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Tony ignored the food they’d brought him in the windowless basement room the Byzantine Institute designated as their detention facility.
How had he screwed up so badly?
He’d left everything he’d ever known in Jersey to come to a freaking desert school for a chance to get into MIT.
Right now, it looked like he was headed to juvie. Or worse.
Callan was in a bigger jam in the Sphere. Rayen was probably going postal by now. Those two had something going on that had no chance of working out, but that was between them. Tony had no desire to play the fatal messenger role. He’d do what he could to help save Callan if he got out of here in time. Right now, that wasn’t looking promising at all.
Everyone would lose.
All because of Nicholas Brown, that lying sack of—
“Tony,” a voice whispered on the other side of the door.
He walked over and leaned against it. “Who’s there?”
“Hannah.”
He heard a card swiping through a reader, then a key jangled, because security didn’t trust Tony not to figure his way past just an electronic lock.
When the door opened, Hannah stepped in and quickly closed it behind her. She usually wore prim skirt-and-jacket suits that carried an air of authority. In truth, that perception was more about her than the clothes. He’d thought she was an ice queen but changed his evaluation when he’d gotten to know her.
She was sweet and smart, and looked adorable right now wearing pink flannel workout pants and a gray hoodie like the one he owned. The girl could rock anything from business suits to cutoffs.
Her hand trembled, causing the ring of keys to tinkle.
Dark auburn hair hung straight to her chin and swayed with her slight head movement. She speared him with an icy look he couldn’t read.
Had she come in friendship, or to ream him out for screwing up their chance to win the Top Ten Competition? She’d convinced him to partner up with her yesterday and he wouldn’t blame her if she sorely regretted that move.
“Tony.” She said his name with a breathlessness that had his brain short-circuiting, but she might just be nervous about seeing someone in the school equivalent of death row.
“Hey, Hannah. Why ya here?”
Her face fell.
What had he said wrong?
She stared away from him. “See if I come to visit you in detention again.”
“Whoa, babe. I’m glad to see you. I just ... figured you’re pissed at me.”
“No. I’m worried about you.”
“Really?” He scrubbed a hand over his face and stepped over to her. “How’d I get lucky enough to find someone like you?”
Her eyes twinkled and he knew all was forgiven.
He didn’t deserve it because he’d let her down. Through no fault of his own, but he’d still let her down. He ran his knuckles up along Hannah’s smooth cheek. “You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever met.”
Surprise glowed in her. She licked her full lips in a way that Tony would bet his comic book collection was an unconscious move. Her surprise shifted to a coy gleam. “Did you miss me, Tony?”
He couldn’t resist the invitation when he might not ever see her again.
He pushed his hand into her hair and cupped her head, leaning down to kiss her. Man, she had amazing lips. He’d only planned to give her a quick peck, but he couldn’t stop himself from indulging another few seconds. Hey, death row inmates got a last meal, right? He’d gladly take a taste of Hannah as his.
How had he spent so much time around her and not realized until recently what a babe hid beneath that uptight exterior?
That’s what happened when you assumed you knew someone.
Her fingers touched his shoulder then tentatively moved around his neck and the room got hot.
Lifting his mouth from hers, he smiled at her. In the middle of his entire life falling apart, just looking at her could make him happy.
This one was a keeper. He sighed.
If only he could figure a way out of being in trouble.
The glaze over Hannah’s eyes cleared and she blinked, snapping back into Miss On The Ball. “I came to tell you what’s going on. When I found out who had fingered you for the theft, I did some checking. Nick must have heard about you changing to have me as your Top Ten partner, because I put the paperwork in before Mr. Suarez left yesterday. I heard Nick went to talk Mr. Suarez out of allowing you to drop him as your partner, but Mr. Suarez told him a little adversity would build character.”
Tony was touched that Hannah had enough faith in him to not jump to a conclusion that he was some lowlife thief, but Nick had done a number on him.
Stepping away from her, Tony cracked his knuckles then pounded his fist into the palm of his hand. “Suarez is wasting his time on Nick. His character is pretty much ingrained at this point. He’s got me in a corner. They’re gonna expel me and throw me in jail. I can’t even defend myself against his lies.”
“I’m sorry, Tony.”
“Not your fault, babe.” Tony relaxed his hands and gave her a smile. “Thanks for finding out what you can.”
Hannah pulled a hand from behind her and stuck a folded-up sweatshirt toward him. “Here’s one of your hoodies. I used my passkey to get into your room.”
Good thing Tony had forgotten to set his room alarm after he returned from the Sphere. He took the hoodie and pulled it over his head. “Thanks. I was getting cold down here ... until you showed up.” He winked at her.
She blushed and looked away. Cute.
He stepped close again and took her hand. “How’s Gabby?”
That got him an eye roll. “Strange as usual. She won’t take the backpack off that you gave her.”
Jealousy lurked behind Hannah’s frown.
“Hannah, baby, that backpack is keeping Gabby balanced. She’s having ... vertigo issues.” Not really. Not unless vertigo included floating in the air. That backpack was probably the only way Gabby could keep her feet on the ground right now.
“Okay.”
Girl-trouble bullet dodged. “Have you seen Rayen?”
Hannah stepped back, crossed her arms, and scowled. “I’m the one who comes to see you and you want to know about other girls?”
For the love of St. Christopher. “I only asked because I promised to do something with Rayen and Gabby. We’re just friends. Why would I be interested in them when I already have a girlfriend?”
“You do?” Hannah’s pretty lips softened.
Tony would have laughed if not for fear of really ticking off Hannah. He touched his finger and thumb to her chin. “I hope so. I don’t kiss just any girl. Only the one that matters to me.”
Hannah was emotional, but she wasn’t slow on the uptake. Happiness glittered in her eyes. She whispered, “I’m your girlfriend?”
“Of course, you are, but I’m not sure you want to have someone who’s headed to juvie.”
“We have to get you out of here.”
Tony held his breath a second. “Are you sayin’ you’re gonna help me break out?”
She looked defeated by the idea. “I can’t. I accessed the security system. The alarms will squeal the minute you cross the threshold to leave this room.”
“Crap. I thought this cuff was just programmed for if I tried to leave the property.”
“Nick warned them that they couldn’t be too careful with a genius like you.”
Tony snorted. “The guy finally admits he’s intimidated by me?”
She grinned. “Not exactly, but we both know he is.” Her pocket hummed. She patted it and fished out her cell phone. “Who would be texting me at this time in the morning? More like ten minutes ago. Stupid cell service sucks here.” Her eyes flicked back and forth. She clutched the phone in her shaking hand. “Oh, no.”
“What, Hannah?”
Looking up, her gaze was full of concern. “You asked about Rayen. Security shocked her with a stun gun and —”
“What?”
Hannah let him know with a look to not interrupt her. “Not now. Last night. I heard that guy from the Navajo council, Takoda, was in the office waiting for Rayen right after you were put in detention. She tried to run so they zapped her. The last I heard, Takoda was driving her to some reservation.” Hannah looked at her phone as if it had lied to her. “I thought she was gone, but Gabby just texted me that Rayen’s back and they’re headed to the computer lab. What’s Rayen doing here and what are they doing at the lab this time in the morning?”
He didn’t want to lie to Hannah, but it wasn’t like he could tell her he’d time traveled to a place way in the future either. “I promised to do something for them, and I’d tell you more, but if it goes bad, I don’t want you involved.”
She didn’t give him any indication of what was going on in her mind at first then finally said, “I’m going to trust that you’re telling the truth.”
“I am.”
“Is what you need to do illegal?”
Insane maybe but building a laptop to save Callan was not technically illegal since Tony had permission from Mr. Suarez to use parts to build a computer for their project.
Tony shook his head. “But it’s hard to explain right now.”
“Gabby and Rayen won’t get into the science lab.”
Tony recalled how Rayen had used her weird powers to unlock a door when they’d busted Gabby out of the clinic. “They’ll get in. Rayen has a gift at getting past locked doors.”
Hannah’s lofty attitude surfaced. “But can Rayen get past a security system?”
“That area is not alarmed.”
“It wasn’t until Mr. Suarez reported a theft.”
Tony sucked in a breath as if he’d taken a punch to his solar plexus. He grabbed his head. “Text Gabby. Tell her to stop. Please, Hannah.”
Her attitude vanished and she tapped furiously on her phone screen. She stared at it a second then looked up. “It’s not going through.”
“They’re gonna get caught.”
