Corrupt (Devil's Night 1)

“How’s your first day in the big city?” he asked, sounding a lot more relaxed than he was at the party.

“Great.” I tossed my coffee in the garbage can I passed and kept walking. “I was just at the bookstore getting the rest of my texts.”

“Good, and how’s your apartment?”

I breathed out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “Big. As I’m sure you know. I love your mom, Trevor, but she could’ve left this one alone, you know?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The apartment in your family’s building…” I hinted.

He must’ve known about it, since he assumed I would see Michael.

“What do you mean, my family’s building?” His voice turned sharp.

“Delcour,” I told him. “I didn’t know it was a Crist building.”

“Fuck,” he growled. “You’re living at Delcour? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

I didn’t answer, confused as to why that was important to him in the first place. During the summer, I’d only mentioned finding an apartment but no details. And he hadn’t asked.

Was there something wrong with Delcour? Other than I’d gotten a little played in order to live there?

“Rika,” Trevor started, sounding rigid. “Find something else.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want you there.”

“Why?” I pressed again.

His parents had tricked me into leasing the apartment, not telling me it was their building, and now Trever was ordering me out. I’d had enough of people telling me what to do.

“You really have to ask that?” he snapped. “Get your stuff and go to a hotel until you find another place. I mean it. You’re not living at Delcour.”

I stood there with my mouth slightly open, not understanding what the hell his problem was. Delcour belonged to his family. If anything, why wouldn’t he want me to stay there? And what did he think, ordering me around? He knew better.

“Look,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “I have no idea what’s going on, but it’s got great security, and even though it’s not what I had planned, school starts in two days. I don’t want to move while I’m in the middle of classes.”

Not if I didn’t have to, anyway.

“I don’t want you there,” he reiterated, barking his order. “Do you understand?”

I clenched my teeth. “No,” I gritted out. “I don’t understand, because you’re not explaining it to me. And the last time I checked, you’re not my father.”

I heard his bitter laugh on the other end. “You probably planned this, didn’t you? You knew exactly what you were doing.”

I shook my head, closing my eyes. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I no longer cared. “I’m not moving. I don’t want to.”

“No. I don’t suppose you do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I shot out.

But then my phone beeped again, and I pulled it away from my ear seeing Call Ended. I dropped my head back, exasperated. What the hell?

Why wouldn’t Trevor want me at Delcour? He hated Meridian City, but what did Delcour have to do with that?

And then I lifted my chin, closing my eyes as realization hit.