Burning Moth

Chapter One, Part Three - A Grave Situation

He didn't acknowledge me until the last students had trickled from the room.

Legs crossed, arms folded, I leaned back in my seat, watching him shuffle papers on his desk. The minutes ticked slowly by until finally he rose to his feet. His head was still inclined toward his work, disturbing his presidential hair. A sandy lock slipped out of place. He brushed it back and I swallowed, fighting my baser instincts. He was young and handsome, dressed like a Polo model, and looked you in the eye when he spoke. But underneath the nice clothes and white teeth smile, Finn Greco was a mirage. You couldn't trust him one bit.

"What happened last night?" he said, his voice quiet, unconcerned. That Southern twang of his rolled smoother than molasses.

Finn was twenty-eight. That eight year gap between us should have created more space but I was stuck in his gravitational field. "I was out. I have a life, Finn."

"Not if you get caught." He casually adjusted the neck of his dress shirt, sending chills up my spine. Other girls didn't know what Finn Greco liked to do with with his Burberry tie, but I did.

"I don't get caught. Except for that one time." 

"When you chase trouble, trouble starts chasing you." He grabbed a sheaf of papers and headed to my desk. "Are you in trouble, Scar?"

I shifted in my seat. "No. Do you have a job for me?" Last summer I made quick money tailing rich schmucks and reporting their every move back to Finn. By the time I was finished, I knew more about those seedy businessmen and their dirty laundry than Big Brother did. Besides cheating on their wives, the one thing they all had in common was their ties to Dixon Industries. Finn never said what he needed the information for and I never asked. 

"The last job wasn't enough?"

"The last one was June. It's September, G."

"What about your friend? He has access to important people. I could use him."

"Aidan's off-limits. Besides, the people he works for are jacked. I'm not pissing them off."

"Dixon Industries has more profit than they're worth." Finn's hands disappeared behind his back.  "Plenty of cash to go around."

"You don't wanna mess with the Dixons. They're not good people, Finn."

"Neither are we."

I stood and leaned forward, palms flat on the desk. "We have a deal. You give me grades, I get you whatever the hell you ask for. But I'm not getting in bed with the Dixons."

Finn thumbed his nose in amusement. "Darlin' you already have."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means as long as they have power--money--everyone in the Village is in their shadow." He stepped closer. I fidgeted but my back stayed straight. "You don't pick the jobs, Scarlet. You do what I ask or our arrangement is through. Your choice." He held out the papers; I hesitated.  Finn pulled his arm back when I finally reached for them, dark eyes narrow above his smile. "I'll call you when it's time to work. Keep your nose clean."

"Eat me." I yanked the papers from his hand, walking slowly past him and to the door. Outside, Troy was waiting in the corridor, tucking a cigarette behind his ear. He jogged to catch up, falling into step beside me.

"You can't do this, Troy."

"Do what?"

"Wait for me and walk with me down the hall. Do you want her to catch us?"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, slow down." Troy put his hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop and face him. "Keiko's at her music lesson. You don't have to worry."

"Trust me, your relationship is the last thing I care about," I snapped, stuffing Finn's papers in my bag. When I looked up and saw the hurt in Troy's puppy-dog eyes I knew I was a piece of shit. "I'm sorry. It's just... I did something shitty last night. And now, Finn wants me to do something else shitty when all I really want is for once just to stay the fuck out of it--"

"So stay out of it."

"It's not that simple. Finn is putting me in danger--which means Aidan's in danger."

"Then I'll handle it right now." Amber eyes flashing, Finn swiveled past me, headed for the classroom. Having witnessed Finn take down seven bikers in a bar fight that went sideways, I jumped in Troy's way, cutting off his path.

"Relax. Nobody needs a hero."

"And what do you need from him? Why don't you call him Mr. G like the rest of us?"

"Cuz I'm not like the rest of you. Finn's my partner; I thought we had an understanding. But he might become a problem."

Troy waited for more, brows raised in expectation.

"Even if I could tell you why, Troy, I wouldn't. And not because I don't like you."

Troy exhaled. Our breakup hadn't flipped some switch. It was fucked up what we were doing to his girlfriend but we couldn't just turn off our feelings for each other. Troy had broken my trust when he cheated on me with Keiko, but hating him was never an option.  

"You don't have to tell me what's wrong, Scar. Just tell me how to fix it."

I glanced behind me, checking that Finn's door was still closed before grabbing Troy's elbow and ducking down a side hall.

"You and half the Village come from old money--the rest of us aren't so lucky. I have a few side-hustles--but you knew that. What you don't know is that last spring Finn caught me changing grades in his office. He almost shot me."

"What kind of teacher carries a gun?"

"Exactly. He could have turned me in. Or shot me. Instead he hired me to do a job for him."

"Wow. My ex-girlfriend and my professor are criminal masterminds."

"I don't know what Finn is, but I know he's not just some random teacher. And he's got this obsession with the Dixons that will probably get us both killed."

"No shit. It's the Dixons--as in the family who operates a multi-million dollar defense company right here in the Village. What are you thinking, Scar?"

"Look, I know the Dixons are bad news. But my hands are tied. And you said no questions, remember?

"Fucking hell, Scar."

"If I'm going to figure out his connection to the Dixons then I need dirt on Finn Greco. Your dad's the dean--you can get in and out of the front office. Can you help me or not?"

Troy smirked, lip between his teeth as he stepped forward. "You're a mess, Scar. I don't know why I let myself get sucked in with you."

"It's a mystery." I grabbed Troy by his t-shirt, pulling him close. Our noses brushed. He resisted and turned his face aside only to wrap his arms and around me, pressing his forehead to mine.

Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for adding Burning Moth to your reading list. Hope you're enjoying the story! More criminals and cuties ahead <3 <3 <3