Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“Ana, you’re nothing I ever saw coming. You’re nothing I was even looking for, and then suddenly, there you fucking were, and now I can’t even imagine my world without you in it.”
She swallows, raking her teeth over her bottom lip as her big blue eyes lock with mine.
“You’re really with the FBI.”
“I really am.”
She smiles, looking away as she shakes her head. “What the hell is FBI doing at Winchester Academy?”
My mouth tightens. “This.”
I whirl, storming into the classroom to find Kelly on her cellphone.
“Yes, that’s right officer, a student! I believe she’s sixteen years—”
She yelps as I yank the phone out of her hands and hang up.
“You are in big fucking trouble, Mr. Bard,” she hisses, jabbing a finger at me. “That was the police, and trust me, they’re on their way to lock your ass up!”
And I just smile.
“You sure I can’t persuade you to look the other way on this?”
She scowls. “Are you fucking serious? No, you fucking asshole. You’re going to—”
“How about a bribe?”
I smile widely, and I see the quaver in her face, the color draining from it.
“Excuse me? No, you’re—”
“Because that’s your gig, isn’t it? Taking bribes? Accepting whoever can pay, regardless of grades? Fudging test scores? Denying other students whose parents’ business rivals pay you to do so?”
Kelly goes pale.
“Lies,” she whispers hoarsely, and you can see she doesn’t even believe her own lie.
“Ah, Kelly, it’s not the bribery people even give a shit about. It’s the other stuff.”
She swallows, her cheeks going gaunt. Oh, she knows the hammer is about to come down.
“See, it’s the embezzlement and fraud that people give a shit about. And, well?” I smile widely at her. “I think you put it best, Kelly. So, to use your own words, you’re fucked. You’re done here.”
“You—you—!” Kelly stutters, her eyes wild as they dart around the room.
“Well you’re fucking a teenager!”
“I’m eighteen,” Anastasia hisses from behind me.
“You shut up, you little slut!”
“Do not fucking talk to her like that,” I rumble, my eyes narrowing at Kelly.
She sneers at me. “You want to take me down? Well, you’re going down too, asshole. Eighteen or not, she’s still a student, and whatever the fuck you were doing in your office, this is still school grounds. They’re going to burn you for this.”
“Maybe,” I growl, my face hard. “But I’m willing to let them.” My lips pull back in a sneer. “How about you?”
Kelly swallows, her face red and her nostrils flaring as she breathes heavily.
“You screwed a student—”
“And I’m not really a teacher.”
She frowns, narrowing her eyes at me.
“What?”
And just then, the cops burst in.
“On the ground! Now!”
Ana screams, but I turn and smile at her, shaking my head as I get to my knees.
“It’s going to be okay, baby.”
“Now, asshole!”
I turn and glare at the cop. “There’s a number in my wallet, back left pocket. I need you to call it.”
“How about go fuck yours-”
“I’m FBI, dickhead,” I growl. “Undercover.”
The cops pause, glancing at each other.
“He’s lying!” Kelly shrieks, and I grin as I shake my head. If she had any sense whatsoever, she’d be using this disruption to get herself gone. But of course, she doesn’t.
“He’s a professor here, and he’s been fucking her!” She jabs a finger at Ana. “This girl is sixteen years—”
“I’m eighteen,” Ana mutters. “And nothing happened, at all, until I was.”
The cops just look plain confused at this point, and I sigh.
“Back left pocket. The number. You want to settle this? Call it.”
“He is lying to you, officer—”
“Ma’am?” one of the cops finally barks at the hysterical Kelly. “I need you to calm down and take a seat while we figure this out.”
The man goes for my pocket and pulls out my wallet. And sure enough, on a little white card with the logo for a plumbing company that doesn’t exist, is a number. The man starts to dial and brings the phone to his ear. I can hear it ring, and then the muffled voice. The cop frowns.
“They say they need a check in code.”
“Five-five-zero-one-four-nine-eight, alpha alpha bravo.”
The cop repeats the code into the phone and then clears his throat.
“Yes sir, this is lieutenant Reed with the—yes, sir. Yes, sir I’ve got him right—yes, sir.” He glances at Kelly. “Yes, sir, she’s here too. I understand.”
He blinks as he hangs up and eyes his partner.
“He’s right.”
And right then is when Kelly decides to book it. She screams, and she makes it about as far as the door before lieutenant Reed grabs her and hauls her back.
“Ms. Lyne? You’re under arrest. The FBI will be here shortly to take you in and process you.”
He glances at me. “If you could stick around…”
“No problem.”
I stand, and without another word, I turn to Ana and pull her into my arms, kissing the top of her head. I glance up to see both cops eyeing me warily.