A few dayslater in school, Saskia finds me. I’ve taken the liberty of not speaking to her. Even though I saved her from nearly dying from exhaust fumes, she still doesn’t like me. That’s fine. I don’t like her either. I’ve got plenty of other things to worry about—like Dante sending me strange messages—than getting the female vote.
But she comes over in study period while I’m in the library with Lorcan researching. I pretend she’s not just standing there staring at me until I can’t any longer. After a few minutes, I give up. I shift my attention to her. “Saskia?”
“Viola, come to the bathroom with me,” she demands.
I narrow my eyes at her. “What for?”
She rolls hers. “Just come with me, I need your help with something.”
I follow her into the bathroom as a guy comes out of one of the cubicles, zipping up his pants. Saskia wrinkles her nose when he doesn’t wash his hands. “Gender neutral toilets should be abolished,” she says in a clipped voice as she checks each cubicle is empty.
“Saskia. What do you want?”
She inclines her head, blinking at me. “Is it true?”
“True about what?”
“That you take people out for money?” She looks me up and down like she can’t quite believe it. “Lor said you offered to deal with Joseph for us.”
“For him. He declined.”
“My brother’s an idiot. I’m not.”
“You want me to take care of Joseph for you instead?”
“I don’t know what Lor told you, but Joseph’s selling me like chattel to one of his friends now that I’m too old for his…tastes.” She stops and takes a breath.
“Lorcan told me. He said he was dealing with it.”
“Lor has his hands full with the inheritance. I don’t give a fuck about the money. I just want out. I can’t…I won’t let this happen to me again.”
I sigh, looking to the exit as a means to an end. “If you don’t care about the money, it might be easier to just disappear.”
“I’m not leaving my brother.”
I blink at her. “Right. How do you expect to pay me?”
“I have enough saved from selling all the jewelry that bastard has given me over the years.” I’m assuming by that bastard, she means Joseph.
“Okay, fine. I guess I could squeeze him in. When does it need to be done by?” I would never admit to Saskia, but she just made my day. I’d kill Joseph for free, if Lorcan would let me.
Saskia’s eyes are glistening as she takes in my words. “Next week. Thursday,” she says quickly.
I shake my head. “That’s soon. Is Joseph even in the country before the wedding?” I ask. I need to scope out the job before I plan how I’m going to do it. That hardly leaves any time at all.
“He’ll be here for my engagement party on Saturday.”
I nod. I can work with that. “I’ll need details. Where is the party? How many people will be there? When will Joseph be alone? Will he be staying at the estate?”
“Hotel. He’ll be staying at the estate the night before the wedding since we’re hosting the reception at home. He wants to stay one last night before he sells it.”
“Then I need you to get me into his hotel room.”
She nods. “I can do that.”
“Good. I’ll also need personal information. Does he have any weaknesses, for example?”
Her brow furrows. “Weaknesses?”