RISK.

Samantha Grady.

To Mom, Dad, Lyndon and Sarah, this one's for you.

Without you guys this book would have never happened.

Risk ~ take a risk, to proceed in an action without regard.

Prologue.

Time seemed to stop as I raced towards my future. A little dramatic yes, but true most definitely. It was happening because of a risk not only I had taken, but a risk Jonah and a dozen others had taken.

Every day we take risks, most so little we barely notice them but then there are other risks that are so big they change the course of our life.

The risk I took to get here was one of those big ones.

Chapter 1.

Sunlight streamed through the car window giving a falsehood to the actual cold temperature outside. Winter in Denver could be as misleading as a woman in skimpy clothing on a corner street. While the sun was out and the sky was bright, the air was as bitter cold as the life I was leading or in this case pretending to lead. The tie around my neck felt like it was cutting off air to the rest of my body and it was a bad time to have to wear new dress shoes.

When Vinnie told me what my job was today I knew it was going to be a bad day but nothing as bad as the day I was actually having.

It was only ten in the morning and already I'd had a day full of c.r.a.p.

I worked all last night at the club giving me a whole two hours of sleep. I had to change my suit, twice. Once, because Denny ran into me spilling my coffee all down my suit jacket and white shirt and then again when Denny came back with a bleeding runner who bled not just on my suit but all over my d.a.m.n house. And then to top it off he threw up on my very expensive and very broken-in dress shoes.

Now I was in my third suit of the day, had a house full of blood and vomit and I sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going to make it to the University before students descended on the campus.

My business with Professor Mark Todd would be better done without witnesses but Mark Todd was out of time and Vinnie wanted his money, yesterday. Out of all the things I dip my hands into in the family business, this was the worst for me. I hated the gun sticking out of my waistband, I hated the look of fear the client got when they saw me coming and I hated knowing what they did.

Shaking off the side of me that wanted to care I schooled my facial features into what Denny called my *bada.s.s' look, which was really just my permanent scowl.

Leaving the warm Mustang for the bitter Denver air I made my way through a herd of young students that were far too d.a.m.n cheery.

Professor Todd wasn't hard to find; he was relatively young and from the crowd surrounding his desk, popular with the students.

Wonder if that had anything to do with his side hobby?

Clearing my throat I caught Todd's attention, his brown eyes locked onto me making his face instantly pale.

Good, he was afraid, it would make my job a h.e.l.l of a lot easier.

The students cleared out at Todd's request.

Smart man, he didn't want witnesses anymore than I did.

When the last one left and the door shut firmly behind, I made my way to Todd knowing I might have to do something I really didn't want to.

"Jonah, isn't it?" Professor Todd choked out taking a step back for every step I took closer.

"You know who I am. Good." My voice was as cold as the air outside and Todd was now visibly shaking, "Vinnie wants his money Professor and he is done waiting."

"Vinnie got his money." Todd bit off, going on the defensive.

Professor Todd obviously didn't like being called out.

Tough, he should have thought about that before he cheated Vinnie. "How about we drop the bulls.h.i.t? You know as well as I do you gave Vinnie half of what he was owed and Vinnie does not take half."

"Who do you think you are boy? You can't just walk into my cla.s.sroom and threaten me!" Todd shouted, his face turning bright red and his hands balling into fists.

Oh bad move Professor, I had very little patience left before I even walked through his cla.s.sroom door and even on my good day I did not like being called boy or yelled at.

Taking a calming breath, so I didn't beat the little f.u.c.k to a b.l.o.o.d.y pulp I pulled my gun out. Vinnie would have demanded I point the gun at his head but I couldn't do that, not even to someone who more than deserved it. Instead I pointed the gun at his knee, it wouldn't kill him but it would hurt like h.e.l.l.

Advancing on Professor Todd like a lion on the hunt, I gave him a cutting smile, "Who do I think I am? Well Professor, right now I'm the boy holding a gun in my hands with an order from Vinnie to get his money or my next stop is the coffee shop your wife works at. And you and I both know Vinnie will have her working off your debt physically." At the mention of his wife Todd lost all the fight. That's right d.i.c.k head take the bait and don't make my day worse by delivering your wife to Vinnie. "Money. Now."

Todd didn't need to be told twice. He was in his desk pulling out bills and shoving them into a white envelope before I had my gun back in the waistband of my slacks.

Professor Todd sure had a lot of money in his desk; looks like he knew Vinnie would send someone round for the rest of his money. Idiot should have paid it all up front. Guess you didn't have to be smart to be a professor.

Shaking my head I looked around the room it was a plain cla.s.sroom full of desks and chairs but not much else. I always thought I would go to university even after the accident but then right after high school Vinnie pulled me into the family business, claiming it would only be one year, just until he got some new boys in. It had always been that way with Vinnie, just one more year. At this rate I was never getting out.

Not coming near me Todd slid the envelope across the desk towards me. Jesus the envelope was full to bursting and this was only half of what he owned Vinnie. This guy had more than just a bad habit.

Taking the money I slid it inside my suit jacket and headed to the door.

"Aren't you going to count it?" Professor Todd yelled making my hand freeze on the doork.n.o.b.

"No. I don't think even you are stupid enough to cheat Vinnie twice." Turning my head I gave Todd a pointed look, "Just in case you are and this happens a second time Vinnie will be paying a personal visit with a bullet that has your name on it."

With that I pushed the door open and begun walking back to my car. For his sake I hope all the money was there, because there was no doubt if Professor Todd tried to screw Vinnie over again he would kill him for sure, Lord knows he wouldn't be the first or the last.

Walking as fast as I could without drawing attention to myself but just wanting to be home so I could get some more sleep before I had to be back at the club, I felt the cold metal of the gun start to ride up.

s.h.i.t that's all I need, to get caught with a loaded gun on a college campus. Looking around to make sure no one was focusing on me I pushed the gun down making it look like I was just scratching my lower back when I smacked right into a body.

Gripping an arm to stop us both from falling a small scream sounded as books fell and a forehead hit into my collarbone.

G.o.ddammit this day just kept getting worse.

"s.h.i.t, I'm sorry I wasn't watching." I said looking down at a curtain of midnight black hair covering a girl's face. d.a.m.n was she shaking? "Uh... Are you ok?"

A soft ringing bell like giggle left the girls mouth as her gloved hand pushed at her hair.

Holy sweet Jesus the girl was beautiful and she was laughing her a.s.s off.

Confused and slightly amused I watched tears streamed from her baby blue eyes coating her creamy skin. Her hand fell from her hair touching a red b.u.mp forming on her forehead. Another round of giggles left her mouth and for some reason I felt myself laughing too.

As fast as lightening her hand slapped over her mouth with a look of horror. "I'm so sorry. I'm not laughing at you it's just I laugh when I'm nervous. It's a thing. Weird I know and now I'm babbling and I wish someone would just shoot me and get it over with." She finished on a sharp intake of breath.

Feeling guilty because I really did have a loaded gun on me, my laughter stopped and the scowl came back.

With another sharp intake of breath her delicate black eyebrows shot up and her eyes searched my face before running down my body.

Well if she was going to lookaNo Jonah dammit you have no business looking at a clean-cut girl like her. Beauty like that deserves a lot better than anything I could ever give her.

Dropping the hands that still held her arms I bent down to pick up her books. She only had two so I was back up in time to see a pink blush coloring her cheeks. Handing her books back I couldn't help the smirk that lined my lips. She was just too adorable.

"Thanks." She said with a soft smile that had my heart speeding up and heat rushing through my body.

Ok time to go.

"Olivia!" The name screamed from a redheaded girl cutting through the parking lot caused the girl to whip her head around.

"Olivia." I said out loud loving the way her name felt on my tongue as I stepped away from her, jogging the remaining steps to my car.

Chapter 2.

Turning the keys in the lock the door jerked open flinging me face first into a white dress shirt covered front.

I had a minor panic attack as my mind went to this morning with the guy in the suit. G.o.d could not have made a more perfect looking person if he tried, tall, lean with hard muscles that could barely be contained by the material of his expensive suit. Short golden blonde hair that looked like all he did was run his hand through it to make spikes of hair stand up in a beautiful mess. And the eyes, my good G.o.d those eyes, never in my life had I seen anyone with eyes like his. Bright green surrounding the black pupil with a thick bright yellow ring circling the green, but it wasn't just the color. It was the way he looked at me, like I was the only one that could make him smile. In just the short time I stood looking at him I could see he wasn't a person that smiled often, when he let the smile drop a haunted look took over his face sending a sharp pain straight to my heart.

"Olivia!" Ty, my roommate shouted shaking me from my thoughts.

"What?" I said feeling my cheeks turn a bight red.

"I said thank G.o.d your home, Darcy is driving me bat s.h.i.t crazy." Pulling back slightly Ty gave me a once over, wigging his eyebrows playfully, "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." I snapped feeling my embarra.s.sment grow, "Why?"

Chuckling Ty stared at my chest, "No reason."

"I'm cold thank you very much." I hissed pulling my jacket tightly around my body.

"Sure you are chick!"

Slamming the door I stomped through the small hall into the big open s.p.a.ce that was the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right thinking I should have listened to my mother when she told me not to move in with my best friends.

We lived in a three-bedroom apartment building ten minutes from campus. Straight across the room was a hall that led to three bedrooms and one bathroom that we all had to share.

Dropping my books and purse on the floor Darcy came screaming from her room. "Yay, you're home!"

Darcy my crazy friend, had out of control curly red hair, freckles dusted across her nose and cheeks and dull dark green eyes. The loudest mouth in the whole world and as crazy as they come.

"Kill me now." Ty groaned kicking his shoes off as his body dropped over the couch.

I had known Ty since I was five years old. Tall and skinny with brown wavy hair that fell into his dark brown eyes. Ty was the opposite of everything Darcy was, quiet, controlled and not a big fan of anyone he didn't know.

"You and maybe the cranky little s.h.i.t on the couch are going to Club Risk with me, Friday night."

Club Risk the hottest and most expensive club in Denver. I had lived my whole life in Denver but had never stepped foot in Club Risk. "Why are we going to Club Risk?"

"Her flavor of the week is from out of town and wants to hit the hottest clubbing spot."

"Shut up Ty." Darcy yelled shooting him a death glare. "Say you will come Liv, please?"

If it stopped her whining I would do just about anything. "Sure Darcy, Ty and I will be there."

"Ty will not be there." Ty yelled.

Flipping Ty the bird Darcy took off running down the hall screeching out her happiness.

Following her down the hall at a much slower pace I made it into my room just as the phone on my desk began to ring.

Seven o'clock on the dot just like every Monday night.

With a heavy sigh I picked up the phone, "Father."

"Did you go to cla.s.s today?" My father snapped down the phone.

h.e.l.lo to you too. "It's Monday, of course I went to cla.s.s where else would I have been?"

"You never know with you Olivia you could have gotten a wild hair and took off with that out of control friend of yours." In my whole nineteen years when have I ever gotten a wild hair and took off. "Anyway what are your plans this weekend?"

You know maybe a drinking binger, might drop out of school to become a stripper, who knows the week just started. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

"Typical Olivia never thinking of her future." How the h.e.l.l is this weekend my future? "Well seeing as you have no plans, I have made some for you."