Free Devious Minds by KF Germaine Page A

Had Sharbus hit on Coach’s sister?
    Still deep in thought, I made my way across the locker room and grabbed my bag. My cell read seven PM. I still had one more thing to do tonight. My new favorite hobby—mess with Sinister.
    When I pressed Jack earlier about his upcoming birthday, he was too excited to keep his plans to himself. He was so easy. Sydney managed to get him and her roommate special underage passes to SpaceRoom on Halloween. Supposedly, it would be a costume rager, with DJ Sinister spinning. And it was the perfect place to start with her.
    I felt a sadistic grin cross my face just thinking about that letter she received from Starnose Entertainment (AKA me). I knew if I’d straight-up threatened to expose her, she would quit and that would be the end of it. I did my research and found out who owned KRUG and who would be in charge of hiring. Sydney probably scoured the internet making sure it was real.
    I wanted to get her hopes up so they could come crashing down in a few months. I was playing the long con with this one. Devious? Yes. Worth every minute I spent planning it? Double yes.
    Making my way toward the library, I called Chance.
    “What up, asshole?” he answered on the second ring, and I could hear giggling behind him. “Get back here. New chicks stopped by. There’s a little brunette asking about you.”
    “Sounds good.” I lied. I was dead tired and just wanted to sleep. “Are they sorority?”
    “Yep.”
    I rolled my eyes, hoping Chance could see my disgust through the phone. “I’ll be home later. Let the brunette down for me—”
    “Jesus, Peters,” Chance chided. “What’s up with your dry spell lately?”
    “I have a few things to wrap up on campus,” I said, ignoring his remark.
    He was right, of course. I’d lost my mojo recently. I was too wrapped up in my plot to crush dreams.
    “Just wanted to pick your brain for a second. Do you remember hearing why Nick Sharbus left the team?”
    “No.” A hitch-pitched squeal shot through the phone, and I ripped it from my ear. “All I remember is Nick and Ashton got the boot at the same time.”
    “Ashton Williams?”
    “Yeah. That third-stringer who wanted to be you so bad we thought he was hitting on you.”
    “Yeah.” I rounded on the library building’s parking lot and spotted Sinister’s truck. “What happened to that guy?”
    Chance let out a low moan, and my stomach twisted. Couldn’t he at least wait until I was off the phone?
    “He’s a loser. Drinks at Smitty’s in the subdistrict all the time. Barner and Echols saw him last weekend taking shot after shot, talking about the good ol’ days… Oh my God… I have to go…” The phone cut out, but the timing was good.
    I was about to deliver an early present to the birthday girl.

Chapter Thirteen

     
    “ A llison… earth to Allison. Are you okay?”
    Allison was frozen on the bed, hands down by her sides, mouth open, displaying her perfect cavity-free teeth. After a few more seconds, she started a slow shake of her head, dramatically smashing her eyes closed, then popped them back open. I could practically see my hideous reflection in them as they glossed over.
    “Allison. Snap out if it.” I clapped my hands in front of her face, and she jerked her head back.
    “Sorry. I thought I was in the middle of a nightmare, but then I realized. This is real. You are real. What you are about to wear on your twenty-first birthday to a club where you will be on display is real . This is happening, isn’t it?” She pointed a bony finger at me. “You are wearing that in public.”
    I nodded, turning to look at myself in the mirror.
    I was going to ring in my twenty-first birthday wearing an Iron Man costume.
    When I first pulled it out of the box, I thought I was being punked, but then I read the death threat. Not an actual death threat, a death threat to my future and dreams.
    It happened like this. It was a cool Tuesday night, after my usual Sunday Lane segment,