MY DORM ROOM WAS BIGGER THAN MY TRAILER. That wasn’t saying much since my trailer was a rusted-out tin can, but still. I’d expected cinder block walls and barely any room to breathe—which, frankly, still would have been an improvement.
I should have known better. Savage U wasn’t some overcrowded state school. Those endowments from the many, many one-percenter alumni paid for real walls, windows with views, and privacy. My dorm room wasn’t really a room at all. It was a suite with a shared living area and three private bedrooms.
I’d slept on a couch for the last ten years, so having a room with a real bed all to myself was hard to wrap my head around.
I dropped my trash bags filled with my clothes and bedding. The contents of three large, black bags were all I had to my name, and the majority of it was hand-me-downs. The hand-me-downs were of much higher quality than anything I’d ever owned. That was because they were from Mads. She had only had the best of the best.
Rubbing the sudden pinch in my chest, I kicked a bag and decided I wasn’t ready to unpack yet. I went back to the small living area and turned in a circle. The windows overlooked a sea of green, green grass where students were sunbathing and playing frisbee. There was a tiny kitchenette with a mini-fridge and microwave. Two loveseats and an armchair sat in the center of the room facing a TV mounted on the wall. Simple and plain, but to a girl like me, luxurious.
A girl in a sundress emerged from one of the bedrooms. Her eyes rounded when she saw me, then she waved.
“Hi,” she said softly. “I’m Zadie.”
“Helen.” I looked her over. Really looked her over. “You’re really fucking pretty. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone prettier.”
Zadie’s apple cheeks were immediately engulfed in flames, and Jesus Christ, she got even prettier.
“I’m not,” she almost whispered. “But thank you for saying so. You have the nicest hair I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks,” I waved off her compliment, “but I’m going to need a minute to get over your face.”
Honest to god, this girl looked like an angel. I wasn’t the type to comment on other girls’ appearances, but I was just so taken aback by her face. If soft was a person, Zadie would be her. Her brown hair flowed in ringlets around her shoulders and down her back. Her skin was fine and smooth, pure cream except at the cheeks where she was pink. Her eyes were big and blue, surrounded by the blackest, thickest lashes I’d ever seen. She was short and a little round, but in a perfectly proportionate way, with boobs and hips and, I suspected, an ass that didn’t quit.
Yeah, Zadie was fucking stunning.
I blinked hard. “Sorry. I think I’ll be okay now. Did I introduce myself?”
She giggled, but it was filled with nerves. “Yes. Helen. And I’m Zadie.”
My nose scrunched. “I remember. You can call me Hells or Helen. Whatever. Do you know who our other roommate is?”
She shook her head. “No idea. There was a last-minute change and someone new was assigned to our suite, but her name wasn’t online when I checked.”
“Well,” I plopped down on the couch, “I hope she’s chill.”
Zadie perched on the opposite couch. “I hope so too. My roommates last year were a disaster. They hated me instantly because I’m…you know, I guess chubby, and—”
“What the fuck?” I spit out.
She shrunk back. “They never said it out loud, but it was obvious. The girls at this school, well…”
“What about the girls at this school? I’m a transfer, so tell it to me straight. Are they bitches?”
Zadie gasped, then she giggled with less nerves. “Not all of them, of course. I guess I had some bad luck last year, rooming with two best friends who looked, spoke, and acted just alike. You don’t seem anything like them, which is a relief.”
“I’ve never met them, and I can guarantee I’m not like them.” I slouched and spread my arms over the back of the couch. “So, what’s your deal, Zadie? What are you into? Why did you choose Savage U out of all the universities in the land?”
Her cheeks went rosy again. It was cute, but since we were going to be living together, I hoped like hell she calmed down and got comfy with me. I didn’t want to have to be concerned with making this pretty girl blush just by asking her a question.
And this was probably why I had so few girl friends. The ones I did have were the girlfriends of my guy besties. I mean, they were legit, but the friendship wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t been attached to my boys.
“Well, my mom and stepdad went here, so that’s most of it. Also, I’m majoring in accounting, and the business school is one of the best in the country.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I slipped it out and read the screen.
StupidMotherfucker: I haven’t heard from you. You’re late. Need you to deliver. No warnings. Don’t fuck up, Helen.
Tossing my phone on the couch with a groan, I crossed my legs and leaned an elbow on my knee. “Cool, cool. You want to take a walk?”
Zadie straightened. “Um…well, I was in the middle of setting up my room, so…”
“Is that on a strict timeline or can you walk with me? I need to go see someone about a thing, then maybe you can give me a campus tour.”
I probably shouldn’t have dragged Zadie into my business, but if she was there, I’d get in and out a lot faster. Hopefully.
“Okay.” She blinked at me. “I’ll go. My room will be there later, I guess.”
“Pretty sure that’s a definite, Z.”
Savage U’s campus was gorgeous. Very Southern California-chic, with lots of green space, palm trees, pristine white sidewalks, and blue, blue skies. The buildings were Art Deco era Spanish-style, some with ivy creeping up the sides, lending them an air of gravitas.
At least that’s what the pamphlet had said.
I carried my skateboard under my arm, walking beside Zadie. A few people stopped in their tracks and stared at her, but she was completely oblivious, pointing out buildings where she took classes as we passed. I’d lived in Savage River my whole life and had been to more than a couple house parties off campus, but I couldn’t say I’d spent any time exploring the university. So, this walk would legitimately kill two birds with one stone. I wasn’t actually using my brand-new roommate, she was showing me around and she was my excuse.
Our destination was a frat house on the edge of campus. A place I only visited out of necessity. Five or six guys were out front on the porch in various states of lounging. Mostly shirtless. Mostly baby smooth and tan. And they were watching us closely.
“I’m not going in there,” Zadie whispered.
“You want me to leave you out front with these fine gentlemen?” I asked.
She shook her head hard.
“Didn’t think so. It’ll be fine. We’ll be in and out in a minute, then we can hit the dining hall or something. I just need to see a guy about a thing and he lives here.”
I took her hand in mine. It was soft and trembled slightly. She sucked in a breath and flicked her eyes to mine, then back to the guys on the porch who were still watching us.
“Okay. But please don’t leave me,” she pleaded.
“I would never. It’s always hos before bros.”
She giggled again, and it was so mega cute.
One of the guys on the porch rose to his feet when we climbed the steps. I breezed past him through the open front door with Zadie in tow.
“Can I help you?” he called after us.
I lifted a hand, not bothering to turn around. “No thanks. We’re good!”
Zadie scrambled to keep up with me as I strode through the house. “I think he wanted us to stop.”
“Did he? I didn’t notice.”
I’d been to this house exactly once and had avoided it like the plague since. Me and frat boys did not mix. But sometimes evils were necessary. This one was. I wouldn’t have been here otherwise.
At the top of the stairs, I stopped in front of the first room and pounded it with my fist. When no one answered, I kicked the door. My Vans barely made a thump, so I went back to my fist.
Then, Zadie reached around me and turned the knob. The door opened. I looked at her, and she shrugged.
“You seem like you really want in there,” she said.
“Yeah.” I shoved the door wide open. “I do.”
There was a body on the bed, face down, barely moving, white, bare ass glistening in the sun streaming through the cracked curtains. It was four p.m. on move-in day. This fool was already toasted and buck naked.
“Deacon Forrester!” I slapped his left butt cheek as hard as I could.
That woke him up. He sprung from the bed, eyes bleary, his dick dangling like a worm on a hook, clutching his injured ass.
“Oh my god,” Zadie uttered.
“Oh, Deacon, time to wake up and have a chat,” I cooed.
He focused on me. Sort of. His body listed like he was on a ship during a storm, back and forth, back and forth.
“What’re you doing in my room?” His words only came out slightly slurred, which was a relief. I needed his brain to be turned on, and I needed it to happen right now.
“You know why I’m here. Where’s the grand you’re supposed to have for me today?”
His eyes found mine, flitted away long enough for my stomach to take a nosedive, then came back. “Don’t have it.”
My stomach hit the floor. “Not an answer you’re allowed to give. I’ll ask again. Where’s my money?”
He grabbed his junk, slowly pumping it as he licked his lips. Zadie whimpered behind me, which, unfortunately, drew his attention.
“Who’s your friend? She’s cute and looks like she eats cock like a pro.” He took a step, just one, and I raised my skateboard. He stopped. Deacon had learned over the last year since he’d approached me at my old job at Savage Wheelz that I did not play.
“No one wants your dick. I can see the herpes from here. You might want to see a doctor soon because it’s festering.” I shuddered. Deacon scowled. “Just give me the grand you owe me and I’ll be gone.”
He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of basketball shorts. “Can’t.” He dragged the shorts up his legs, then turned back to me. “I didn’t sell the product.”
Another wave of worry slapped at my belly. “Okay, then give me the product back. I’ll take care of it myself.”
“Can’t.” He grabbed a T-shirt from his drawer and tugged it over his head. “Flushed it.”
I blinked long and hard. “Say that again. I know I didn’t hear you correctly.”
His hand went to his hips, and he got close to me. Not close enough for me to reach out and twist his balls off, but too close. “I flushed your weed, Helen. It’s all gone. Down the tubes. History.”
I blinked at him. My mouth fell open and closed. I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. Zadie placed a hand on my back.
“Let’s go,” she whispered.
“Why the hell would you flush my weed?” Oh, I was angry. My blood roared in my ears. Deacon Forrester was lucky we weren’t in a dark alley because he’d be kissing cement right about now. I didn’t care that he was six inches taller and probably fifty pounds heavier, my fury would take him down in a heartbeat.
“Cops stopped by the party last night.” He shrugged. “I panicked.”
“You panicked?” I echoed.
He stared at me for a long beat, then tossed his head back, laughing. “Oh, fuck. Yeah, I panicked. The irony is, they didn’t even come inside. They just checked IDs of the kids hanging out on the porch and left. I was in no danger of getting caught, but I guess I blazed a little too much because I was paranoid as hell.”
“They didn’t come inside.”
He was still laughing. “I can’t even tell you how sad it made me to see all that beautiful dope in the toilet. I took a sample of the merch, and it was top notch.”
“But you flushed it.”
Zadie rubbed my back again. “Hells, come on.”
Deacon jerked his chin. “You should listen to your friend. I don’t have anything for you. I’m not going to have anything for you. It’s done, Helen. All gone. Bye-bye, ganja. Bye-bye, Helen.”
I’d snapped out of my stupid, but I didn’t say a word. Deacon started to turn away, and I drew back my skateboard. It whistled as it cut through the air, slamming into his bicep. His howl took half a second to rip from his throat.
“You fucking skanky-ass bitch!” His face flushed bright red, and when he screamed, his mouth frothed and spit flew out. “Get the fuck out. I don’t have your money. I’m never going to have it. Get out!”
I flew at him, but I never made it. Strong arms wrapped around my middle from behind, and I was dragged backward. I slapped and clawed at the vise circling me. The owner of the arms grunted, but didn’t slow, carrying me down the stairs.
“I’m not going to forget this, Deacon,” I yelled.
He stood at the top of the stairs, smirking at me. “Have some class, Helen. No need to make a scene just because I won’t let you suck my dick anymore, baby.”
The man holding me put his mouth next to my ear. “Little Tiger, you’re going to tear this house down.” He shushed me like a baby. “Don’t give him a reaction. It’s what he wants.”
The low, smooth timbre of his voice broke through my cloud of rage. I still struggled in his grasp, but I stopped yelling. It was pointless anyway. We were approaching the front door, and Deacon was probably back in his bed, doing unspeakable things to himself at the thought of screwing me over.
I was carried down the porch steps, which garnered most assholery from the loungers stationed there. I wasn’t put down. He kept going, taking me around the side of the frat house. There, he finally set me on my feet.
Whipping around, I found Zadie first. She had my skateboard tucked under her arm, her cheeks tomato red. She moved to my side, and I took her hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Are you okay?” Deep velvet. Soft and rich. The owner of the most soothing, lovely voice was watching me. His voice matched his looks, including his twinkling blue eyes. Although, he wasn’t smiling like he had been a year ago when he’d accompanied Deacon and Daniel to Savage Wheelz.
I rubbed my side. “I think I have a broken rib.”
His brow dropped. “Shit. Did I hurt you?”
My eyes rolled. “As if you care.”
His jaw hardened, carefully enunciating each word. “Did I hurt you?”
I leveled him with an unwavering gaze. “No, you did not. I don’t love being dragged out of buildings by strangers, but I’m fine. It takes a lot more than some dude’s spindly arms to hurt me.”
“Stranger? Hmmm.” His arms—which were taut with muscles, golden, and nowhere near spindly—folded across his chest. He looked me over, then he checked out Zadie. “You’re both okay, Zadie?”
Zadie nodded. “Yeah, Theo.”
I glared at him.
“Your friend is the hugest asshole I’ve ever met. I’m not anywhere near done with him. And just so you know, he deserves whatever I dish out.”
“What’d Deacon do?” Blue Eyes asked.
“None of your business, Theodore.”
His plush mouth broke into a wide, amused grin. “You do remember me.”
“I remember the company you keep.”
“It’s just Theo, by the way.”
I shrugged. “Well, this reunion has been real, but I have to go to work in, oh…” I tapped my imaginary watch on my wrist, “eighteen hours, so I have to dash. See you around, Theodore.”
Spinning on my toes, I started walking back toward the dorms, pulling Zadie along with me. I didn’t miss Theo’s annoying, lovely laugh, unfortunately.
“How do you know that guy?” I asked.
“Theo? Oh, his girlfriend, Abby, was one of my roommates last year. I…um, saw him a lot. He was always nice to me, but she—”
“Was a bitch.” I squeezed Zadie’s wrist. “It figures he’d have a girlfriend like that.”
When we were well away from the frat house, I dropped down on the grass, sprawling flat on my back, and groaned at the blue, blue sky. Zadie dropped down beside me, sitting near my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“No. I’m sorry I took you there, though. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Her lips twitched into a small smile. “Honestly, I should be freaked out, but it was kind of fun. Especially when you bashed him with your skateboard. I wish you’d gotten him in the dick.”
I groaned again. “Me too, Z. Me too.”
“So,” she plucked a bunch of grass, “you deal drugs or…?”
I rolled to my side, propping myself on my elbow. “Not really, but it’s sort of complicated and a long story. Can we just forget you saw all that happen?”
“Are you in danger?”
Right then and there, I decided Zadie was cool as hell. I’d been leaning that way, but that had sealed it for me. She had just seen some very real shit go down that was clearly outside her comfort zone and asked me if I was okay. She wasn’t judging me or distancing herself from me.
Z was a real one for sure.
“No.” I shook my head hard. “I’m not. I’m pissed off, but I’m not in danger.”
The text message burning up my phone said otherwise, but Zadie didn’t need to know that. This was my new life, my chance to rise above the shitty station I’d been born into. So there were a few bumps, it happened.
I’d figure this out.
I had no choice. I just didn’t know how yet.
What I did know was Deacon Forrester was going to regret screwing me over just as much as I regretted ever laying eyes on him.
