Mercy: A Dark College Romance (Somerset University Book 3) Read online

  Adam and I missed her like crazy, but she was always a call away no matter the time zone.

  And now she’s home.

  “You just gonna stand in the doorway? Get over here and give me some love.”

  Running to her, I threw myself in her hug. “I’m so glad you came up early. I thought you were staying in Wakefield for another week.”

  “I haven’t seen my family in forever. Another week was torture,” she said. “Where’s my little man? Get in on this hug.”

  A squeal and then two tiny arms wrapped around our legs.

  “Adam’s hanging out with Daddy at his office today,” I said. “After we drop him off, you and I are having lunch with Maverick.” I released her to pick up Adam. He was getting too old to be carried and I didn’t care. I’d hold him until he or my back complained. “Ready to go?”

  “Yes. Livia, are you coming?”

  “Of course, I am.” Olivia tickled him, sending him into a squirmy, giggling fit. “I used to work at Shea Industries. I’ll show you where they hide the good snacks.”

  “Yay!”

  I carried Adam to his room, grabbed his stuff, and the three of us continued on to the car. The trip to Shea Industries wasn’t a long one. Our twenty-five-minute drive we filled with music and chatter about Mom’s trip.

  “There are so many places the three of us have to visit together. Adam will love Hawaii. And you, Val, are destined for Egypt.”

  “It’s Austria that’s tempting me after seeing your pictures,” I replied. “Speaking of, who were those gentlemen you were posing with, young lady?”

  Mom tossed her head back laughing. “What happens on a transcontinental flight, stays on a transcontinental flight.”

  “Mom!”

  Her cackling bounced through the car.

  “Anyone I should know about?” I asked.

  “Guillermo and I agreed to keep in touch, but it’s not serious. Right now I’m focused on writing the next chapter in my life. I’ve been thinking a lot the last couple of months about going back to school.”

  “That’s great, Mom. Will you finish your marketing degree?”

  “I’m not sure. I enjoyed it, and when I worked for Shea Industries, I caught myself making mental notes on how I’d improve a presentation. I can still see myself doing it, but I don’t have to fall into what’s familiar. I’ll poke around the community college catalog, audit a few classes, and see how I feel.”

  “Can I tell you that I always pictured you as a teacher or professor?”

  “Honestly?”

  I nodded as I switched lanes for the one heading directly to the company. “You’re good with people. You know how to talk to them at their level. You don’t take any nonsense, but you don’t take yourself too seriously either. Plus, you said you look for and find ways that people can improve. What if you taught marketing, Mom?”

  “Huh. That’s not a bad idea.” Mom tapped my forehead. “This is why I need you, kid. You put the pieces together for me.”

  “Did you talk to Caroline?” I asked. “She said you were welcome to stay indefinitely.”

  “Caroline is generous to a fault. I’d love to live with you and our favorite guy.” Olivia twisted to smile at Adam. Adam beamed in return, showing off his missing-tooth smile. “But I have a home and friends in Wakefield. Evergreen Estates, promenades, and country clubs were never really my scene. I don’t think I’d fit.”

  “Evergreenians are more down to earth than you think. Let Madeline get her hands on you. She’ll introduce you to everyone and get you in on the parties and events. I want you to be a part of our life here, Mom.”

  She ran a finger along my cheek. “I’ll always be a part of your life,” she said. “But I like your idea. I’ll get Caroline out of the house for a few wild girls’ nights out. We’ll shake things up. Blow the bow tie off this buttoned-up town.”

  “That is not what I suggested.”

  She busted up, inducing my eye roll. Had to love Olivia and her penchant for causing trouble.

  We arrived at the company and Olivia and I brought Adam upstairs to Ryder’s office. He rose from his desk as we came in and nearly fell back as Adam tackled his legs. Ryder snagged him around the waist and tossed him over his shoulder like a rolled-up rug.

  “Ready to boss around a few underlings? Get your first firing out of the way?”

  “Yes,” Adam cheered.

  I shook my head. “Why don’t we start small and color Daddy pictures for his office while he works?”

  “Okay.” Adam sounded just as happy for the alternative.

  Ryder put Adam on his feet. He ran off with Olivia to find the good treats while Ryder locked us in and got handsy with me on the couch. I untangled myself from him with difficulty when it was time to go.

  Adam parked himself at the coffee table. Sunlight bathed him through the wall of windows, beating away shadows from the plush rug, leather sofa, bookshelves, and Ryder’s desk which held not one or two, but three computer monitors.

  Hard to believe all of this will be Adam’s one day. I dropped a kiss on Adam’s crown and ruffled his curls. He promised to draw me a picture too, and Mom and I headed out.

  The drive to campus was a short one from Shea Industries. Maverick was stretched out on a bench waiting for us. From my seat I saw the glistening sheen of sweat boasting his game of football. Brains, brawn, looks, and a thick, ropey body that barely fit on the bench. Maverick Beaumont was the full package. And that package was mine.

  He kissed me through the window. “Mind if we swing by the house so I can shower?”

  “Sure. Mom and I are still arguing over what we want to eat.”

  “Thai,” she spoke up. “I’m craving coconut curry soup.”

  “I had Thai a few days ago. If you want curry, let’s get Indian.”

  “Maverick, you’re the tiebreaker,” said Mom.

  He put his hands up. “Oh no. My place is never between my girl and my mother-in-law.”

  “Coward.”

  He laughed, leaning in to kiss me again. His lips brushed my cheek traveling to my ear. “Sawyer Burn joined the robotics team. He also followed me to the quad and announced he’s joining the intramural team too.”

  My brows snapped together. “He did? Well, he does have a lot of catching up to do after missing a year and a half.”

  “He said the same.”

  “This is a good thing, right? If I’m getting close to Teagan, you can get close to Sawyer. He might tell the truth to a friend.”

  “He’s been friendly. The guy talks nonstop and is happy to handle both sides of the conversation. He told me about his supposed time at home the entire way to football. If I’m lucky, he’ll talk himself into a contradiction and prove he wasn’t where he said he was.”

  “What are you two whispering about?”

  “Nothing, Mom. Just school stuff.”

  Maverick ducked out and climbed in the back. I met his gaze in the rearview mirror. A silent agreement passed between us to pick this up later. My mom didn’t need to know that she sent me to another school plagued by twisted secrets.

  MAVERICK

  “Cyd, you work on the build while I get the bugs out of the code. The crane should have been operational two days ago.”

  “Yes, sir, president, sir.”

  I snorted. “Maverick works just fine.”

  My vice president winked, snatched a tool off my station, and wandered over to the gears, wires, and metal on its way to becoming a first-place champion.

  I liked Cydney—despite her declaring me her nemesis when we first met. I walked in as the son of Marcus Beaumont, and the advisor let me on the team without putting me through the initiation. Cydney pelted me with questions the first few weeks, testing my knowledge and growing more irritated/impressed when she couldn’t trip me up. I can’t say that she liked my being chosen for president over her, but we settled into an easy rhythm since the start of summer.

  I sat down at my laptop, scruti
nizing where we went wrong. A shadow fell over me.

  “How long you been doing this?”

  “Twelve seconds,” I replied without looking up.

  Sawyer laughed. “I meant writing code. Working with computers.”

  “Took apart my first one when I was five.”

  Sawyer pulled up a chair. Not sure what part of my hunched shoulders and tapping fingers signaled that I was interested in company. They must have because he got comfortable.

  A month into summer vacation and Sawyer was entrenched in my robotics team, football buddies, and, at times it felt like, my life. I saw him three times a week and extra if Cydney, Davis, and the other guys invited us out on weekends. The worst part was he wasn’t that bad of a guy.

  He made everyone laugh. Offered to pay for lunch when we ran late. And he pulled his own weight on the team. If he wasn’t holding up the lie that made my friend and girlfriend look like nutcases, I’d like the guy.

  I have to remember he’s the victim. Even if he doesn’t look, sound, or act like it.

  “Makes sense when you have a dad like Marcus Beaumont. I mean, when your father names the company after you, it’s pretty clear what path he wants you to take.”

  “It wasn’t like that,” I found myself saying, fingers still tip-tapping away. “My dad never put pressure on me. He shared what he loved with me and it turned out that I loved it too. But he’s told me more times than I can count that if I didn’t want the company, he’d support my decision.”

  “Must be nice,” he said softly. “There’s only ever been one path for me.”

  “Yeah?” I glanced up. “What path would that be?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Straight-As. Football. Somerset. Serving my country. A house on a corner street with a wife and three kids just like my dad. It didn’t occur to me that I could choose another path. He certainly never made it seem like I had a choice.”

  “Rough,” I muttered. “If all of that isn’t what you want, then what is?”

  Sawyer’s gaze was focused somewhere over my head. He spoke to the wall rather than me. “I was always good with computers too. Working for a start-up and making things happen with my own hands. That’s what I want. And the wife and kids doesn’t sound so bad if that wife is Teagan.”

  Sawyer shook himself, eyes landing on me. “But it is what it is. We take the cards we’re dealt in life.”

  “I’ve never liked that saying.” I finally looked up from the laptop. “Makes it sound like we don’t have control over our destiny. Teagan appears to like you just fine and there are many ways to serve your country. That start-up could be your way. It’s only giving up when you give in.”

  He cracked a smile. “You don’t say much, but when you do, you say it all.” Sawyer clapped my shoulder. “It’ll never be that simple for me, and yet you’re right, giving in is giving up.”

  “Help Cyd adjust the crane,” I said, cutting our feel-good moment short. “I think I’ve found the issue with the code. It should work now.”

  Sawyer rapped the desk and took off, bending over the robot with Cydney and Davis. The room collectively held their breath as I joined them and put my fix to work. We stared at the robot like parents waiting for their kid’s first step. I hit enter and—

  “Whoo!”

  The crane rose on oiled gears, turning this way and that. I fought a smile as Cydney socked my shoulder and Sawyer threw his arm around me

  “Hot damn,” Cydney cried. “We might actually get our summer back.”

  “We’re not finished yet,” I warned. “We have to test it in the obstacle course and make sure it’s not top-heavy.”

  “We can do that tomorrow,” Sawyer said. “We’ve been at this for hours and finally made progress. Now let’s make progress on filling our stomachs. Manzoni’s, anyone?” He got a yes from the whole team. “What do you say, Maverick? Lunch on me.”

  We have been at this since ten and Cydney finished my stash of protein bars yesterday.

  “All right. Manzoni’s it is, but it’s on me. You guys have been great coming in on your time off. You can clean out the menu if you want.”

  “Oh, I want,” said Cydney, bumping my shoulder. “I’m eating all the breadsticks they have in the place.”

  We packed it up, put away our tools, laptops, and soon-to-be winning robot, and I locked our club room. Somerset had the facilities to give the robotics team their own space and budget. That wouldn’t change as long as we continued to bring in the gold.

  Which we will.

  Our group split apart in the lobby, each of us heading to our parking lots. Sawyer and I ended up going in the same direction, crossing the quad for the lot nearest the east entrance. He might have struck up a conversation if my phone didn’t ring five minutes in.

  “Hey, baby, where are you? I’m on my way to pick Adam up from his playdate, and then I was planning to come home and have my way with you.”

  “I’m fully on board with that plan. I’m taking the team to Manzoni’s, but I should be home in a couple of hours.”

  “Manzoni’s? Ooh, I love their breadsticks,” said Val. “Mind if we crash the party?”

  “Course not. You’re closer, so you might get there before me. If you do, grab a table for ten.”

  “Will do. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Valentina joining us?” Sawyer asked as I hung up.

  “Yes.”

  “It’ll be cool to talk to her. Get to know her better. Teagan says she’s a great president, and she was elected as a sophomore, so she has to be something.”

  “She is that.” I pulled ahead, waving over my shoulder.

  Manzoni’s was on the other side of town. A good half an hour drive from campus and their food was worth every mile. They had the upper-class feel that Evergreen denizens expected. Flickering candles on the table. Starched white linen tablecloths and soft, upholstered seats. The family-friendly, laid-back servers, and a steady crowd of younger patrons made the restaurant a comfortable place to hang out.

  I was the first of my group to arrive. Pulling into the spot next to Val’s car, I killed the engine, climbed out, and strode inside without waiting for the others. Val waved me over from a large corner booth in the back.

  Adam sat on her lap, scribbling in his coloring book with his tongue poking out—reminiscent of Val when she was intently working on something.

  I sat down and gifted Val a kiss and Adam a ruffle of his hair, pulling a giggle out of him.

  “Hi, Daddy,” he cried. “I’m drawing you a robot. It’s your favorite.”

  Sure enough the half-colored picture in his book was of a smiling robot with hearts for eyes and waving pinchers for hands.

  “Thank you, little man.” I plopped him on my lap. “This weekend, I’ll start teaching you how to build a real robot.”

  “Isn’t he too young for that?” Val asked over his cheers. Her beautiful face couldn’t be marred by the worry lines wrinkling her brow. “All those tools you use are dangerous.”

  “They have building kits for young kids. And I’ll be there with him.” I found her hand under the table. “Or we could. How about a family project? One for each of us.”

  “I’d love that,” she murmured. Val leaned in, pressing a kiss to my lips that communicated her feelings in more than words.

  “Aww. You guys are such a cute family.” Cydney slid in on the other side of the booth.

  “We are, aren’t we?” Val teased. The ladies hugged, lapsing into a conversation about their weekends. Cydney took her time warming up to me, but she fell for Val within ten minutes of meeting her.

  It didn’t take long for the others to arrive. We piled in, me and Sawyer at the end of the half circle and the others fanned out around us. The waiter arrived with our menus. I held it up before me and Adam and rested my chin on his curls.

  “What are you in the mood for, Adam? You can have anything you want.”

  “Ummm. I want”—he pointed at a rando
m item—“this one.”

  I lifted a brow. “A strawberry pisco sour? I admire your taste in drinks, my man, but I thought you were laying off the sauce! You’ve come so far.”

  Adam clapped his hand over his mouth, trapping in his giggles.

  “Remember those days—passed out in the sandbox. You’ve fought so hard for your sobriety, don’t give up on—”

  Val’s swat on the shoulder cut my pleas short. Adam and my team were cracking up. She was having another reaction.

  “Don’t even joke about that,” she said to me. Val popped a kiss on Adam’s cheek. “No pisco sours for you, my baby. You can have the cheese ravioli and a small soda. Sound yummy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good choice.”

  A voice drew our eyes up.

  “I think I’ll have cheese ravioli too.”

  I felt Val stiffening beside me. Aiden flashed us a huge grin as he walked up to our table and sat down next to Sawyer, bold as shit.

  “What are you—”

  “Hope you don’t mind, Rick,” Sawyer cut in. “Since we’re all just hanging out, I invited Aiden to join us.”

  Schooling my face, I scrutinized him behind hooded eyes, looking for a trace of fear, tension, anxiety. Something you’d see when the guy who lured you to a van to be snatched in the middle of the night rolled up on you.

  Aiden turned that grin on me. “You don’t have to pay for me. I’ll cover myself. I just had to get out of the Sam house. It’s weird with no one there.”

  Val and I shared a silent communication. How thrilled she was to see him was clear in her eyes. All the same, she gave me an imperceptible nod.

  Let him join us.

  “You’re staying on campus?” Val asked.

  “Yeah. Coach is friends with a professional football trainer. He offered a few guys the chance to spend the summer training with him. I couldn’t pass that up.” Aiden bent over, crossing his arms on the table, and smiling at the boy on my lap. “You must be Adam. Nice to meet you. I’m Aiden.”

  He put out his hand and Adam shook it in his tiny grip. “Hi, Aiden.”

  Aiden pulled a face. “How old are you? Thirty? Fifty years old?”