Chapter 59

Maybe they won’t notice, is my hope-filled second thought, which is, of course, ridiculous. The bruise already stings so badly it even pulses some. It has to be big and red and ugly.

Archer and the rest are definitely going to notice. So I would just have to hide it from them. I had no idea how I would do that just yet, but hopefully something would come to me soon.

Makeup, maybe? I have some foundation in my bag. I’ve seen people cover stuff on television. Would it even work in real life?

Well, that problem could wait for a minute. I just saved my classmate from two guys that wanted to beat him to a pulp, and I really would like to know why.

“You deserve an explanation,” Tide says. He is still stalling. Whatever was happening here is likely embarrassing for him. Or maybe he is just as asshole who picked a fight.

If I got this bruise because he was a little weasel who started something, I would lose my shit.

“You think?” I am tired of waiting. “Start talking.”

He looks away from me. “It’s humiliating… It’s not a position someone like me should be in…”

“I don’t give a shit about any of that.” I cross my arms. “Tell me how this fight started.” If you could even call it a fight. More like, some small fry being pummeled. “Who were those guys?”

“They’re muscle for some powerful loan sharks.” Tide hangs his head. “They were sent to remind me what I owe, and how soon I need to return it.”

Oh. Yeah, that is a plausible explanation. Figures, too. These rich people always seem to have the most secrets. How they get their money. How they keep it. How they still pretend to have it even when it’s gone.

“They’re threatening my life,” Tide says. Tears well up in the corners of his eyes. He wipes at them with the back of his hand, but all he does is spread them around on his face. “They’re going to kill me.”

“Maybe not,” I say. “You just need to come up with the money.”

Two grand is a lot for me, but for this guy? All he would have to do is sell his designer brands, most likely.

“You don’t understand.” Tide sobs loudly. “That’s impossible. I already sold everything. A part time job wouldn’t pay me enough.”

“Then get someone to lend you the money.”

“No one would bother. No one here has any sympathy. They would just leave me to my fate.”

It bothers me that he’s just making excuses, instead of trying to come up with proper solutions. Yet I can’t exactly fault him for being emotional when he’s in a jam like this. His tears are tugging at my heartstrings in ways I want to ignore.

So I try to.

“Well, that sucks. Good luck with that.” I turn toward the entrance of the alleyway. If I can get out of here and stop hearing his choked off little sobs, maybe I would stop thinking about the money I have just sitting in the bank.

Money that could potentially save this guy’s life.

Nope. Not thinking about it. Not hearing the way his breath is so damned wet as he inhales.

My heart is made of steel and iron. I am immune to sympathy. I am –

“Wait. Please.”

Shit. I am totally screwed.

“I won’t be your bodyguard,” I tell him over my shoulder. “This was a one time thing.”

I didn’t want to tell him but next time, they’d likely come back with guns. I might survive the Hayes brothers with a bruise on my face, but if a gunshot from the loan sharks doesn’t kill me, Archer certainly would.

He wouldn’t like his property placing herself in mortal danger. Not when Mia still needs me, anyway. Once their use for me is done, they likely wouldn’t care how many bullet holes I acquired.

“I’m not asking for that.” Behind me, Tide scrambles upright. He wipes his nose on his sleeve as he comes closer to me. He’s looking slightly less pathetic, but not entirely. He could still break down at any moment.

“Then what do you want?”

“You work for the Hayes’s, right? At the Pyramid?”

I frown at him, not at all liking where this conversation is going. “Yeah?”

“Do you think they would lend me the money I need? If it would save my life?”

They only thing that keeps me from laughing is the fact that this guy might honest to God die. The Hayes brothers? Giving out money? Saving someone’s life? Caring about anyone but themselves?

Not fucking likely.

“Tide, there’s not a chance in any of the hells that would happen.”

At least he seems to take my words at face value. He retracts into himself a bit, but nods. “Yeah, guess I’m really screwed.”

I could offer him the money myself. I almost say the words.

But I don’t know him. I don’t know why he’s in debt. I can’t fathom why he would go to the sharks for cash, knowing they take out interest in blood. Unless Tide didn’t know that, and now he’s just finding out.

Still, it’s not my problem. I did my good deed, and now I have to walk away.

“Sorry,” I say, and all but race toward the end of the alleyway, feeling like an absolute asshole with every step.

I duck into a bathroom in one of the school buildings and fish out my foundation from my bag.

As soon as I look at myself in the mirror, I wince. It hurts, sure, but it looks so much worse than it feels. It’s big and red, and beginning to bloom purple in the middle. The worst part about bruises, of course, is that it’s only going to get uglier as time goes on.

Maybe I should stop and buy more foundation on the way home.

For now, I do the best that I can, applying the makeup liberally. I don’t have much in the way of blending tools, but I do the best I can with the brush and my fingers.

When I finish, I look less bruised and more like I got a lot of sun on a very specific part of my face.

They wouldn’t notice that right?

I sigh. Okay, maybe I will just have to duck my head when I’m around them and avoid them as much as I can for the next couple of days. My plan was to avoid them anyway, so this shouldn’t be a big deal.

After returning to the Pyramid, I make my way to Neil’s room to collect Mia. While I’m still in the hallway, just outside the door, I can hear two voices talking: Neil and Archer.

Oh, shit.

No, this is fine. I will tip my head a certain way and he won’t notice at all. Neither of them will.

With that pep talk, I take a deep, confident breath, and knock on the door.

Neil and Archer’s voices quiet at once.

“It’s just me,” I call. “I’m here for Mia.”

“Come in,” Neil says, and I push open the door.

Neil and Archer are standing near the center of the room. Mia is in her playpen at the foot of the bed.

I immediately go to collect her, all while dipping my head like I practiced.

“What’s wrong with your neck?” Archer calls.

Double shit. “Nothing. I was stretching just now.” I righted my neck and prayed to any upper power that would listen that the foundation is convincing enough.

“What happened to your face?” Neil says now. I glance at him. He isn’t even at a good angle to see. How could he possibly have noticed?

Yet when I look back at Mia, I have my answer. A mirror.

Triple shit.

“Her face?” Archer’s damned long strides bring him closer to me, and in an instant, he has gripped my upper arm and yanked me around to face him.

His stern eyes immediately clock the discolored patch on the edge of my jaw. He brings up a hand and smears away some of the makeup with his thumb.

I don’t want to admit how the tender touch makes my heartbeat quicken. I try to pull away, embarrassed, but he won’t let go.

His gaze hardens and his mouth forms a hard line. I know that look. I’ve seen it directed at me sometimes.

Archer is pissed.