“I need you to move this shit for me.”
I eye it carefully, taking it into my hands. “What is it?”
His brows furrow. “Does it fucking matter?”
“If you want me to leave this damn room with it, fuck yeah, it matters,” I snap.
He rolls his eyes and pulls out a notebook. “Heroin. Ray was supposed to do it, but the pigs have been all over him lately. I can't risk this shit getting confiscated.”
I'm shaking my head before he even stops talking. “No. No way in hell. I'm not touching that shit.”
Stopping to stare at me for a second, a dry laugh starts to leave his mouth. “Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot when you had a goddamn say in the matter.” He thumps me in the chest with the paper-wrapped package. “Unless you want me to go see Donovan again?”
It's obvious he has me exactly where he wants me, so with narrowed eyes, I take the package from him and slip it into my bag.
Getting involved with Blade was never something I wanted. He's bad fucking news, and the kind of person everyone should stay far as hell away from. Unfortunately, Easton learned that the hard way. Last year, he got wrapped up with him and ended up with a pretty serious drug addiction. The only way to get him out if it, to keep Blade away from him, was to propose a trade—me for him.
Blade was reluctant at first. After all, when E was feening for another fix, he would do anything the fucker said just to get his hands on something. But ultimately, Blade agreed. It's probably because I'm less of a liability than Easton. The best way to deal drugs is to stay smart and not do them. All that mattered to me, however, is that it got E away from the shit.
“While I'm here, let me get some kush.”
He snorts and shakes his head while reaching back into his bag. “I swear, you're the only shithead I know that still only smokes pot.”
I shrug. “Mellows me out. Besides, we're having a party tonight.”
Pouring some out onto a pocket scale, he weighs it and puts it into a separate baggie. “And I wasn't invited? How disappointing.”
“Whatever, asshole.” I hand him the money, and he hands me the goods. “You know the deal. Stay the fuck away from E.”
He takes a step back and grins smugly. “Don't worry. I won't go near your little party, but maybe you can use it to get rid of some of that shit. Boss is getting antsy having so much product on hand with the level of heat there's been lately.”
Yeah, well, maybe Boss shouldn't have gotten involved in an illegal drug ring. The thought goes through my head, but I don't dare to say it out loud. Blade is a piece of shit and would rat me out just to watch the fallout. I zip up my bag and nod at him.
“Anything else?”
“Nope.”
“Good,” I answer and leave immediately.
There's nothing worse than the times I'm forced to deal with his ass, but if it means keeping my best friend sober, I'll do it.
THE PARTY WHIRLS AROUND me, with a bunch of bright-eyed freshmen looking around like they've never seen anything like it. I don't know where they went to high school, but this shit is nothing new for me. Throwing parties every weekend was our thing.
I keep a safe distance from anyone who looks like they've never done the stuff, and deal some of the disgusting product to people I know are going to find it somewhere else anyway. Once you know what you're looking for, it's not hard to figure out who’s an addict and who isn't. I also have to be discreet so Easton doesn't notice. From what he knows, I bribed Blade with money and connections to leave him alone. If he knew the truth, he'd try to change my mind.
“Hey, Z.”
Speak of the devil.
I take a sip of my beer and play it cool. “What's up?”
“I have to grab another keg from the garage, but Amelia is on her way here. Can you just keep an eye out for her?”
Fuck. “Sure, no problem.”
With everything Blade decided to throw at me today, the fact that she's coming must have slipped my mind—which is weird, since she's taken up permanent residence there lately.
After E brought her to the club last weekend, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her. How she looked while dancing with Tess. Her smile practically lighting up the damn room. The way her cheeks pinked after catching me looking at her. Fuck, she's so damn perfect, and she doesn't even realize it.
“What's up, bitches?” a familiar and unwanted voice calls.
I turn around and want to shoot myself when I find none other than Carter Trayland coming toward me. He's always been an arrogant little shit, having known him as the football captain from the prep school across from North Haven High, but I never expected to see him here. His blond hair is brushed out of his face, and some of the girls gawk as he walks by. Unsurprisingly, his sidekick Jace is right behind him.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
He puts a hand to his chest and mocks offense. “You mean I can't come see my good friends Zayn and Eli?”
I roll my eyes. “It's Easton, douchebag, and I mean here, at NHU. I thought you two were supposed to be at Florida State.”
“What? You're not happy to see me?” He sticks his bottom lip out. “That hurts, man. That really hurts.”
“Cut the shit, Trayland. We're not friends.”
He chuckles, running his fingers through his hair and winking at some chick nearby who doesn't seem to realize it's rude to stare. “Okay, maybe you're right, but I figured we could forget about the past and start fresh. Water under the bridge and all that.”
I raise a single brow. “Dude, you jumped my best friend. That's hardly water under the bridge kind of shit.”
His head tilts from side to side. “Fair enough, but in my defense, he stole my woman.”
Oh, here we go with this again. Our senior year of high school, Knox started dating Delaney. Apparently, Carter had a thing for her, but he failed to seal the deal. Laney ended up with Knox, and Carter was butthurt about it. Instead of being a man and accepting the rejection, he and his friends tricked Knox to get him alone and overpowered him.
I can still remember that night like it was yesterday. Knox was ready to slaughter them all one by one, and then Delaney came in and calmed him down like nothing I've ever seen before. The rest of the guys made comments about him being whipped, but I was just thankful that someone had that effect on him. Without her, he's reckless.
“Delaney was never yours, and you know it.”
He waves me off dismissively. “Okay, then. I'll play the “I helped keep him out of prison'' card.”
That excuse actually reaches its target, and I groan. “Fine, you can stay, but if you two start any shit, I'm kicking your asses out.”
Carter puts up three fingers like a fucking boy scout and smiles. “You've got it, friend.”
Just as I'm telling them where they can find the beer, the door opens and Amelia walks in with her roommate. It takes everything in me to remember how to breathe as I watch her from across the room. Her hair is loosely curled, and her makeup is done. The white shirt she has on clings to her body, and her hot pink bra is just barely visible through it. She hasn't even been here two minutes and already she's testing my restraints.