Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Four times Jean had begged Riko not to send him to their rooms. Four times he’d begged for forgiveness and mercy, knowing Riko wasn’t capable of either. The last time he’d shut up and gone where he was told, and Riko rewarded that lifeless submission by moving on to new torments the following week.
The master had not been as forgiving. As soon as he discovered his expensive investment was cultivating a reputation as a whore, he’d beaten Jean within an inch of his life.
“I made some mistakes,” Jean said quietly, feeling so far from his body he couldn’t even feel the sheets beneath his hands. “This was not one of them. This was just—”
It was hard to find his words; it was getting hard to breathe with Thea watching him so intently. Jean needed her out of his space, out of this room, out of his life again until he could rebuild his walls. He seized on the one thing that could distract her from him and said, “Kevin’s hand wasn’t an accident. When he tells you what happened, believe him. You won’t want to, but you must. But do not ask me—not about this, not about anything.”
“Paris,” she said.
“Go away, Thea.”
“Marseille.” A too-late peace offering.
“Go away, and don’t come back,” Jean said. “Please.”
Thea hesitated a moment longer, then got to her feet and tweaked his hair. If she had a parting remark, she thought better of it, and she left him to his miserable thoughts without a backwards look.
Jean was lying down even as she made her way to the door. As soon as she was gone, he dragged his covers up over his head and willed his uncooperative body to let him sleep. He was still awake when Abby swung by to check on him a few hours later, and he didn’t let her leave until she’d given him something to knock him under.
There were nightmares waiting for him at the bottom, as there always were and always would be, but at least Jean could wake up and escape from those.
CHAPTER THREE
Jeremy
Jeremy Knox was halfway through tying his laces when a breathless Bobby came skidding into the locker room. The freshman always looked ridiculously tiny next to the Trojans once they were kitted out for a game, but her size worked in her favor tonight as she had to weave around a half-dozen bodies to find USC’s captain. Jeremy saw the look on her face as she hurried toward him and could guess what news she was bringing him. It made him grin as he bent to his work.
“It’s time,” she said as soon as she reached him. She dropped to a quick squat and gave his shin guards a hard push. Satisfied they didn’t move, she settled back on one foot to look up at him. The glee in her eyes might’ve been at the trick the USC Trojans had planned for tonight but was just as likely excitement over being the first of the Trojans’ three assistants to reach him. Jeremy put his money on the latter, since Antonio was closing in fast as well. “Security says they’re heading back to inner court soon.”
Tony stopped beside her and favored the top of her head with an exasperated look. “How did you even beat me in here? I was literally with Coach Rhemann when the call came in.”
Bobby held up a hand, and Tony easily hauled her to her feet as she explained, “I heard the guard’s radio go off. He had to let me back in because my hands were full with—oh,” she said, looking stricken. “Oh no. The ice.”
She took off back the way she’d come, leaving Tony to sigh dramatically. A moment later he recovered enough to send Jeremy a sidelong look. “You sure about this? For sure, sure? Because if no one else knows yet, no one can hold you to it. You have time to change your mind.”
“We need this more than they do,” Jeremy said. “We’re sure.”
Tony accepted that without further argument and looked around. “Nabil?”
“He’ll be out soon,” Jeremy said, and Tony accepted that with an easy nod. Nabil would be the last down to court since he couldn’t gear up until after prayers. Tony had gotten into the habit of waiting for him a few months back, offering a second set of hands to make up for lost time. “Can you see if someone will get my gloves and helmet down to the bench? I’m going to go say hello to our visitors.”
“Of course,” Tony promised. “I’ll flag Angie down soon as I see her.”
Jeremy detoured past the dealers’ row on his way out. Sebastian Moore and Min Cai were talking excitedly as they finished up with their gear, but since Xavier was on the outskirts of the conversation it was easy to get his attention with a light touch on his elbow. Jeremy tipped his head in the direction of the court and said, “I’m heading out. I’ll meet you in inner court.”