Chapter 5: Who the hell has a curfew by 7pm? Eugene Does!

JAX

My butler never failed.

I sat on the edge of my massive bed, sipping steaming black coffee as my thumb swiped across the tablet screen. The old man had gathered everything on Deputy Chief Marcus Grant and his son, Eugene.

Eugene. Such a perfect, tragic name for a nerd.

According to the file, his parents divorced when he was ten. He stayed with his mother until she remarried and popped out a whole new set of kids for her new husband. Feeling replaced, Eugene packed his bags after high school and moved in with his dad. Which meant the golden-haired boy and the stern officer barely knew each other. They were practically strangers living under the same roof.

I swiped past Eugene's boring school records and got to the good part. My dear Marcus Grant.

He was forty-two. Just twenty years older than me? A hot thrill shot straight down my spine. He didn't look a day over thirty-five.

He used to be the Sheriff in his old city, but after a recent transfer, he was downgraded to Deputy. A massive hit to his pride. He hadn't remarried since the divorce, just worked himself to the bone.

Then, I scrolled down to a private note that made a wicked grin spread across my face.

Marcus had been seeing a woman in his former city. Strictly friends with benefits. He only stopped visiting her bed when she got married.

Aww, such a respectful, loyal man.

My chest hummed with amusement. He was a strict cop, sure, but he was still a man. He had needs. Which meant that tight control of his cock could be broken.

I locked the screen and handed the tablet back to the butler standing quietly by my door.

"Excellent. Thank you," I murmured. He took it without asking a single question about why I was stalking a cop.

"I heard that man arrested you yesterday, Young Master," the old butler said, his face totally blank. "If you wish, I can make a few calls and have the boys teach him a lesson..."

"Come on now," I chuckled, dragging my thumb across my lower lip. "I can handle the Deputy myself. Get the green car ready. I have an afternoon class to catch."

"Understood, Young Master."

He bowed and left. I went straight to the bathroom, washed up, and threw on a dark green designer jacket that perfectly matched the car. I ran a hand through my silver hair, grabbed my bag, and headed out.

When I pulled up to campus, the whispers started immediately. People looked relieved to see me out of cuffs, while a few jealous losers in the back glared, clearly wishing I had rotted in a cell overnight.

Tsk. Fucking haters.

I ignored all of them and slipped through the back doors of the Arts Department. Class had already started. I dropped into a seat in the back row and immediately started scanning the heads around me for someone with golden hair.

Empty.

I frowned, scanning the room until my eyes landed on the very front row. There he was. Sitting still, aggressively taking notes and chewing on the plastic cap of his pen. Such a bad habit.

I leaned back and crossed my arms, planning exactly how I was going to corner him the second the lecture ended.

But when the professor finally dismissed us, I didn't even have to move.

"Jaxon Whitfield."

I blinked, looking up. Eugene was standing right beside my desk, his knuckles white as he clutched his phone. I hadn't expected the little mouse to come to the snake.

"Is there a problem?" I drawled, leaning back in my chair.

He didn't answer. He just shoved his phone screen right into my face. I had to lean back to focus on the text.

Group 5: Jaxon Whitfield & Eugene Grant.

Topic: Medieval Love.

I scrunched my nose in disgust. "Medieval love? What the hell is that?"

Eugene pushed his glasses up his nose. "It refers to the chivalric romance of the Middle Ages. It heavily focuses on nobility, forbidden attraction, devotion, and—"

"Whoa, hold it right there, blabbermouth," I snapped, holding up a hand. "I didn't ask for a dictionary definition."

Eugene's jaw tightened. He pulled his phone back to his chest. "Look, let's just meet today to start practicing. We have a lot of material to cover."

"We have five whole days," I scoffed, crossing my legs. "There's no need to rush."

He glared right into my eyes. For a nerd, he actually had some fire in him.

"I don't know about you, but I don't treat my grades like a joke," Eugene said sharply. "Since the rumor around campus is that you're a complete dullard, I'll do all the research and paperwork. All I need from you is your cooperation."

I froze. I blinked hard. Once. Twice.

Did this little bastard just call me a dullard?

My hands twitched. Maybe it wasn't too late to let Jeremy punch him in the gut.

"...so we have to meet between two and six in the evening," Eugene kept talking, totally unaware that I was plotting his murder. "Since my curfew starts at 7 PM."

That snapped me out of it. "What?"

"I said, we need to meet between 2 PM and 6 PM. My curfew is at 7 PM."

"Oh my, what should I do?" I pouted dramatically, placing a hand over my heart. "I'm incredibly busy between exactly two and six."

Eugene’s glare darkened. "I don't care how you do it, just clear your schedule! We are getting an A on this!"

"It's just a presentation, glasses."

"I'm texting you the address of the library. Find the time!" Eugene snapped, spinning on his heel and storming out of the classroom.

The library? I'd rather spend my afternoon scrubbing gravestones with a toothbrush.

I watched him disappear down the hall just as Jeremy popped up beside my desk like a ghost.

"What were you guys talking about?" Jeremy asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Our presentation. Turns out we're a team," I smirked, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

Jeremy blinked in confusion. "Team? Presentation for what?"

I rolled my eyes. Right. The idiot snored through the entire first class. Whoever got stuck in Jeremy's group was completely doomed.

"I'm starting the plan," I patted Jeremy's shoulder. "Just trust me."

I walked out to the parking lot and slid into the leather seat of my car. Just as I slammed the door shut, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

An unknown number.

The City Library. 2:00 PM sharp. Don't be late. - Eugene

I stared at the bright screen, a dark, heavy laugh bubbling up in my chest.

Sorry, Eugene. There was absolutely no way I was setting foot in a public library.

But... I could definitely meet him at his house. Say, right after his 7 PM curfew?

That way, the golden boy gets his study partner, and I get to see exactly what my darling Deputy Chief Marcus Grant looks like when he's off duty.