The Damaged (The Insiders Trilogy #2) - Tijan by Tijan

Crap. It was?

I hadn’t paid attention. Life in our graduate hall was different than it was for the rest of the students. We dressed the same, but it was different with us. We were on the cusp of our next move into our future, into the jobs that we’d have for the next twenty years. Or so we hoped.

Since this summer, I was focused on family, on school, and on Kash. Nothing else got in there—except the longing to remember what it was like to be normal. It surged back up in me with a renewed fervor.

Homecoming.

Wow.

A football game. A college football game.

I never went during my own undergraduate years.

Suddenly, that was the only thing I wanted to do.

It would be different. We were in graduate school, but I wanted to go. I wanted that normalcy.

“You want to go? I mean…” She was scanning my face. “Our team is D1. It’s not just a student thing, you know? People all over come for the games. The team is a big deal. We could make you incognito. I exchanged numbers with that Torie girl. She talked about ‘doing you over’ one time. She and her friend looked real savvy with hair and makeup. I bet they could make you look like a totally different person if they wanted.”

God. I really, really wanted to go.

Feeling eyes on me, I glanced over my shoulder. Erik was there, his gaze locked on me.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but I didn’t care.

I told her, “I want to go.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

“Yes. Really.” I nodded, and I nodded some more. I really wanted to go. “Be at your place, tomorrow?”

“Yeah!” Her eyes were dancing. Her cheeks had flushed. “Game’s at three. Come over at half past one. Plenty of time to get over there.”

She was functioning as if I wouldn’t have guards. I knew I wouldn’t be able to give them the slip, but I didn’t tell her just yet. Tomorrow.

“Great. See you tomorrow.”

She gave me another grin before tugging her backpack over her shoulder and saying her good-byes. Veering down the sidewalk, she even waved to Scott, who only looked at me.

I approached the SUV. Before he opened the door, he said, “You know you can’t go without us.”

“I know.”

He nodded. “I’ll tell Mr. Colello. He’ll start making plans.”

That was the crux of my life. Now.

I couldn’t go somewhere without security measures and protocols put in place. The only thing is that I didn’t care at that moment. I was hoping to go incognito, get my guards to be as incognito as possible, and pretend I was normal for a day.

That was the hope. I was excited!

Scott opened my door—and I stared at Chrissy Hayes, sitting inside.

She put her magazine away and arched an eyebrow. “Hello, my daughter who has been avoiding her mother for way too long.”

I was busted.





THIRTY



Kash


My phone rang at the same time that Matt walked into my office.

I hit the Accept button, putting it on speakerphone. “Yes?”

“Bailey just accepted her classmate’s invitation to attend Hawking University’s football game tomorrow.”

I rolled back in my chair. “She did what?”

“Yes!” Matt pumped his hands in the air. “Finally my sister is doing something normal.”

I glared at him.

He ignored me.

Scott continued, “She’s supposed to be at her classmate’s apartment tomorrow at one thirty. Game is at three p.m. The other male student knows some of the football players.” He paused. “It’s homecoming, sir.”

Of course it was. Homecoming.

I scowled at Matt, who was still pumping his hands in the air, but at least he was doing it silently.

“Call the university. Start security talks.”

“On it.”

I hung up with him and amped up my scowl at Matt. “You could pretend to be concerned.”

Matt waved his hand in the air, dismissing me, and dropped into the seat across from me. He threw a leg up over one of the armrests, twisting his body so he was more sitting sideways. His arm went up on the back. “Whatever. Act all pissy. You and I both know this is a good sign. Bailes is getting normal again. A football game. That’s good, Kash. Plus, I’m pretty sure my dad has season tickets for the company. They’re always reserved. I tried getting them last year and it was a no-go. Some of the shareholders are greedy football alum from Hawking.”

He was right.

Some of my scowl faded.

Shit. He was right.

“You couldn’t get even one ticket?”

Matt smirked. “I didn’t try too hard, but Hawking football is big.”

“There’s thirty different angles my grandfather could use to have someone hurt her there.”

Matt’s grin turned knowing. And wicked. “Like you’re not going to call and secure a private box to help eliminate twenty-eight of those ways.”

I sighed. My hand was itching to do it, but I knew I couldn’t. Because unlike Matt, I knew the real reason she said yes to the game.

“She’ll want to be in the stands.”

He caught on, real quick. “You’re right. She’ll want to be as normal as possible.”

Which meant I couldn’t call for security protocols, but I wanted to. And I might anyway.