Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. Is that what this is about with the dean? Because if that motherfucker doesn’t have the respect for me that I deserve, I’ll have to teach him what a mistake that is.
I push to my feet, walk over, and open the door. Hal Winters looks up at me, his angry expression at the interruption morphing to resigned as he speaks into the phone. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call you back. There’s an emergency I need to take care of.”
Crossing my arms, I watch him as he ends the call and hangs up.
“Don’t leave me waiting again.” I take a seat across from him.
“I’m sorry. I had an unavoidable phone call that—”
“I don’t care.” This is where I could tell him my father wouldn’t like it, but I don’t want Winters or anyone else to only respect me because I’m Sloan O’Shea’s son. I want it because I’m Tiernan. “What do you want, Hal?” I ask, using his first name.
He doesn’t call me on it, but the tic in his jaw tells me it’s a struggle for him. It reminds me of the new kid, the contempt he always has in his eyes and the way he’s clearly holding himself back from saying something that will get him in trouble. Hal, here, knows the exact dangers, while my new kid senses it without having a fucking clue.
Or maybe he does. Despite how well we play the role of upstanding citizens and wealthy Boston businessmen, one internet search would show the truth disguised as rumor. The stories played off as fabrications that are anything but.
“There have been whispers about you, Rory, and Cillian selling drugs on campus.”
I stare at him, waiting for him to continue, but as the seconds tick by, it becomes clear he’s not going to. “So? Deal with them. That’s your job, not mine.”
“There’s only so much I can do.”
“Are you saying you’re useless? Because if that’s the case, then why are we keeping secrets for you? If our business agreement is no longer beneficial—”
“It is,” he rushes out. “I’m doing my best here. I’ll work harder on my end. I just thought your father would like to know. Maybe it’s worth slowing down or finding ways to be more careful.”
I don’t respond right away, just sit across from him and watch as a bead of sweat rolls down his forehead. Then I get up, walk around the desk, and stand beside him. “Me. I’m the only one who needs to know anything when it comes to Ashford. And it’s your job, something I pay you well for, to make sure I can do that safely and effectively while I’m here. If there is a problem, fix it. If you can’t…well, that would make me very upset. You don’t want to upset me, do you, Hal?”
He flinches when I put my hand on his shoulder, then does it again when I squeeze tightly. “No,” he sputters.
“That’s what I thought. Can you imagine the headlines? Dean of prestigious university indicted for money laundering… And it would be even worse if they found out about your little habit of paying for sex, and that time you got too…eager with your breath play. Who got rid of the body for you? Who cleaned up your mess?” I let my hand trail to his throat and squeeze, the way he’d done with the woman. Hell, the way I’d done with my new kid the other night. I shake his pretty face from my head, annoyed that I’m thinking about him now. Or at all.
“The O’Sheas,” he squeezes out, voice broken.
“That’s right. We own you. Don’t you forget it.” I let go and he gasps, sucking in a sharp breath. I pick up the photo on his desk of his wife and two daughters. Fucking piece of shit. I can’t stand people who don’t treat their family the way they deserve to be treated. “Do they know what a disgusting pig you are?”
“Leave them out of it.”
“You’re not calling the shots here, Hal.” I walk toward the door and stop. “Your wife…Elizabeth. She likes to stay up late reading. She really likes that porch swing. You should talk to her about that. It’s not always safe.” Before he has the chance to respond, I walk out, leaving the door open.
The sun is bright when I step outside, and I’m thankful it’s still nice. We can go through four seasons in one week, and before we know it, we’ll be dealing with nothing but cold and fucking snow.
As I walk toward the other side of campus, where Cil and Rory are waiting for me, I’m trying to settle on what I feel. It’s a combination of disgust, exhilaration, and fucking pride. It’s wild how I can feel proud of shit like what I just did, while also sickened. I just don’t know which pull is stronger.