“Huh, as soon as I’m out of the picture... Anyway, I needed to clear some of these allegations. The Fitzgerald family is running amuck and acting like a mafia right now with some other families. The reason families like mine are being caught up in cases is because someone’s daddy calls the shots and doesn’t like when people don’t act like their little worker bees.”

To be honest, that tracked. Alexander had this aura about him that screamed ‘I’m a piece of shit and my daddy allows it’ and it made me sick.

“Okay? Doesn’t change that I can’t be seen with you. My advisors aren’t too thrilled with us being dragged into your guys’ drama.” I glanced around, wondering what else was lurking out there.

He grunted and I could tell a frown formed on his face. “Your family has been involved with this shit for longer than you’d think. I’m in the center of this drama spreading around campus because my dad wasn’t abiding by some secret group rule, but from what my family’s advisors and legal counsel are saying, there was some stuff your mom was into that has to do with a lot of what’s happening.”

Great, another mystery. Thanks, mom. Could have used a heads up, you know! I silently scolded her in my head as if she could hear me.

Okay, I was tired of the vagueness from everyone. “So, why are only a few families going down?”

“It’s all to do with the top ten and the group at the very top. You’ve seen the list? Those ten run a lot of shit, Fallon. Sloane's family keeps tabs and track of everyone, organizing shit. Your friend is in the family of blackmailers. I’m surprised you didn’t know that by now with your association with Vaughn. Also, tell him not to attack me again. Shit hurts.” He rubbed his face and in the shadows, it looked like he would have a nice shiner on his eye for a while.

I bit the inside of my cheek, unsure of how to respond. “How can I trust what you’re saying? I’ve been told things about you using me for protection from the fallout. So how do I know this isn’t a ploy?”

He groaned. “Why would I come here after you got my ass handed to me? I still give a shit about you, you know. Even if we never made things official.”

A small pang in my chest left me feeling confused. I didn’t know anything, and I had very little information to go off of in all the situations I found myself in. I was drowning with sharks—while bleeding.

Garrett seemed kind and caring and none of our interactions gave me red flags. But again, he could be a great actor like the rest of them.