Page 29 of Reckless Hearts

Her brows fly up to the ceiling. “Holdup. How have we seriously been friends this long and I am just now learning that you went to fucking Knightsblood?!”

I deflect with a wave of my hand. “Because I only went for one semester. Half a semester, even. It really wasn’t for me.”

There’s zero lie there.

“Deimos and I weren’t friends or anything. I think he was a senior when I was a freshman.”

Callie’s brow furrows. “Whoa, wait—you were there when there was that big fire that killed those two guys?”

I can still feel the heat. Smell the smoke.

Taste the blood in the air.

It wasn’t fire that killed them.

“Yeah,” I mumble quietly. “Yeah, that was…insane.”

She exhales. “It’s just crazy. Deimos never once mentioned you guys knew each other. And neither did you!”

I brush it off with a laugh. “Honestly, I never realized Ihadn’tmentioned it. But it wasn’t like we were friends or anything.”

She nods, satisfied, and then glances at the clock. “Do you want to order in some food?”

I make a face. “Can’t. I gotta head to an advisor meeting on campus real quick, and then I’m off to my orientation for my internship.”

“Ooooh.” Callie waggles her brows as I stand and grab my bag. “How exciting.”

The door to the bedroom opens, and Castle, now dressed in charcoal gray slacks, a matching vest, and a crisp white dress shirt, no tie, with the sleeves rolled up, walks out. It is not inanyway, shape or form lost on me how greedily Callie’s eyes sweep over him. Castle makes a huge point of not looking back at her, turning his gaze to me instead.

“Are you headed out, Dahlia?”

“Yeah, class stuff.”

He shrugs. “Well, if you’re going uptown toward Columbia, I can give you a lift. I’m headed into Harlem myself.”

“Yeah? That’d be awesome, actually. Thanks.”

Not having to pay for a cab right now, given the unsure future of my finances? Yes, please. My mom’s been putting up a brave front, but the silent war with Gerard continues. And now that mom’s financial advisors have gotten a chance to really dig into things and see what’s happening, we’ve got a much better idea of just how bad the damage could be.

Spoiler alert: real bad.

Gerard, the asshole, is coming aftereverything. The one saving grace is that the holding company that controls my mom’s foundation that helps women escaping abusive situations is technically inmyname, not hers. So Gerard can’t touch that. It’s not like it makes any money, but what it does for those women means more to my mother than any cash.

Callie sighs loudly and dramatically. “Yes.Hegets to leave the house.Hegets to go places.”

Castle rolls his eyes, looking at her like she’s a brat that won’t stop pushing his buttons. I get the impression that’skindaher exact game plan.

“Roll with the Irish mafia for your whole youth, go to basic training, and then spend five years in active combat zones with the Army Rangers,” he tosses back at her. “Then, yeah, by all means, you can leave the house.”

Callie flips him off. Castle sighs and flashes me an exasperated “help me” look.

“C’mon, Dahlia. I’ll drive you to campus.”

I glance back at my friend. “Call me anytime.”

“Yeah, you can tell me how a fresh breeze and unfiltered sunlight feel on your skin. I’ve forgotten,” she mutters, glaring darkly at Castle.

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