“Dani, Dani, Dani."I flinch. I've never heard anyone say my name so gently. It creeps me all kinds of out.He's towering over me, arms crossed over his chest, scarred forearms dark against the rolled-up sleeves of a crisp white shirt.Heavy silver cuffs glint at both wrists. The light is smack behind his head, as usual."You didn't really think I'd let you get away with it," Ryodan says.”

“Turn it off," Ryodan says without even looking at me. "You're distressing Dani. No one distresses Dani but me.”

“Dani: Crank it up. Lets get this party started. *I hand Dancer my iPod.* Lor: What is this crap. Where the hell is Hendrix on this thing?Jo: Did you get any Muse?Dani: Muse is something you doJo: Distrubed is something you areDancer: And Godsmacked is something you getLor: Don't you have any Motley Crue or Van Halen?Christian: How about some Flogging Molly?Ryodan: Whats the deal with all the Linkin Park, for fuck's sake.Dancer: Mega has a crush on ChesterJo: You got any Adele?Dani: Got some Nicki Minaj.Ryodan: Somebody kill me now.”

“You're distressing Dani. No one distresses Dani but me.”

“Ryodan doesn’t like Mac. He never has. She got between him and his best boy-bud. I give him a look. “I’ll tell you a secret, Ryodan. You mess with her, Barrons’ll kill you.” I drag a finger across my neck. “Just like that. You aren’t all that. Barrons’ll stomp your ass, hand’s down.”He smiles faintly. “I’ll be damned. You have a crush on Barrons.”“I do not have a crush—““You do, too. It’s all over your face. Anybody could see it.”“Sometimes, boss, you’re just wrong.”“I’m never wrong. You might as well take out a billboard. ‘Dani O’Malley thinks Jericho Barrons is hot.’ My offer to teach you is still open. Save you from future embarrassment. If I can see it on your face, he can, too. ”“He never figured it out before,” I grumble then realize I just admitted it. Ryodan has a tricky way of wording things that makes you say things you didn’t mean to say. “Maybe I’ll ask Barrons to teach me,” I mutter and turn away from the stairs, heading for his office. I run smack into his chest. “Dude, move. Trying to get somewhere here.”“No one but me is ever going to teach you, Dani.” He touches me before I see it coming, has his hand under my chin, turning my face up. My shiver is instant and uncontrollable.“That’s non-negotiable. You signed a contract with me that grants exclusivity. You won’t like it if you try to break it.”

“Listen, Sean," Dani says. "I need you to do something. My treatment isn't over yet, and my mom and I still have rough times ahead. We need people we can really rely on. So think about whether you can be that person. If you're going to be into my mother, be really into her.”