Enemy Down - Cathryn Fox Page 0,7
I don’t have time for guys right now.” I don’t have the time, patience, or trust needed for a boyfriend. I’ve seen the way the guys here go from one bed to the next. My own father cheated on Mom right after I was born, then he screwed off, never to be heard from again. So no, I’m not about to put my heart in any man’s hands only for him to crush it. “All my focus goes into my work.”
She makes a tsking sound. “All work and no play—”
“Is what’s going to get me into Harvard,” I say, cutting her off. Mom knows my plans, and I get that she wants me to enjoy college and come out well-rounded. She wants better for me than she had, and I don’t want to disappoint her, but I will not be bringing any guy home. I’ll be bringing good grades home instead.
She laughs, and it mingles with the sound of her spoon in her teacup. I smile, missing my tea and honey moments at home. “Okay, love. If you change your mind.”
I end the call, push from the bed, and about to head to the hall bathroom when a knock comes on my bedroom door. “Maize, you up?”
“Yeah, come in.”
The door pushes open and in walks Kaitlyn. I instantly notice the tightness in her shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” I steal a glance at the clock. “Shouldn’t you be at the meet?”
“I just finished warming up. Headed back in a second. I wanted to talk to you.”
I shift on the bed, to make room for her. “What’s up?” I ask, my stomach tight. She’s going to deliver bad news. I just know it.
“I was talking to Coach today. She uh…she’s going to replace you. Janice is going to take your spot.”
I grip the sheets and squeeze. Of course, she’s going to replace me. I never thought for a moment she wouldn’t, but it stings nonetheless. “Janice will do great.”
She glances at my boot. “I’m worried about your tuition.”
“Me too.”
“There’s a way…” Her voice falls off and my gaze jerks to hers, and from the way her eyes are wide, her head dipped a little, I’m not sure I want to hear what it is she’s about to say.
“What?”
She picks at an imaginary piece of lint on my bed. “Remember those whispers we used to hear, you know about the secret society some of the athletes and scholars belong to, you know the Wolf Pack, at Wolf House?”
“First that’s a stupid name and second it can’t be true, Kaitlyn. Men can’t buy and own women, it’s the twenty-first century, and illegal.” She slides her hand behind her back, and produces a card. I eye it carefully. “What’s that.”
“It’s an invitation.” She pushes it toward me. “It’s for you, and only you. You have to turn it in tonight.”
I take the card from her, and all it says is a time and a place, and that time is nine tonight. “What am I looking at?”
“In the basement of Wolf House. It’s an auction of sorts. You’ll belong to the highest bidder.”
Forgetting all about my foot, I jump up, hardly able to believe what I’m hearing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I wish I was, but…”
My heart crashes in my chest as my brain races to catch up. The Wolf Pack at Wolf House is real? “Where did you get this?”
She hesitates for a brief second. “I can’t tell you.”
“Kaitlyn,” I warn.
She stands and puts her hands on my arms. “Just trust me on this.” She takes the card and holds it up. “This…right here…is your ticket to Harvard, Maize. You might never run again, but as long as you can stay at Kingston and keep your grades up, you’ll get that scholarship to Harvard. This will help you afford it.”
I glare at her, unable to wrap my brain around this. “How long have you known about this?”
“A little bit now, why?”
“Why are you just telling me now?” I practically shriek.
She exhales and makes a groaning sound. “I was hoping you’d miraculously recover, and two, I wanted to wait until the last minute so you couldn’t overthink it.”
“Overthink it? I’m not going to overthink it. In fact, I’m not going to spend one more second thinking about it.” Kaitlyn frowns. “Look, I can’t…” My words fall off as I actually take a second to think—okay maybe overthink—all this, and what selling myself could mean for my future. The fact of the matter is, I’m a fighter, a