Read Online Thicker Than Water by Kelly Fiore - Free Book Online Page B

over my shoulder, I was sure Cyrus wouldn’t know the difference. The trash was the only thing that knew I’d been there and, as it crunched underfoot, it whispered, Don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.
    It wasn’t in a ditch or a Dumpster where I found Jason the next morning. It was behind the tennis courts at school. And he wasn’t alone.
    When I got closer, he and his buddies gave me a slow once-over. One of them murmured “nice rack” under his breath. I crossed my arms over my chest and jutted out my chin.
    â€œWhat’s going on, Goth Girl?” Jason asked.
    â€œI want to make a deal with you.”
    I felt awkward. I didn’t know the lingo. I didn’t even know what to charge. For the millionth time, I found myself faltering, thinking once again that this was a really bad idea.
    â€œWhat kind of deal?”
    I was about five feet away from the chain-link fence that bordered the court and, suddenly, I felt desperate to cling to it. Jason was wearing a shirt that said Charles Manson had it right . The guy next to him was covered in skulls—his jacket, his ring, the plugs filling the stretched holes in his earlobes. A couple of other guys were moving a little closer, having heard the interest in Jason’s voice. I swallowed hard.
    â€œI got what you asked me about.”
    â€œThe Oxys?” He sounded surprised.
    I nodded. “Yeah.”
    â€œNice.” He elbowed Skulls and grinned at the others. “I knew Cyrus would come through.”
    â€œActually,” I began, feeling indignant. Then I stopped. Better for them to think Cyrus was behind it. That I was just a middleman, not a source.
    â€œSo how many you got?” Jason was asking.
    â€œFour.”
    â€œCool. How much does Cyrus want?”
    Crap. I had no idea about market values or any of that stuff. I should have done my homework. I was usually so good with research projects—just last week, I’d nabbed another A for my Organic Chem lab report.
    â€œUm . . . the standard, I guess,” I finally say. “What you usually pay.”
    Jason opened his wallet and counted out a few bills. He looked up at me, squinting.
    â€œTwo hundred, right?”
    â€œSure.” I said. I fingered the bottle in my jacket pocket. The edge of the cap felt unexpectedly sharp.
    â€œGreat.”
    Jason wasn’t slick. I saw him give a self-satisfied look at his buddies. I narrowed my eyes and did the math in my head.
    â€œNo, sorry—it’s two hundred and forty for four. One dollar a milligram.” I have no idea why I said this. I must have heard that somewhere before. It sounded right, anyway.
    â€œWhat?” Jason sputtered a little, then flipped back through his wallet. “Fuck, man, all I’ve got is two hundred and ten.”
    â€œThat’s fine.” I smiled, snatching the bills from his hand. “I’ll tell Cy I cut you a break this time.”
    Reluctantly, Jason nodded. “Okay, good deal.”
    I reached into my pocket again and pulled out the bottle. Jason stared at it.
    â€œWhat the hell is that?”
    â€œWhat do you think it is?”
    â€œI don’t want that!”
    He dumped the pills in his palm and threw the bottle back at me, glaring.
    â€œWhat the fuck? You trying to get me arrested or something?”
    I watched the bottle roll into the grass. The cap was nowhere in sight. A flush of humiliation rose up my neck.
    â€œWhatever, come on.” Jason grunted to his friends and they started to move back toward the gym doors. I checked my watch. I’d have to come up with a good excuse for being so late for English.
    â€œWait.” Jason stepped back toward me and handed me a slip of paper. “That’s my number. You tell Cyrus—whenever he’s holding, I’m buying.”
    It wasn’t until I turned to leave that I noticed Lucas. Like the other day in the library, he sort of hung back,