“If you’ve been with my father this whole time, then why have you been chasing my ass all over campus demanding I pick you every month?”
Bianca’s tears quickly dry up and her snooty attitude re-emerges, making me question just how much of this whole act is actually genuine.
“Lawrence has been weird all year. While I was certain I could bring him back to me, I couldn’t put all my eggs in one basket. Not when I have a child to take care of now. I figured if something happened and Lawrence left me, I could convince you to marry me instead.” A conniving smirk lifts one side of her lips. “That would teach Lawrence not to mess with me.”
Dear god, this psycho bitch is as duplicitous as Lawrence. Perhaps the two of them would have been perfect together.
Cam gawks at her, likely seeing for the first time just how crazy she really is.
Bianca dismisses him, once again searing me with a look of disgust. “But you just had to dig your claws into him too. You’re such a whore.”
I shrug my shoulders. “What can I say? I love me some good quality dick.”
I bite my lower lip, holding back my laughter when I hear Hawk mumble, “Gross,” under his breath.
Bianca snarls, stomping her feet like the entitled brat she is. “Just give me Lawrence. You can keep these idiots, but Lawrence is mine!”
Cam hedges forward, as if he’s trying to get closer to a feral cat, but is unsure if it’s going to scratch him or not. “Bianca,” he starts hesitantly, grimacing as he blurts out, “my dad is dead.”
Bianca spins toward him with wide eyes. “Wh-what? N-no. That can’t be right. He’s just been angry with me the last couple of weeks, because I couldn’t do what he wanted. But he’ll get over it. He always does.”
Cam glances at each of us, with a pleading look, not knowing what to say or do next. He needn’t bother though, as Bianca, who’s muttering to herself, pulls out her phone and dials a number that I’m assuming is Lawrence’s. When he doesn’t answer, she dials again, glowering at each of us with deadly eyes.
“You’re lying,” she snaps when he doesn’t answer for the second time, dialing his number yet again as she shoves past us and away from the dining hall.
***
On Thursday, I’m on my way to my session with Beck when someone calls out my name. I turn to look over my shoulder, and I swear the world stops spinning for a second.
“L-Lawrence?” I squeak.
No. It can’t be. I killed him.
I blink, and instead of Lawrence, I see Barton striding toward me. My breaths come in short pants and I swallow roughly as I glance around me, as if expecting Lawrence to jump out from behind a door or something. What the fuck is happening to me?
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
I’m still looking nervously around me, but when he speaks, I try to shake off whatever the fuck that was and focus on him.
“I don’t…What are you doing here?”
“Hawk hasn’t been returning my calls and I needed to talk to you.”
I don’t trust him, and him showing up here like this is just weird. It doesn’t help that he looks nervous as he shifts awkwardly from foot to foot.
“I, uh…how have you been doing?” he asks.
“Fine.”
An awkward silence passes between us for a second and when he realizes I’m not going to divulge any more of my life to him, he jerks his head in some sort of a nod. “Good. Good. I’m glad. I, eh, wanted to give you this.”
He holds out an inconspicuous white envelope, and I hesitate, reluctant to take it—or anything—from him. Seeing that I’m not going to accept whatever it is without more explanation, he says, “It’s, uh, a bank card. I’ve set you up with an account and transferred funds over, so you’ve got the same as Hawk.”
Frowning, and even less sure if I should accept it, I simply continue to stare at the envelope. “I don’t want your money.”
“It’s your money. It’s everything you would have had access to if you’d...you know.” He looks away, unable to meet my eye as he cringes, leaving the rest of his words unspoken. If I’d grown up under the Davenport roof, with my brother.
I’m still debating my response when I hear a door open behind me, and Beck’s voice as he calls out. “Hadley?”
I turn to find Beck poking his head out of his office, his eyes darting between me and Barton. Straightening, he steps out and closes the door behind him, never taking his eyes off my father as he strides toward us. “What is going on here?”
Still clutching the envelope, Barton’s hand falls to his side. “Ah, Beck. I just wanted to have a word with my daughter, in private.”
Standing at my side, with his arms crossed over his chest, the edge of his tattoo sleeve creeping out from under his crisp white shirt, Beck stares deadpan at my father. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”
Most likely shocked that someone has the audacity to say no to him, Barton stares surprised at Beck for a moment, before his brows pull together and his eyes darken somewhat. “I don’t believe my family’s business is any of your concern.”
Beck takes a threatening step forward, and I can see him gearing up to tear Barton’s head off. Before he can do any such thing, I place a hand on his arm, stopping him, and look at Barton when I say, “Actually, it is his business. He knows everything.” I can practically see the questions running rampant in Barton’s head. “Besides, I’m not going anywhere alone with you. The last time I ended up alone with Lawrence, I was drugged and dragged back to hell. God only knows what you’d try to do to me.”
Barton’s eyes widen in shock, and the color seems to drain from his face. “What…I…No,” he splutters, shaking his head, as if the thought of him doing anything to me is outrageous, but he’s more than shown he doesn’t give a shit about me.
I notice Beck glancing nervously around us, checking no one else is around before he murmurs, “Why don’t we discuss this in my office?”
I’m really not fussed on being stuck in a small room with Barton, but he’s here, and he’s probably not going to leave until he’s said whatever he has to say, so I guess I may as well get it over with. “Sure.”
He holds his arm out, gesturing for Barton to go on into his office, and we follow closely behind him. I haven’t heard anything from him since he showed up in my hospital room. No doubt he left and went straight to his buddies, to tell them all about what happened in the compound, and of my little threat. So, the question is, what is he doing here now?
Hawk and I filled everyone in on Barton’s little visit, so Beck is probably just as baffled by him showing up here unannounced as I am.
“What do you think he wants?” I whisper conspiratorially to Beck while keeping my eye on Barton as he moves to sit in one of the chairs in front of Beck’s desk.
“No idea.” He shrugs. “Guess we should find out.”
Stepping into the office, I lean against the wall beside the door, refusing to move any further into the room when a threat lurks nearby.