At 1:30 the following afternoon, I'm standing in front of the white office building with Jayce, Haven and Alexei.
The sun is high in the sky and just hot enough to be uncomfortable on my skin. I squint, raising my hand to shade my eyes as I tilt my head back to peer up at the large columns.
I want to pass out. I feel like my knees could give out at any moment.
We're really here.
We're really going to talk to Jeffers.
I shiver, despite the sun, and Jayce pulls me close to him as Alexei turns to face our group. His expression is so serious it's almost scary.
"Alright, now listen to me very closely," Alexei says in a hushed tone, causing us to lean toward him. "I want you to let me do the talking, okay?"
I nod ferociously, grateful that I won't have to speak. I feel like I might throw up if I so much as open my mouth.
"No matter how much you want to, don't interject. Just trust me. This needs to be handled carefully." Alexei eyes each of us intently.
Our heads bob in agreement.
"Okay," Alexei exhales. "Let's go."
I'm not sure how I got from the parking lot, up the steps, through the lobby and into the elevator, because I can't feel my legs. I don't know why I'm so freaked out. I've never been this scared in my life.
I think Alexei leans over and whispers something to Haven, but I'm not sure.
The elevator doors slide open and my heart jumps into my throat, pounding against my esophagus. Jayce must sense my hesitation because he places a comforting hand on the small of my back and gives me a gentle nudge forward.
"It's gonna be okay, baby," he leans down to whisper in my ear.
My eyes flutter closed for a moment as Alexei leads us down the hall. For a fraction of a second, I believe Jayce's words, and my nerves calm. Then I realize that surely, Jeffers can hear us coming and I get tensed up again.
Alexei had called Jeffers this morning to set up a "special appointment" to discuss some "pressing business concerns." As we round the corner into Jeffers' office, we're met with the smell of butterscotch and bourbon. Everything is exactly like I remember it - black leather couches, glossy black desk, glass drink cart... my eyes land on the inky black bookshelves. Last time we were in this room, so were the decaying remains of the plant Jeffers used to murder a man.
I shiver again as Haven clicks the door closed.
"Alexei..." Jeffers spins in his chair to face us. Surprise colors his pudgy face for a moment, but he recovers quickly. "And company," he says cooly as his tiny eyes move over me, Jayce and Haven.
"Tom," Alexei says with a curt nod. He's glued to the spot.
"You should've told me you were bringing guests," Jeffers almost sing-songs, "I would've opened another bottle," he gestures to two pre-poured glasses of whiskey sitting atop the L-shaped desk. "Shall I fetch another?" He picks up the glass closest to him and takes a sip. Somehow, the action is threatening.
"No need," Alexei's voice is casual, as if he's speaking to a waiter, not a murderer. "This won't take long."
"Oh?"
"Tom, I'm going to get right down to it..."
"Please, do."
"You did something," Alexei says slowly as he moves toward the desk, his eyes glued on Jeffers. "Something very bad, Tom, and I need you to admit it to my face."
YOU ARE READING
The Senior Bad Boy | ✔️
Teen Fiction"My intentions would be simple," he says with a deep, heated gaze, his warm breath fanning across my face. He slowly moves himself even closer to me so that our bodies are mere millimeters away from touching, causing breathing to become a chore. "M...
