Not willing to give him a reason to, I quickly gathered my bearings. He wiped down the room, then I followed him out. Eventually, I trailed him over to a dark Escalade, and I realized that was how we’d gotten here tonight. I had been passed out.
The lights flashed when Knight unlocked it, and when I got inside, I found my purse right away. He’d left it there, and it had actually managed not to get slathered in Bryce’s blood.
I checked the thing as Knight got behind the wheel, well aware of his eyes on me as he started the car. I had just a couple text messages from my roommates. I had three, but nothing dire. They just wanted to know how things went with Bryce and me tonight. We’d all been at the club earlier when I met him.
Me: Good. On my way home.
Haley: Did you fuck him?
Keisha: Oh, my God you can’t ask if she fucked him… did you?
Sophie: Yeah, tell us.
I hadn’t… fucked him and the night couldn’t have gone worse.
Knight noticed my thumbs hovered over my text message, his eyes darkening before returning to the road. “Friends of yours?”
“Roommates.”
He nodded. “Well, I hope you told them you had a good time whatever the fuck you were doing tonight.”
My throat closing up, that’s exactly what I did, shoving my phone back in my purse right away. Knight ran his hand over his steering wheel, that ring on his finger glistening before he stared my way. “Where do you live? That’s where you’re going next.”
A command, not a request and one I didn’t disagree with.
I told him Thurston Hall, silent the rest of the drive. I wasn’t really very talkative after being shoved on a bed, then forced to shower a guy’s blood off my body, but I had a feeling Knight rather enjoyed that. He actually turned on music, heavy rock, and threw his beefy arm out the window. He alternated between that and hip hop, his tastes diverse and varied. We pulled up to Thurston Hall in the back, which was okay because I had a key to the back entry, all residents did. This was a freshman only hall so it was pretty quiet tonight, most people in bed before Monday’s classes. Knight turned off the car, and I didn’t move right away, fearing a change in the air might goad the madman inside. He stayed silent, running that ring across his steering wheel again.
“Promise tonight won’t be a problem for you,” he said, and for the first time, I heard something in his voice. It wasn’t as hard, as he swung his dark eyes on me. He frowned. “Because if it will be that’s something I need to know now.”
I was to say nothing about what happened tonight. I was to keep quiet, a certainty obviously needed from him.
“Promise what will be a problem?” I asked, and it was obviously the right answer. Not only did Knight face the road again, he unlocked the door.
I opened, basically falling out, his ride was so high. I closed the door, and he didn’t even watch before peeling away from the street. I headed up to the entry doors, but hadn’t even opened them before my phone buzzed.
The text message floated across my screen.
Unknown: Remember to be a good little dove.
This man had my phone number, had probably gotten it when I’d been showering. This man had his shadow over life…
And this man wanted me to know it.
Chapter Four
Knight
My grandpa was already at the frat house by the time Royal and I pulled up to it. And how did I know? Because the whole house was quiet. Seriously, there was only one fucking squad car there in the street, the officer tipping his hat at Royal and me before getting back into his car. Grandfather had taken care of everything, clearly.
Royal tapped a hand against my chest, and we headed inside, my buddy coming along with me for this second ride of the night. I hadn’t needed him, but after explaining everything to him at the motel, he’d said he wanted to come along. He’d wanted to drop December off at her apartment first, and since I’d had Greer, we met up after we had clear cars. December had fought him, but gratefully Greer hadn’t fought me. The little dove knew her place in all this, but I’d definitely be following up with her and keeping her mouth quiet.
Especially since Gramps looked pissed.
He chatted with a few of the frat brothers. Though not many. Serious to shit, there was like nobody here, the party completely ended and nothing but the usuals moseying about. One would think a dead body hadn’t been upstairs tonight, and upon seeing Royal and me, Grandfather touched the shoulder of one of my fraternity brothers. He knew the guy well, also Court with the gorilla ring on his finger. Back home, we called it the King, the mascot of my high school, but it meant a hell of a lot more than that. That gorilla’s bite meant power, influence, and something I clearly had here.
“I’m sorry for the loss of your fraternity brother, son,” Grandfather said, frowning. “I know it’s been an eventful night, but do try to get some sleep. I’ve taken care of everything, and you don’t have to worry.”
My frat brother shook his head. “I just had no idea Bryce was so troubled. Fucking crazy.” The guy’s head sagged before shaking Grandfather’s hand. “Thank you for being here, Mr. Reed, and taking care of all this.”
“Of course, and say hello to your father for me.”
Nothing more than that before my frat bother passed me, pounding both Royal’s fist and mine before leaving the room. Like I said, we all knew each other well being from the same town, and obviously, Grandfather really had taken care of everything. I’d called him after I’d dropped off Greer, explained everything to him, and he’d told me to meet up with him at the house after I’d gotten done with Royal. I’d used my buddy as an alibi tonight, saying after Bryce shot himself in front of me, I’d headed over to his place to change. Royal wasn’t a part of the fraternity, and frankly, he’d had enough of any type of brotherhood after we left Maywood Heights. I honest to God hadn’t blamed him. Because of that town and the corruption, his own dad was in prison. A long story but it was true. Royal lost a lot growing up in Maywood Heights. We all had.
A thought for another day, I headed over to my grandpa.
“Grandfather,” I said, the man touching my shoulder as he hugged me. He played it off that he wasn’t pissed to fucking hell about having to come here in the middle of the night and cover up a suicide, but even in his navy evening jacket, he was simmering. I knew because this man, for all intents and purposes, was my dad. I’d lost my own father early, my mom basically not close behind, and Grandfather had been there to pick up the pieces. His expression was stern when he pulled away.
“A Coventry? Really, boy?” he said to me, but did nod at Royal when he pulled away. Grandfather braced Royal’s hand. “I take it you haven’t been able to keep my grandson out of trouble with your arrival this term?”
Royal liked my grandpa. We all did. He seemed like the one sane one out of all Court fathers and grandfathers despite being so stern. With a short but genuine smile, Grandfather pulled Royal in as well, his hug firm.
“When have I ever been able to control him?” Royal stated, and truth, I said nothing beside him. I did what the fuck I wanted to do, end of story, but I hadn’t wanted this tonight. Royal frowned. “The first I’d heard of what happened was shortly before you.”