Page 29 of The Honor Society

I mentally slap myself and finally take my first sip of coffee when the door flies open and Lilah walks in looking like she got hit by a truck.

“Er, coffee?” I offer.

Her eye twitches.

“Whisky?” I try again.

“Both?” Her voice is hoarse. I don’t want to know if it’s from yelling at Jude or from yelling his name, maybe it’s both? Either way, she needs something and I need a distraction from solving crimes by antiseptic.

I grab a cup, pour in a generous amount of whiskey, then add in a splash of coffee and hand it to her. She takes a sip and coughs. “Geez, is there any coffee even in here?”

“A very small amount, but given your current state, I figured it could only help.”

She looks down. “My current state?”

“Your shirt’s inside out and your hair’s so tangled I’m surprised you didn’t hang yourself on a low tree limb on your way inside.” I grin. “So I take it things went well last night in Jude’s sex dungeon.”

“It’s not a sex dungeon it’s a basement and he has toys.”

“So a sex basement, my bad.” I laugh. It feels good, awkward almost since it’s been a while, but good.

She rolls her eyes. “It’s not like that.”

I snort. “It’s literally exactly like that, but okay. At least he can screw your brains properly even when you want to kill him.”

“Which is often.” She says. “The killing, not the screwing.”

“Thanks for the clarification. So,” I sit across from her. “Things are good now?”

Her eye starts twitching again. She takes one long sip out of the blue mug and stares me down. “Jude’s in his gangster era.”

“Sweet, did he buy a track suit and a fedora?”

“Hilarious. The man would look pimp in a red track suit though.”

“Really it’s annoying he can pull off any color.”

“Any Hale can, and that includes Axel even though he’s a Hale by marriage not blood.” She exhales slowly. “He’s, uh, decided, that you know, next to dealing art in his studio, he’s going to work for his dad’s shady business dealings.”

“And use his studio for money laundering or…” I half tease. We all know Edward Hale is ruthless and sometimes I think I know more than even Lilah does.

He is, after all, the one I’m assuming told me to get close to her. Who else would he be threatened by? Axel had The List. Lilah was suspected of having it and the minute Jude enrolled in university with Lilah here, well it was a recipe for old secrets to get dug up.

At least that’s what I’m assuming since I haven’t received any communication from the unknown number and that same black sedan hasn’t been following me anymore.

Maybe I did what I was asked and proved my trustworthiness.

Or maybe they just have a different target.

Either way, it’s the least of my worries now.

Right?

“Something feels off.” Lilah interrupts my thoughts.

I take a sip of coffee. “You mean other than your boyfriend’s organized crime era?”

“All of it.” She sets down her mug and leans forward, hands tucked under her chin as she leans forward on her thighs. “Jude. His father. Axel.”