1. East

ONE

east

"‘HAVARD SENIOR PRANK turns campus fountains into bubble baths; overflow causes $100k in damage.'" I scoffed and flung the newspaper across the room, where it skidded to a stop at Donovan's leather oxfords. "Amateurs."

He leaned down to grab the paper and lifted a brow at the image of campus destruction featured on the front page. "Guess no one told them you don't show your hand in March if you want to graduate."

"Which is why we need to spend our final weeks at Astor devising something epic." I scanned the room where my fellow Park Avenue Princes had gathered before the start of today's classes. We'd long since commandeered this space, formerly one of the professors' break rooms, but which now served as a private "princes only" spot at the university. As if I'd be caught dead mingling with the peasants in a common room.

"Let me guess," Travis said, a devilish look in his eyes that I appreciated, "you already have a devious plan you want the rest of us to carry out."

"While you give out orders and don't bother getting your hands dirty." Caleb drummed his fingers along the back of the couch, where Travis, his boyfriend—and stepbrother, the incestuous fuckers—leaned back against his arm.

"Someone has to wrangle the herd," I said as I turned to face the small mirror by the entrance, checking to make sure I looked just as pristine as I had when I left my condo. I straightened the ascot at my neck between the unbuttoned collar of my sky-blue dress shirt, smoothed a palm over my dark brown hair, and took a step back to admire the view.

Looking debonair, as always.

"Did he just call us a herd?" Gavin, the youngest of our group, said, and I caught his eyes in the mirror.

"Young Truitt, even princes need a king."

" God , could you be any more obnoxious?" Caleb grabbed the newspaper from Travis and lobbed it like a Frisbee in my direction. It smacked against my tailored slacks, and I rolled my eyes. First, because of the fact that an assortment of newspapers from across the world was still delivered to the lounge in the first place when it was universal knowledge we'd taken up residence here, and second, because of the slouchy-beanie-wearing nuisance smirking in my direction. Caleb hadn't been back in the fold for more than a few months and already he was a pain in my perfect derriere—when he wasn't busy in Travis's, that was.

"You could always leave," I said. "Go frolic with the rest of the general population like a sheep."

"Again with the herd shit." Gavin threw his hands up.

"That offer to leave applies to all brothers who are annoying." I aimed a smarmy smile his way. "Feel free to take me up on it."

Daire—Gavin's meaner half—narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything caustic I waved him off.

"Heal, Bruiser. I don't actually mean it." I let out a sigh and wandered over to the window that overlooked the courtyard. A handful of months seemed like an eternity when I was stuck in the confines of Astor. I was ready to be done with school, to move on with life and start making the money I knew was out there waiting to be made.

Power. Prestige. Freedom. They would all be mine. As soon as I could blow this dump.

"East?"

I glanced over my shoulder to where Travis sat with an expectant look on his face. "Sorry, you'll have to repeat that. I was busy wishing I was anywhere but here."

"Nice."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was daydreaming about how gorgeous you are and how beside myself I am that I no longer have a shot with you." I smirked as Travis flipped me off. "Was there a point to your bothering me?"

"I asked what's going on this week. Any new clubs we should know about?"

It wasn't surprising he came to me with this question. After all, I was the one that got the invites on behalf of the group. Again, every group needed a king.

I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets and leaned back against the wall."There's some rumblings about tonight. I'll let you know when it's set in stone."

"You ain't got dick." Daire's new habit of involving himself in group conversations was something I was still getting used to.It was also inconvenient, as I rather liked my face as it was, and he tended to solve his disagreements with his fists.

"Now, now," West, my best friend and roommate, added. "It isn't nice to point out someone's dating status."

"Dating." I screwed my nose up. "Again I find myself wishing I was anywhere but?—"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The brisk rap of knuckles on the door interrupted my clapback, but West understood exactly where I was going as the entrance to our sanctuary was pushed open…without permission.

All heads turned in the direction of the door, and as the unwelcome intruder stepped inside, I straightened from the wall, my spine stiffening.

Zac Fletcher, Professor Kingston's teacher's assistant and irritating thorn in my side, strode into our space like he belonged, doing a quick sweep of all who resided inside before his expression showed just how unimpressed he was by us.

Arrogant asshole.

"Please, do come in," I finally said, not about to let him take the upper hand in my vicinity.

Zac's sharp blue eyes zeroed in on me from behind his glasses, and the contempt swirling there had my adrenaline spiking."I don't remember asking for your permission, nor would I, since this isn't a designated space for students."

"Oh?" I took a step closer to the couches where my friends were suddenly sitting silent as church mouses. Typical. "And who are you? The campus police? I hate to break it to you, but you're about four years too late if you're here to toss us out."

"East," JT—West's boyfriend and perpetual conscience these days—hissed, like that could stop whatever was about to come out of my mouth. I guess I couldn't blame him. I'd be a good little boy too if my mom was the dean…

No, that was a lie. That would just make me more rebellious.

But he was boring like that.

"What did you do?" JT continued, like Zac showing up here was somehow my fault.

"What did I do?" I arched a brow at little Mary Sunshine. "What did you do? Still running off to tell Mommy everything we talk about? Everything we might be planning?"

JT aimed his one and only "angry" expression my way before turning back to West, who was shaking his head.

"Come on, you know he doesn't do that," West said.

"Do I?"

"Since you brought it up, I, for one, would be interested in hearing these ‘plans' of yours." Zac cocked his head.

When I opened my mouth to respond, I heard Travis's low warning of "Don't do it, man," and let out a sigh instead.

"Is there a reason you've decided to grace us with your presence, or are you here hoping to score an invite to our next party?" I mimicked the way Zac stood, hands casually in his pockets, shoulders back and confident. Like nothing and no one in this room fazed him. "Because I have to say, as much as I'd enjoy watching the mess you'd turn into after a few tequilas, I'd rather not have such a stick in the mud in our VIP."

"While it's shocking your ego fits through these doors, it explains how you're constantly surrounded by this entourage of yours." Zac nodded toward my friends. "You pay them. No one could put up with you otherwise."

A couple of those so-called friends snorted and began to chuckle, and without looking I would've put money on it being the two interlopers in the room—JT and Caleb.

I raised a middle finger in their direction while still engaged in a stare-off with Zac."Considering you work for pennies in your thankless position, I'm assuming that means you're here to get on my payroll."

Zac took a step toward me, narrowing his eyes slightly, and I didn't give him the satisfaction of moving an inch. "If the choice was to spend a lifetime of luxury with you as my only companion or to live on the streets barefoot in winter with frostbite stealing my appendages one by one, I'd beg the bitter wind to please, please take another."

The room went dead silent except for West's "Oh shit ."

"So the only reason I'm here," he continued, "is because Professor Rathborne wants to have words with you about your last paper. You can follow me now or deal with the repercussions of turning in an assignment detailing the many ways he made the wrong life choices."

"Sounds to me like he's grateful for my assessment and would like a few tips."

Zac reached for the door and pulled it wide. "Now, James."

A chorus of "oohs" sounded behind me, and I rolled my eyes but reluctantly started toward the door.

"I've told you during our previous encounters, Zacharius , that I prefer East," I said.

"And I'd prefer not to be the one who has to babysit your ass, but we can't always get what we want, can we?"

I shot my friends an amused but annoyed look. Before I walked out the door, West hissed, "East, seriously? You got this guy again?"

I'd long since had issues with Zac Fletcher, especially during my time in Professor Kingston's class. He'd had it out for me since we met, always holding the threat of keeping me from graduation over my head, and the guys were only too aware of how contentious things had gotten.

"Apparently he enjoys being a substitute whenever another professor needs a bitch to fetch." I lifted a shoulder. "How lucky am I?"

"If you need help hiding a body…" Daire flipped open the top of his lighter with his thumb and snapped it shut.

"You'd be the first one I'd call, Reaper."

" James ." Zac's tone was beyond impatient, which means I'd pissed him off. Good.

"If I don't show up at lunch, send a search party," I said, and then let the door slam shut behind me.