At least Nixon had gotten me a new uniform. Correction, he had bought me three. Each outfit had a different sweater underneath, one was red, the next gray, and the final one was blue. Typical.
That was the errand he had Chase run, and honestly I was super thankful. The last thing I wanted to do was buy a new uniform that cost more than my book bag.
“Ready?” Monroe asked from her side of the room. She’d been eerily quiet since the whole “We’ll bring security this time” talk. Maybe she didn’t get out much? Or maybe Chicago really was as scary as I thought it was.
“Yup, just let me get my cash.” I opened the box and dug for the cash. My fingers hit something cold, curious, I dumped the box onto my bed.
A few things came out. The small picture of Grandma and me and a picture of my parents. Weird. I hadn’t seen one of those since I was really little. We didn’t carry many family photos around the house. Grandpa said it just made him sad.
My eyes focused on the wad of cash and then something totally unexpected. A necklace. A giant silver cross with diamonds in the middle lay effortlessly across my bed. I picked it up, expecting it to be costume jewelry, therefore really light. It wasn’t. In fact, if I wore this thing around my neck and went swimming I’d probably drown.
I examined it in my hands and then flipped it over. “Alfero.”
That word sounded crazy familiar when I repeated it out loud.
“What did you just say?” Monroe asked suddenly right behind me. I tucked the necklace into my jean pocket and shrugged.
“Alfredo, I could go for some Alfredo.”
Monroe’s pale face sagged with relief. “Oh, oh sorry, I just thought…” Her eyes narrowed. “Nevermind. No biggie. You ready?”
I nodded and grabbed the stash of cash, careful to put all the contents of the box away. “Let's shop!”
We walked arm in arm down the three flights of stairs, deciding we didn’t want to talk to anyone if they were in elevators.
The minute we reached the first floor, I felt freedom since the first time I’d arrived five days ago.
Monroe began chatting about Tex, so I wasn’t paying attention to the commotion outside until Monroe stopped talking and let out a heavy sigh. “Looks like everyone is ready.”
I gawked. Four black Escalades were lined up against the driveway with a black Ranger Rover in front. So five cars. “Are we taking the whole school?” I asked breathlessly.
Monroe laughed. “No silly, just us and the guys.”
“Right.” I watched in amazement as the guys, aka the Elect, got out of the Range Rover and motioned for us to get our butts in gear.
“Are all those cars coming?” I pointed behind me.
Monroe shrugged and said nothing.
A guy with aviators and an earpiece ran to the front door and opened it for me. He looked like he belonged on Air Force One, not here at the school.
I mumbled a thanks and got into the car. “Um, does someone want to tell me why we need so much security?”
Nixon started the ignition. “We’re important.”
“Right.”
Monroe was in the backseat with Tex. I assumed Phoenix and Chase were in one of the other cars. My tension increased as we drove down the long tree-lined pavement and finally reached the gate.
The armed guard waved then spoke into his walkie-talkie and motioned for us to go on through.
Had I thought my little grocery excursion would be this ridiculous I would have snuck out. I mean four cars?
I groaned into my hands.
Nixon stopped at the first light and nudged me. “What’s wrong? Are you sick or something?
“No, I just… is it really that unsafe for you guys out there?”
“You could say that.”
He leaned forward to turn on the heat. Great. Now I was going to sweat to death. The guy was already killing me with his good looks. Heat? Heat I did not need right now.
We drove in silence, and for some reason each time I moved, the necklace in my pocket kept poking me in the thigh. Stupid tight jeans. Exasperated I pulled it out and clasped it around my neck.
“Are we almost there?” I asked, adjusting my cashmere sweater so that the necklace dropped over it prettily.
“Yup, in like ten— Holy shit.” Nixon slammed on his breaks. “What the hell, Trace?”
“What? What’s wrong?” I looked around for the obvious danger, but Nixon wasn’t staring out the window he was staring at my chest.
“Where the hell did you get that?” He reached for my necklace, but I smacked his hand away.
“Stop.” He shook his head and then hit his hand against the steering wheel and then he started cursing in some sort of language that sounded vaguely familiar.
“It’s not worth cursing over,” I snapped. “It’s just a necklace.”
“You understood me?” he asked in whatever language he was speaking. I could only nod because honestly I had no idea how I understood what he was saying.
A vague flicker of a memory entered into my brain. A man with dark hair pushing me on the swing and telling me in that special language how beautiful I was. That I looked just like my mother. And then some strange men came and began cursing, just like Nixon cursed.
Suddenly I couldn’t breathe.
“Crap,” Monroe muttered. “I think she’s having a panic attack.”
I nodded and tried to unbuckle my seatbelt. Nixon’s hand came flying down across mine. “We’re in the middle of traffic. You’re staying here. I don’t care if you think your freaking heart is going to explode. We can’t be vulnerable, and right now, we are.”
I nodded through the swell of tears that began pouring down my face. What was wrong with me? And why was I suddenly having flashbacks? Was that man my dad? Who were those other men?
Nixon continued to curse until we made it to the grocery store. Finally, once we parked, he turned to Monroe and Tex. “Leave, both of you. I’ll deal with this.”
They scattered out of the car faster than was appropriate. Geez, it wasn’t like he was going to shoot them or something.
I waited, my chest still heaving with frustration and a little bit of confusion and fear.
“What’s your last name?” Nixon asked quietly popping his knuckles.
“Rooks,” I answered dumbly. “Why, what’s yours?”
“I’m asking questions. You’re giving answers. You understand?” His eyes blazed hot. I tried to back away, but my seatbelt pinned me in place. “Now, I can ask nicely or I can use force. What is your last name?”
“Rooks!” I all but screamed. “It’s all I know!”
He raised his hand and leaned in. I flinched, afraid he was going to hit me. Instead he reached for the necklace and turned it over. “Damn it!”
“What?” My lips trembled. “Look, Nixon, this was a bad idea, just take me back to the dorms. I don’t need the security detail like you guys do. I’ll just come back in a cab or something. Plus, you’re freaking me out. I’ll just find my own way home.”
“The hell you will!” He reached across and grabbed my hand. “Let's just, let's just get this over with, okay?”
Freaked out, I could only nod. My gaze left his face and that’s when I noticed what was on his hip. “Why are you packing a gun?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Because it’s part of the rules.”
“Of the school?” I asked, incredulous.
“No.” He smiled sadly. “My family. Now, let’s go.”
I guessed this part of the conversation was over.
Begrudgingly, I got out of the car and stomped into the grocery store. Grabbing the first cart I saw, I began mindlessly wandering the aisles. At least I tried to mindlessly wander. It was hard when every time I picked up a can of something or a package, one of the creepy Men in Black suits was staring at me as if there was a bomb hidden in the tomato soup.
Weird.
All I knew was that the Elect were way more important than I could possibly imagine or even believe.
I finished in the dry goods section and made my way over to the candy aisle. I needed a little boost after all the crap that went down today. I settled on Twizzlers and sighed.
“Almost done?” Nixon asked out of nowhere.
I screamed.
And immediately ten men in suits were in my aisle, guns wielded.
Awesome.
Nixon laughed. “I scared her. Nothing’s wrong.”
The guys nodded and disbursed.
“Who are you?” I swallowed as Nixon’s breath fanned my face. Oh gosh, I was going to faint if he kept getting this close to me.
“I could ask you the same thing.” His eyes narrowed as he cupped my face and examined my eyes. “Brown. Interesting.”
“Brown?”
“Your eyes.”
“They’re plain.” I tried to pull my head free from his grip, but he tightened it.
“They are beautiful. Don’t let anyone tell you any different, Bella.”
His eyes searched mine and then he leaned in more. Our lips were inches away. My heart was going crazy. I leaned in.
“Hey, Nixon, the guys are getting antsy,” came Monroe’s voice. I wanted to tell her to leave.
Nixon jerked back immediately and shook his head as if he had been the one under the spell, when he very well knew he was the bastard who cast it.
“You done?” He pointed to the cart.
“Um, yeah, I’ll just go checkout.” I pushed my car to the checkout stand. Nixon walked behind me, patiently waiting.
“Glad to see you’re buying enough food so you don’t starve in between classes.” He smirked.
“It’s your fault I have to buy food,” I snapped, a bit irritated and still obsessing over the almost-kiss.
“What do you mean?”
“My key card, you a**hole!”
He rolled his eyes. “Stop being difficult. You have two key cards.”
“Huh? Are you high?” I threw a bag of potato chips at his head. “Phoenix stole my card the night you made him set me up! That same night you were off-campus doing who knows what! I only have the red card that you gave me the other day!”
The color drained from Nixon’s face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Okay, he was high. I mean, he was there! “In the hall when you said that was the best you could do, and you handed me the card to the Red Cafeteria!”
“Because Phoenix said you were uncomfortable eating with us. The Red Cafeteria is better than the commons—”
He gripped the shopping cart, and I could tell a battle was waging in his mind. Finally, he shook his head. “Bastard. I’ll deal with it. Do you still need this food then? If you’re going to be eating with us now?”
“Yes.” I swallowed, because who knew when I was going to make him or one of the other guys angry and lose my rights to eat meat?
“That will be one hundred dollars and seventy-two cents.” The checker announced, sounding bored out of his mind.
I pulled the roll of bills out of my hand and tugged off the rubber band. The wad of hundreds fell to the ground. This is what Nixon’s stupid presence did to me. It made me nervous and a bit crazy.