Page 11 of Colton

She shakes her head. “Not so far, thankfully. But we can’t seem to catch the person who’s responsible for it.”

“Wait, why are you looking into this? You’re only a university student, don’t you have an adultier adult around? Such as… I don’t know, law enforcement?”

Artemis snorts. “They’re too slow for my liking. Besides, didn’t I tell you? The five families rule the city, hence it’s our responsibility to keep the citizens safe.”

I try to suppress a laugh. “And how’s that working out for you?”

She throws me a dirty, cold glare, and I look away. “Don’t.”

It’s such a simple warning, yet I can’t help but abide by it. With a deep breath, I glance back at her, only to see her reaching for her phone. It’s been buzzing the past minute, and she’s been receiving message after message.

However, something feels off about this whole situation.

I asked around about Artemis, especially after that conversation with the Dean and no one seems to know anything about her, beyond the basic things. No one knows the simple things such as her hobbies, or her birthday, or even what her plans are after she graduates. So I have no hope of finding out something more complex and secretive.

It’s only fueling my curiosity. I did my best to keep it out of this all, but at this rate, I won’t be able to sit still until I find out what’s happening in that city. Maybe it’s nothing, and the rumors have been over exaggerated to the maximum, or maybe… I’ll find out the deepest, darkest secrets of these families, and never make it out alive.

Whichever it is, I’m fine with it.

4

Ah, how wonderful.

It’s a brilliant evening, and all the students have gone back to their dorms. It’s rather quiet, except for the rain that’s hitting the window. It’s been pouring the past couple of hours, and I can’t help but adore the fall breeze that’s coming through the window.

The tea is piping hot in my cup, the steam filling the office, the scent surrounding me. I take a small sip, relishing in the fact that I’ve finalized all the work I had for the week. Enjoying the last few moments of peace before I’m supposed to start working on something different.

Papers upon papers are stacked in front of me, the cases of robbery in Saint Valley have been increasing with each passing week. I’m not even close to catching the culprits, because from what I can tell so far, this isn’t the work of amateurs.

The group is meticulous, and they’re very well-organized. It’s been pissing me off that there’s not a single trace of them anywhere. The men who are caught always manage to either escape the law enforcement, or commit suicide soon after.

Someone wants to wreck my fucking city, and I won’t be sitting idly by and allow for it to happen.

The door of the office swings open, and my brief moment of silence’s been interrupted. Irritation vibrates off me, but I shove it back, staring blankly at Artemis. She all but slams the door behind her, and I know this will end with her whining.

“What do you want, Hill?”

She rolls her eyes, and grabs another cup, pouring herself some tea. She’s always like this, treating my office like it’s her second bedroom. “Have you got any leads? I’m going home this weekend, and I’ll be off school for a week.”

“Are you going with Elsher?”

Artemis nods. “Yes. Given that the places that were robbed were all jewelry stores with a lot of money and expensive items, we’re going to stake out the rest.”

“And what if nothing happens?”

“Eh, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” she shrugs, all nonchalant. My brows narrow, as this is different from her usual behavior. By now, she should’ve thrown a fit about how this was something that she shouldn’t be doing, as it’s below her.

Yet, she’s oddly calm.

“What the hell happened to you?”

She sighs, chugging down the tea as if it were her favorite liquor. “I’m just very aware of the fact that I need to get serious.”

“And why is that?” I lift a brow, bringing the cup to my lips. “From what I know, you had no ambitions in anything regarding politics in our city. What changed?”

“What changed is the fact that my brother is back,” she fires, her words as stern as always, yet a bit of anger seems to sneak to the surface. “And the favorite child is getting a seat at the table.”

For a moment, I freeze. Slowly, I lower the cup on the saucer, staring right at her. She’s holding my gaze firmly, like she’s waiting for my opinion. The only reason she values my thoughts as much is because I’ve known her since she was a child. She’s always found me to be like a brother figure to her, despite the age difference.