Top Secret

KEATON

I always thought of myself as the kind of guy who keeps his head and who knows what to do in an emergency. Once, I rescued a drowning couple from the ocean, and everyone praised my cool demeanor and quick thinking.

Well, that’s gone now. My brain is full of static. My ability to think has fled the room. And it’s all because of the look on Luke’s face as the cop pushed him into the back of the patrol car.

It was panic. Sheer terror.

“Where were you guys, anyway?” Tanner asks me. We’re in the living room of the frat. I’m sitting on a sofa, my phone in my hand. But I can’t think what to do.

“Out of town,” I say.

“What for?”

“Just to get out of town,” I snap. “Since when do I need to explain?”

“He’s got a good reason to be curious,” Judd argues. “The cops searched Bailey’s room. They had a warrant. Reed had to open it up for them, and they spent like forty minutes in there.”

“Looking for what?” I croak. I’ve been in Luke’s room dozens of times. It’s not very big, and there’s nothing to hide. The only thing that surprised me about Luke’s room is the tiny refrigerator under his desk where he keeps cheese and apples.

“No idea,” Judd says. “But it can’t be good.”

“This will have something to do with his brother,” Jako says. “That guy is a creep, and he broke into Luke’s room on Friday.”

“Wait. He did?” I ask. “Bailey didn’t tell me that.”

Everyone just stares at me.

I don’t know what to do. Luke doesn’t like anyone to know about his life. He definitely doesn’t want anyone to know about us. On the other hand, the cops just took his ass away in a patrol car. I can’t just pretend I don’t care what happens now.

“Reed?” I ask, looking around for our president.

“Yeah?” He’s right beside me.

“What do you do if somebody is arrested. I can’t think straight right now.”

“Well, you need a lawyer if they’re pressing charges. Someone to speak for you at your arraignment.”

Right, okay. “How can we tell if someone will be arraigned?”

“They read him his rights,” Tanner says. “They don’t do that if they’re just taking you in for questioning, right?”

“I don’t know.” And I feel so ignorant right now. Watching cop shows on TV doesn’t give me much to go on. “If you were dragged off to the police station, what would you want your frat brothers to do?”

There’s another silence, and I look up into the faces of my friends. They’re all looking back at me with expressions ranging from clueless to skeptical.

“I don’t see how this is our problem,” Judd says.

And that pisses me right off. “Seriously? If it was you, I’m supposed to just go upstairs and finish my bio lab?”

“But the cops don’t show up for me,” Judd says. “So it’s just not relevant. What’s your deal with Luke Bailey, anyway?”

I ignore him. I pick up my phone and tap my father’s number. Luckily, he answers right away.

“Keaton! Let’s talk about this application fee—”

“Dad,” I break in. “Forget that right now. I need help. Luke Bailey is in trouble.”

It takes him a beat to answer. “What’s the problem, Keat?”

“He and I just drove back into town—”

“I thought you went away to a hotel with Annika?”

“Just because you thought it doesn’t make it true,” I growl. “I did spend the weekend at a hotel. But not with Annika.”

There’s another silence, and I wonder if I’m going to have to spell it out for him.

“Oh.” I don’t miss the weight of understanding that he puts into the word.

“Yeah.”

“Oh,” he says again.

I sigh. “You can wrap your mind around that later. Right now I need you to focus on this—Luke was arrested the second we got back. What do you do if someone is arrested?”

“Any guess at the charges?”

“I have no idea. And from what I can gather, neither does he. But his brother is a real piece of work, and no stranger to illegal activity.”

“You need a defense attorney,” Dad says immediately.

“Know any?”

“Has to be someone who practices in Connecticut. Give me twenty minutes.”

The line goes dead. My brain is just catching up, though, so I sit there with the phone to my ear for a long beat before I finally look up.

A dozen of my frat brothers are staring at me, their mouths open.

“What?” I snap.

“You and Bailey…?” Tanner can’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

“Went away for the weekend?” I challenge him. “Yes.”

“Uh…” He just looks perplexed.

And I can’t do this right now. “Whatever you’re thinking, go ahead and think it. I have to park my car before it gets towed. And I have to get a lawyer for Bailey.” I stand up.

“I’ll park your car,” Tanner says. He holds out a hand for the keys. “I got this. You can just take care of business.”

“Oh.” I take a deep breath. “Thank you.”

I hand over the keys.

Nobody else moves.

“Please tell me you and Luke Bailey aren’t…” Judd looks ill.

Apparently everyone forgot how to finish their sentences while I was away. “So what if we are? It’s none of your business.”

“Jesus,” he hisses. “That explains so much.”

“About what?” I snarl.

“He turned you,” Judd says. “So he could take the frat presidency. He flipped the straight guy. You’re a big notch in his belt, right? Did he ask you for money, too?”

“FUCK you!” I shout, getting to my feet.

“Nah, I don’t swing that way,” Judd snaps. “No matter how good the blowjobs are. Did he teach you that, too?”

And that’s when I lunge for him.