I handed the pool cue off, observing the conversation. Keeping my mouth shut with important information was my main goal. Finding out what people knew was the second. Anything I heard at either party was to be immediately reported to the Dictator as soon as possible. Full write up.

“A guy in my class ran out as soon as the text dropped.”

“And who was that?”

The cue came back to me, and I took my shot while listening carefully.

“Oh gosh, uh, was his name pencil? No, that’s not a name. Pens and pencils...Oh! Penn. Is that a name?” He sounded very drunk, but Penn was most definitely a name. Penn was a top family, reigning over whatever they wanted to. They were a political family with an affinity for insider trading.

“Penn Windsor? Money laundering for sure if they’re not pegged for insider trading.”

Yep, just like I said. It was plausible they could have been taken down too. Bradford’s family operated in finance, and they could have held hands and reigned in the cash. There were large rings and smaller rings operating in dirty business.

My family kept it in the family. Until Maria Montgomery entered the stage.

A group of people caught my eye from where I stood. Fallon, Sloane, Kelly, and Alexander all together in one little hushed conversation. Sloane was motioning between Alexander and Fallon, clearly introducing the two. I wasn’t aware that Fallon and Sloane were acquainted and that made everything just that more complicated. But more than that, what the fuck was she doing?

Matchmaking and vying to maintain her family’s status.

Sloane was obsessed with this little fucking list she compiled of the wealthiest families who attended WBU. I still remember the day she beelined her ass over to me to let me know that I was number one on the list. She was clearly trying to cement her place in the world by sleeping with me and being seen around me, but I was too stupid to see it. Getting my dick wet at the time was more important than anything she was saying.

At least she shut up when it was in her mouth.

Focus!

Alexander smiled at Fallon and shook her hand. It was creepy. He motioned at her, and she handed over her phone. This bastard was trying to get her number, and she didn’t even have mine in her phone!

Kelly looked between all three of them, critiquing and criticizing everything with her arms crossed. As she should. Shane appeared behind the group and tapped her on the shoulder, pulling her away from the other three. Great, Fallon was alone with the sharks, and I was nowhere to help.

“Brent, what do you think?”

I blinked and refocused on the group. “Sorry, what?”

“What’s your opinion on Shane Jones?”

“Who the fuck is that?” I swore I heard it just earlier.