Page 23 of Ruthless Deliverance

“Okay. So, whose version of events were you given?” Because I’m assuming Cabot would have a more Creed-like version than actual reality.

“Give me your version.”

I give him an abbreviated report starting with the Thibaut run-in at the gym before finishing up with some highlights since. “Thibaut shouldn’t have been fired. Creed is a dickhead. Cabot is being controlled by a student and has some sketchy shit going on behind the scenes.”

“I told you we’re not looking into Kincaid.”

“That’s all you have to say after I just told you he assaulted a teacher and Cabot all but offered to get on his knees to make the jackass happy?”

Philip moves past me, stepping into the kitchen as I follow. He tosses his keys onto the counter then looks to me with the same expression my dad would when he was irritated by me. “How about you? Get on your knees for Kincaid?”

Where the hell did that question come from? I’m used to Philip being a bastard, but I wasn’t expecting such a blunt zero-hesitation inquiry.

“No, Detective.”

He nods, looking around the kitchen. “I’m gonna order some takeout. Want anything?”

“Um. What the fuck?”

“Food. Fried rice. Egg roll. Probably some sweet and sour pork. Are you hungry?”

“I understood the question, but I don’t get how the conversation transitioned from blow jobs to egg rolls.”

“You don’t need to understand anything except Kincaid isn’t being looked at, so you need to focus elsewhere. I suspected the principal has a large hand in the dealings. His financials clued us in on that much. Which is the reason he doesn’t know you’re there. No one can know. Got it?”

“Yes.” He seems content with my response as he pulls his phone out and focuses on it. but I have one more question. “How can you be so sure Kincaid isn’t involved?”

“I never said he isn’t involved. I said he’s not being looked at.” Philip keeps clicking away on his phone.

“You already knew he was involved. Is he really that untouchable?”

His finger halts, hovering over the phone’s screen for a few seconds before he looks to me with a tense frustration I’ve seen aimed my way several times. “A few months ago, the vehicle he was riding in crashed. Kincaid walked away with ten stitches and a broken shoulder. The driver died upon impact. Both of their toxicology reports confirmed laced narcotics in their systems.”

“Ethan.” Creed’s cousin. That’s what Keith was talking about.

But it’s Creed’s words that fill my mind. Everything decent in me died that night. It was the wreck he was referring to.

“What’d you hear about the crash?” Philip is suddenly more curious about our conversation than ordering supper.

“Only that Ethan died.” Because I didn’t have time to ask more while Creed was hobbling on the freaking roof. “What other information do you have on it?”

“Not much. And it’s not something you need to focus on. Get some more leads, find out who hangs around Cabot’s office a lot.”

“Me.” I laugh, but Philip isn’t amused.

“Then it shouldn’t be difficult to look elsewhere and leave Kincaid out of it.”

“Sure, boss.” I pivot, heading out of the kitchen as Philip asks once again if I want something to eat.

I shout back my order but what I’d really like is to have supper in my own apartment at my own damn table instead of under the same roof as someone I’m now questioning exactly whose side he’s on. Because Creed is guilty, and I get the impression he’ll walk away free and clear. Everything else works out for the pampered prick, so maybe Philips will throw in a blow job just for the hell of it.

23

DANI

“I can’t believe Thibaut is gone.” Keith drops down in the seat beside Luna. It’s our usual arrangement for study hall, which I can usually manage to get through without looking across to where Creed is seated with his idiotic sidekick. But today, I can’t seem to avoid looking his way. And every time, he’s watching me like he is now from across the library. There’d been five seconds where I’d felt a bit of sadness for him losing his cousin in the accident, but any melancholy for him was quickly overcome with anger as it was confirmed that Thibaut was fired, no judge, jury, or trial. Only a single asshat who wanted his way and got it. The substitute covering his last period was a clear reminder of how much power he has in this damn academy. Complete.

“Yep. What asshole wants, asshole apparently gets. Just like it’s always been,” Luna mutters, putting her phone in her pocket as she shoves away from the table, disappearing between two stacks.