“Look, Mr. Collins,” I tell the man, turning to him as soon as he appears from the alley. The few excruciating moments that he spent talking to my would’ve-been-murderer in the dark alley while I stood on the sidewalk had been torture as I wondered what the heck was happening and what he was saying to him. “I’m really grateful for you for being here tonight, God knows what would’ve happened if you didn’t interrupt Talon, but I don’t really want to be embroidered into yet another murder investigation. I’ve got far too many dealings with the police already, and if I have yet another case with my name roped into it, they’re going to look at me like I’m the problem rather than the other way around!”“Far too many dealings with the police?” muses Mr. Collins, looking amused at my tirade, “that’s a strange claim, one that I never did expect from one like you. Care to elaborate?”I narrow my eyes at that, “one like me?”“Of course. You don’t look like the type to get caught in things that ar

“And why exactly do you think I can’t handle it?” I ask him, feeling my own anger surface. “I’ve handled everything that’s thrown my way until now, why would this be different?”Gerald looks like he’s gearing up for a fight, “well, for one, you’re rushing into this with no plan in place.”“I do have a plan! It’s just flexible enough to be adapted to the way the situation demands it,” I reply, trying not to give in to the sudden urge to shout. I feel extremely volatile like I’m a time bomb one tick away from being blown up.And maybe on a subconscious level, I know the reason for this.I will be the first to admit that I didn’t get enough sleep last night, and I am still very affected by the incident last night. I had a gun shoved at my face, and if Aaron Collins had not intervened, I would’ve…well, I would’ve died.And then there would be no Coraline, no Astra Development or boys named Lemon, no Zelt Tech or no Gerald, no trying to struggle a demanding job all while going to college,

“Hi, good morning, my name is Jace Greyson, and I have an appointment with Mr. Cal Greene,” I tell the receptionist of Astra Development main building in the most confident voice I could muster, smiling broadly afterward. The receptionist blinks at me, twice in rapid succession and I wonder if I’m overdoing it.“Of course, Mr. Greyson, please give me a moment,” she replies politely with a smile and quickly begins to tap away on the keyboard in front of her.Only then do I notice how agitated I am. I feel like I’m buzzing with energy, and not the good sort of energy, as I wait impatiently for her to finish searching through whatever database or notes she has for my name, all the while wondering ‘why the heck is it taking so long?’I feel like I want to take a long run rather than go and speak with a shady businessman, or even get away to Adrenaline Rush and go a few rounds in the ring or with a punching bag.“Mr. Greyson, you have a conference slot Mr. Greene that will open in ten minu

“It worked!” I crow to Laurent as soon as I dash into the car, startling the driver into dropping his phone. The video he had been watching plays mindlessly from the phone as Laurent tries to catch his breath.“Good god, kid, warn a guy the next time,” Laurent wheezes as he fishes the phone out of the floor to pause the video.I smile at him sheepishly, “yeah, sorry for that. But it worked! It really worked!”“You mean to tell me that you managed to convince the CEO to stop pestering Miss. Granger’s parents?” Laurent questions, and I nod so hard that my neck starts to hurt, but I don’t really care about it because I feel so damn energetic, more so than I did when I was entering the building. And this energy is different from the last time as well because now I’m happy instead of agitated.“Yes. Mr. Cal Greene is not going to be sending his henchmen to the Granger property any longer,” I declare, “and if he does break the promise, he’s going to see what I really can do, because the idi

“You look like someone pissed in your cereal,” Lemon comments when he finds me curled up on the couch in front of a fireplace, the very crouch where I once kissed Coraline. “Also, dude, are you drinking? I thought you didn’t like drinking!”I’ve got a bottle of wine clutched in my hand, and the taste of the tart red liquid on my tongue and lips. At any other time, it would be disgusting to me, but this time, the liquid feels like nectar from the gods. There’s a bottle of whiskey in front of me on the coffee table, but even in my misery I still haven’t worked up the courage to touch that. Besides, I’m pretty sure the wine will knock me out just fine, me being such a puny lightweight.I still hadn’t even drunk more than three gulps from the bottle, yet already feel buzzed. So, yeah, no worries there.I boggle my head to glance at Lemon who looks at me with an expression that’s between surprise and worry and get the sudden urge to laugh because of the sheer ridiculousness and disbelief a