to your arm?”

My phone starts lighting up and buzzing, giving me an excuse to end the conversation. “Sorry, I need to go. I didn’t expect to be out so late this evening.”

I back up a few steps with Jimmy still watching me, but he doesn’t try to question me anymore. Once I’m farther away, I spin on the ball of my foot and step off the curb so I can get behind the wheel of the Macan.

I can’t bring myself to look up at him when I start the luxury SUV, even though I know he’s still standing there. He’s probably wondering why someone driving such an expensive car would need a job at a bar, but it’s really not anyone’s business as long as I do my job, or that’s what I tell myself at least when I look in the rearview mirror to find him still watching me drive away. I wonder if he gets a lot of students from Cadieux and doesn’t care for the crowd. Bobcat’s would get flooded with Wayne State students some weekends, so I get it.

When my phone starts to buzz again, I hit the button on the dash to answer it. “I’m headed back now, in the car, safe and sound.”

The other end is silent for a breath, and I almost wonder if it was someone else calling, but then Alden says, “I’ll meet you at the bridge,” and then the line goes dead.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous when I make the turn for the bridge. It’s been a while since I had to answer to anyone, and I’m not sure what Alden will tell my grandparents or if it will make Astrid rethink making me keep my escort around.

A figure steps away from the guard shack right into the road, and I hit the brakes hard, jerking the car to a stop several feet away from a very pissed off Alden. I’m tempted to just go around him, but it would be childish, so I hit the button to unlock the door when he reaches for the handle.

He crams his tall frame into the passenger seat and slams the door harder than necessary. “Hey, no need to take it out on the car,” I grumble.

Alden ignores me, so we end up driving in silence to the estate. It’s only when I’m about to head to the front of the house when he says, “Keep going straight.” I spare him a quick glance but do as he asks, heading around the side of the house to the back. “To the left.” He points to a fork in the road, and I follow that too, getting farther and farther away from the main house.

First, we pass a large garage, if you can even call it that, because it almost looks like a smaller version of the house, but the large bay doors inform me that it stores vehicles. Past that, there are several smaller houses dotted along the curving drive. “Slow down,” he instructs once we reach what seems to be the end of the houses.

I press the brake until I’m creeping along and eventually come to a stop near the edge of another line of trees. It’s growing darker by the second, but it’s the silence that’s making me uncomfortable.

“So what is this? A tour of where I’m allowed to go?” I’m feeling defensive, and I’m still aggravated at Alden. I had begun thinking of him as an ally here before he turned into a jerk just like almost everyone on this island.

“No, let’s go for a walk.” He opens the car door and exits without waiting for me to agree.

I sit here for a moment, practically stunned and getting more and more irritated. “Don’t slam my door,” I snap when I reach the front of the car.

He gives me a bored look and ignores my comment.

I cross my arms over my chest.

“What happened at school today?”

“What?” I ask, confused, since I assumed I was going to get yelled at for going off the island.

“At the library?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” I play dumb because I don’t want to tell him someone grabbed me in the room, or that I ran smack dab into Morningstar when I ran away.

“Someone said they saw you on the ground in front of Morningstar. Did he push you down?”

“No,” I answer honestly, and it rings with the truth.

Alden’s eyes narrow. “Why would you defend him?”

“I’m not. It’s the truth. Do you have someone spying on me?”

“Do you think I would have had to spend the last few hours searching for you if I did?” He scowls, allowing me to see he’s not happy about the way he spent his evening.

“Astrid agreed to no escort. There were no stipulations. I’m not your problem.”

---