Tells by Scott Rhine

Author:Scott Rhine [Rhine, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2019-07-04T18:30:00+00:00

22. Back to School

Other than leaving my two best friends in a hospital, Monday morning was pretty normal. Luca’s father drove me to school, but I sat next to him instead of in back. “How much did the Council tell you about what happened Friday night?”

“My girl earned a commendation for bravery for defending you, but she shouldn’t have been there to begin with.”

“I’m sorry. It was all my fault.”

Mr. Benedetto raised a hand. “Nobody tells Luca what to do. If she’s up to her behind in alligators, she’s the one who jumped in with both feet. Even in the hospital bed, she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face.”

“It was a favor to me.”

He pushed back his cap. “Yeah? When she graduates, the Council is willing to pay for her university. If she gets good grades, she can have her pick of assignments. Your aunt even gave me a bonus for sending Luca to watch out for you.”

“She doesn’t have to pay my friends to—”

“Relax. Miss Audra can afford it. She just earned a promotion. Good things happen to people who help you.”

I frowned as I processed this. “You heard about the saint thing and the guy whose neck pain went away because he gave me a drink?”

“What?”

Oops. “Oh, no. I’ve said too much. Please don’t tell anyone.”

“Miss, half my job is keeping my mouth shut.”

“You don’t think I’m weird?”

“You’re nice to everyone. The world could use more of that kind of weird. On the Hutchinson scale, that’s not even in the top ten.”

“You’re kidding. What could top fighting shadow wolves over my weekend?”

He made a zipping motion over his lips followed by a locking gesture.

“My aunt does boring math for a living.”

“If you say so, Miss Isa. Boring people often drive in bulletproof cars and fly all over the world.”

Is anyone in my family normal? “Does she have a regular man in her life?”

“I couldn’t say, Miss.”

I took the hint and changed the subject. “Do you know which drunken mother threw herself at my father?”

He suppressed a snort of laughter. “I couldn’t say.”

“Did this happen Friday night?”

“You’re like a dog with a bone, girl. Let it go, and trust your father.”

“Was it at a bar?”

“I can see how you earned your name,” the driver said. “Would you like me to pick you up at the usual time?”

“No. I’m having dinner at Lilith Cotton’s while Dad’s away helping Zak. Her mother will be picking us both up.”

“Whoa. The matriarch herself?”

I narrowed my eyes trying to pick up more clues. He was a Sphinx compared to most people. “Matriarch of what?”

“Current head of the Council.”

“Lilith never mentioned that little fact.”

He shrugged. “Maybe she wanted someone who liked her for herself, not who her family is. That’s why Luca doesn’t tell people who her mother is.”

“I think it has more to do with her mother getting caught skinny-dipping with a guy almost Luca’s age.”

That stung him a little. “Which is why we don’t watch the news at our house.”

“Sorry. You still love her.

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