A Very Intelligent Gamble

Two

The next morning I payed the price for sleeping in my car. My back ached as Avery and I showered and brushed our teeth at the local gym because we refused to step foot into our house as long as he was there.

I knew I could've moved out since I was legally an adult, but I couldn't leave Libby. No matter how mad I was at her, she was my sister and I hated to watch her struggle.

I dropped Avery off at school and headed to work. I sighed as I clocked in and put on my black apron and name tag.

Around two hours into my shift my phone rang. It was Libby. I wanted to ignore it but there was something inside of me that was telling me to answer the phone.

I told my boss I needed to go to the restroom urgently and she agreed, so I sped to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I quickly unlocked my phone and called Libby back.

"Hello?" I said when Libby answered. "Ariella!" she responded. "You need to come to the school quick."

My heart beat against my ribs. "What? Why? Is something wrong with Avery?"

"No, but Principal Altman said you and Avery are wanted for something important, and it can't wait, so please hurry. I'm leaving work right now."

"What do you mea-" Before I could finish she hung up the phone.

I ran out of the bathroom and threw off my work stuff. I rambled an excuse to my boss about a family emergency and before she could tell me to stop, I ran out of the cafe and started my car.

I drove as fast as I could without passing the speed limit as questions flooded my mind.

I had graduated a year ago so what could this be about? Did they find out about the poker games I used to run in the school parking lot at night and had passed my business down to Avery? Did something happen to Dad?

I found a parking spot down the street from the school and ran to the front doors. I raced through the halls until I came to the principal's office and flung open the doors. I found Libby standing in a corner and Principal Altman in front of his desk.

"Do you know what's wrong yet?" I whispered to Libby. She shook her head but whispered, "Look," in my ear, gesturing to Principal Altman's desk.

I looked and saw probably the most handsome guy I had ever seen in my life. He had light blond hair that sat perfect on his head and pale grey eyes that were bordered by silver. His jaw looked sharp enough to cut rocks and his expression looked stern and serious. He had on a tailored suit that was perfectly fitted and a silver wristwatch occupied his left wrist. He looked to be around my age, but he could very well have been older.

I sucked in a breath when he looked over at me, his grey eyes sending chills down my spine. I fought off a shiver as I held his gaze, blue boring into grey. He was the first to look away as the door to the office opened and Avery came in. She looked just as panicked as I felt.

She looked at Principal Altman and then to me and Libby in the corner. "Is Dad...?"

I took my gaze away from Avery and focused once again on the boy behind the desk.

"Your father is fine," he said. His voice was smooth and precise, and he spoke with a kind of confidence that made him scream self assured. "As of yesterday, Ricky Grambs was safely passed out in a motel room in Michigan, and hour outside of Detroit."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How could you possibly know that?"

His gaze focused on me once again before moving to Altman. "Principal Altman?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "If you could give us a moment."