Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
“And you were a witness, Nadine?”
She nods several times. “Yes, sir. Finn just showed up and attacked him. It was terrifying.”
“These are serious accusations.” Dean Kandinsky looks back over at me. “Assaulting another student in this manner is an immediate expulsion from the university as well as whatever charges you face criminally. And since this is the second time something like this has happened with you on campus, I’m inclined to tell the judge this is patterned behavior. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Finn?”
“No, he doesn’t have anything to say because he knows he assaulted me! He deserves to pay for what he did!” Dane chimes in yet again. Dean Kandinsky lifts a hand toward him without turning around this time, a silent shut the fuck up. But Dane, of course, doesn’t listen. “Just look at my face. I probably should’ve gone to the hospital, but I felt it was my civic duty to come to the police station and press charges. No one on campus is safe with this lunatic around. That’s why, once my father’s lawyer gets here, I’m going to make sure I press charges and this guy is arrested.”
“Dane,” Dean Kandinsky chastises, throwing a cutting look over his shoulder. “That’s enough.”
Two knocks sound on the door, and Officer Marks peeks his head out toward the disturbance. Not even five seconds later, he turns back around toward Dean Kandinsky. “There’s a professor by the name of Ty Winslow here. He’d like to come in.”
What the fuck?
Dean Kandinsky nods and sighs, sitting back in his chair and steepling his hands. “Let him back.”
When Officer Marks stands and opens the door, Ty rushes into the room with frantic eyes, messy hair, fucking pajama pants, and a T-shirt that says NYU. If I thought Dean Kandinsky looked bad, I was sorely mistaken.
This motherfucker looks like he came here by way of a rope tied to a taxi as it dragged him through the streets.
“What are you doing here, Ty?” Dean Kandinsky asks as Ty takes the seat next to me. It’s unexpected and, quite frankly, uninvited. My whole body tenses with the intrusion into my space. He touches my forearm, and my eyes jump to the spot like I’ve been zapped.
“Sir, I awoke to several phone calls this morning about the situation, a number of which came from students and some of this year’s endowment donors.” Dean Kandinsky sits up in his seat at that, the word “donors” hitting him in his metaphorical pockets. “There’s more to this story than meets the eye.”
Did Ace call Ty? Or Thatch? Maybe both of them did, for all I know. I don’t want him here, but I know they’re trying to help.
“What do you mean?”
“Dane and Nadine have been harassing Scottie Bardeaux. They set up an elaborate embarrassment, lured Scottie to the scene of it, and baited her friends, including Finn Hayes, to do something about it.”
“We were not harassing Scottie,” Dane tries to interrupt, but no one in the room gives him any attention.
“An elaborate embarrassment?” Dean Kandinsky asks. “What does that mean?”
“I think it’s best if we step outside the room for me to update you. It’s a bit of a delicate issue.”
Dean Kandinsky frowns and stands, gesturing for Ty and Officer Walters to follow him out of the room. Officer Marks stays behind and, as the door closes behind them, sets up shop on the other side of the table, between Dane and me. I have no intention of starting anything at this point; I’d rather let Dane continue to dig his own grave. Plus, Ace told me not to say shit, and I’ve taken the directive seriously.
It feels like a decade before the three men walk back into the room, but when they do, Dean Kandinsky looks more pissed than I’ve ever seen him.
“The two of you aren’t giving the full story here,” Dean Kandinsky barks at Dane and Nadine, making both of their eyes go wide. Dane recovers quickly, though, spewing mock outrage right back at him.
“What? Finn Hayes assaulted me, sir. That’s the story!”
“We’d like to see both of your phones,” Officer Walters orders, his face stern too. Nadine hands hers over, even unlocking the screen with her passcode, a shit-scared expression shattering her normally cocky face. She looks like a little girl now, all of her normal persona eradicated.
“What the hell, babe?” Dane snaps, annoyed. “You didn’t have to fucking give that to them without a warrant.” Nadine looks helpless as the weight of what she’s done crashes all around her. Her knees are bouncing up and down at a wild pace, and her fingers fidget with her clothes.
She fucked up hugely, but I don’t think she’s the mastermind of any of it. I think she got swept away in a plot concocted by her butthurt boyfriend and was too dumb to see it for what it was. That doesn’t excuse anything, though. Shitty behavior produces shitty results, and now, she’ll pay the price.