Текст книги "Vicious secrets"
Автор книги: Morgan Bridges
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 18 страниц)
Chapter 20XAVIER
Once Delilah can no longer see me, I spin around, my gaze immediately finding her. I stand there, torn between following her back to the dorms and searching for her attacker. Knowing the identity of the driver, I’m certain it wasn’t a fucking accident. The thing I don’t know is why he did it.
I’ll find out.
I’ve taken the necessary precautions to keep Delilah off the Order’s radar, but that woman is stubborn and keeps showing up in places she shouldn’t. I’ll have to be firmer with her going forward. Although I enjoy interacting with her in any capacity, I won’t risk her life just for the sake of my obsession.
Delilah walks swiftly toward the dorms, and I stay behind her like a shadow. It’s unlikely that she’ll be accosted on the way there, but I’m not willing to take the chance. As soon as she’s safe behind a locked door, I’ll confront that asshole who thought he could take her from me.
I keep my head on a swivel as she walks, the girl completely oblivious to my presence. Well, maybe not completely. A couple of times she pauses and looks over her shoulder. She scans the area, but I remain hidden.
What kind of assassin would I be if she were able to spot me?
The entire way, Delilah is alert and tense, but the second she steps through the doorway of the building, she relaxes. So do I. After retrieving my phone, I unlock the screen and bring up the live feed from her dorm room. She appears a minute later.
My girl kicks off her shoes, sits on the bed, and grabs her laptop. Her eyes are glued to the screen as she types on the keyboard. I adjust the settings on my phone and zoom in as much as it’ll allow. The image focuses, revealing a social media app and a profile picture that’s familiar.
It’s mine.
Satisfaction has my dick getting hard. She’s interested in me. Not as much as I am in her, but this is a good start.
As I watch her scroll through my profile, I fist my hands, the need to touch her overwhelming me. The memory of the first time my fingers brushed her skin rises in my mind. Not the time I grabbed her wrist three years ago, but the gentle touch from earlier. Her skin was impossibly smooth, but it was her reaction to me that etched the moment deep into my consciousness. In my soul.
If I even have one.
There was a hesitation in her gaze, a wariness skating over her face when she looked down at me. However, the second I wrapped my hands around her slim neck, she softened. Submitted. Despite her unease, her gaze was bright with curiosity, and a tiny spark of attraction.
That’s all I need to make an inferno. To make her burn for me.
She tried to mask her body’s reaction to me, but her uneven breaths blew across my lips, making me hungry for more than just a touch. I wanted to fucking devour her. With Delilah’s curves pressing into me, it took every ounce of discipline I possess not to flip her over and fuck her on the asphalt.
My obsession extends beyond sex, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think about the day I’ll take her innocence, make her bleed on my cock. She’ll mark me just as much as I plan on claiming her.
My gaze zeros in on her mouth. Her lips move, but there’s no audio. With a frown, I turn on the microphone on my phone and wait for the red light to appear. It’s connected to a Bluetooth earpiece in her room. It took me a few days to find a pair that was compatible and discreet, but it was worth the effort. Having chosen Delilah’s dorm room for her before she arrived helped immensely.
“Why are you being such a fucknugget?” Delilah mutters to my picture, her voice filling my ear.
I laugh at her name for me. It’s not the worst thing I’ve been called.
She sighs, the sound forlorn. “Ben, why won’t you talk to me?”
The mention of the recruit sobers me, erasing all traces of amusement. Her concern for him is understandable. What isn’t rational is the fury that builds in my gut. The possessiveness I feel for her is like a feral animal wanting to kill any other man that approaches her. It’s a primitive urge.
One I won’t be able to contain forever.
She sits up. “What the hell?”
Delilah squints down at the screen and clicks something. It’s the direct message I just sent her through the app. I smile in the darkness at her look of confusion. She’s fucking adorable when she scrunches her face like that.
Xavier: You’re a stalker.
Delilah: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Xavier: So you didn’t just view my profile?
Her eyes widen. She bites her lip, uncertainty covering her features. I groan and run the heel of my hand over my dick. The things I want to do to that mouth of hers...
Delilah: No, I didn’t. The app must’ve sent you a notification by mistake.
Xavier: So you’re not looking at my profile pic right now?
She sucks in a breath and blows it out slowly, her nostrils flaring. “How in the fuck…?”
Her head swings back and forth as she searches for a logical explanation for my message. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she returns her focus to the screen and types a response. It pops up on my phone a second later.
Delilah: No, and even if I was, I wouldn’t admit it.
Xavier: Did you miss the part about you being a stalker?
Delilah: Did you miss the part where I think you’re an asshole?
Xavier: That’s true, but it hasn’t stopped you from talking to me. This is the last time I'm going to tell you to stay away from me.
Delilah: And if I don’t?
Xavier: Then I’ll notify the administration about your stalking activities. Not only the way you followed and sexually assaulted me in the parking lot, but also the way you and your friends trespassed onto the fraternity’s property.
Delilah: 🖕
Xavier: Not yet.
Delilah: Not ever.
I grin in the darkness. My girl has a fire in her that I can’t wait to tame. She might burn me in the process, but I’m all too familiar with pain. At least it’d be worth it.
With Delilah safe and my warning to her delivered, I make my way to the fraternity house. As expected, the place is filled with guys, music, and booze.
I head straight for Eric’s room, ignoring everyone else. After knocking on the door, I step back and wait.
He appears, his gaze narrowed, his pupils blown. “Donovan.”
“Gage. I have a couple of questions that you’re going to answer.”
“Not fucking interested.”
He moves to slam the door in my face, but I stop him by planting my boot in the doorway. “You tried to kill someone tonight,” I say, my voice low. “I recognized your car. Was the girl part of a summons?”
Eric freezes. “Doesn’t matter ‘cause I’m sworn to secrecy. I’m not telling you shit.”
“I don’t need details. Just tell me if the hit came from the Order.”
“Fuck off.”
I tilt my head, struggling to keep a rein on my building temper. “You don’t want to do this with me, Gage. Especially not when you’re fucking high.”
Eric, undeterred, amped by the drugs, studies me with a defiant expression. “Yeah, and why’s that?”
The hard resolve in my voice doesn’t lessen. “Because I’ll torture the information out of you if I have to.”
It’s not a threat; it’s fucking statement of fact.
He scoffs, a smirk pulling at his lips. “I’d like to see you fucking try.”
Acknowledging his challenge with a slow, deliberate nod, I let the silence hang heavy between us for a moment. “I can make that happen.”
Without another word, I close the distance between us. My fist connects with his diaphragm in a sudden, forceful impact, designed to incapacitate.
Eric’s eyes widen in shock, the air whooshing out of his lungs in an involuntary gasp. He staggers back and clutches at his abdomen as he struggles to draw breath. The surprise in his eyes is quickly replaced with rage.
With a sudden burst of energy, he lunges towards me. His shoulder slams into my chest, a clear attempt to catch me off guard and push me back. I counter his advance, grabbing his shoulders and using his momentum to spin him away from me. Eric whirls around, fists clenched, ready to draw blood.
“If you keep this up, I’m going to kick your ass,” I say. “We both know it. Your coordination is fucked by the drugs.”
Eric throws a punch, a clumsy swing that’s easily dodged. He’s one of the best fighters out of all the recruits, but the drugs have slowed his reflexes, and his movements lack coordination. The only thing he has going for him is the stimulant to his central nervous system decreasing his perception of pain.
I deliver a solid kick to his midsection, sending him reeling backwards. Eric recovers his balance and lunges at me again, his eyes wild with fury.
We dance like this for several minutes, trading blows. The sounds of our struggle echo in the room, the rhythmic thuds of flesh against flesh punctuated by the occasional grunt.
Finally, I land a solid blow to the side of Eric’s head, dazing him. I seize the opportunity and throw him against the wall, pinning him in place with my forearm against his throat.
“Now, for the last fucking time, I’m going to ask: was the girl a part of a summons?”
Eric’s eyes are glazed, the effects of the drug-induced rage slowly fading. “No,” he croaks.
“Then why did you try to kill her?”
“I—”
Before he can finish the sentence, I slam him against the wall, my patience waning. “Listen, motherfucker, you’re going to tell me the truth, or I’ll kill you. Right here, right now. Fuck the Order.”
His eyes widen in alarm, his gaze clearing for the first time since the altercation started. “Okay, okay. Just calm the fuck down. I did it to see what you would do.”
I frown. “You were going to kill her to see how I’d react?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Eric stares at me, the confusion on his face matching my own. “To see if she’s important to you.”
“She’s not,” I lie. “No one is.”
He laughs. It’s unhinged, and not all of it can be blamed on the narcotic in his system. “Then why the fuck did you come here tonight, threatening to torture me for information? Why are you willing to risk the wrath of the Order, the same organization you’re pledged to serve, if the girl means nothing to you?”
My jaw tightens. “Because we don’t shit where we eat. That girl is a student here, so if she’s a threat to the Order, I want to know.”
“Bullshit. There’s something else. You want her.”
“I’m not breaking my vow to the Order for a fucking piece of ass.”
I shove off of him. He loses his footing and laughs again, the sound mocking. “You can lie to yourself all you want, Donovan.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you think.”
“No, but you do care what the council has to say.”
I pause at the threshold. “Watch your back, Gage. What happens during the Trials can be... accidental.”
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 21DELILAH
Ibite my bottom lip, focused intently on the chemistry exam in front of me. I don’t allow myself to think of Ben, or the fact that I haven’t heard from him in two weeks. And I refuse to let my thoughts wander to a silver-eyed and silver-tongued devil.
In my peripheral vision, I catch the student next to me angling his body toward me. More specifically, my paper. He glances repeatedly between his exam and mine, his pencil scratching away furiously.
Frustration has me gritting my teeth at his obvious cheating. I shift in my seat to conceal my paper, but that doesn’t work. If it did, this wouldn’t be the second time this guy has copied me.
I clear my throat loudly and cover my answers with my arm. The student pauses, his brow furrowing, before he leans forward even further than before. I shoot him a pointed glare, which he promptly ignores.
With a sigh, I do my best to rush through the test, hoping he’ll be too slow and get the last section wrong. I worked hard last night studying the binary ionic compounds instead of joining Raven and June at a club. Not that it’s my scene, but anything is better than chemistry.
I make a mental note to speak to Professor Ames about this during his office hours. Integrity matters to me. Also, I can’t afford to lose my scholarship because of some random twat waffle cheating off of me.
As soon as I finish the test, I gather my things and give the student one final dirty look. He has the grace to look sheepish, but I don’t care. He’s still a liability.
I place my test on Professor Ames’s desk, avoiding his gaze. Ever since day one, I haven’t been able to look this man in the face. There’s a coldness in his eyes that chills me to the bone, like he’s one manic episode away from becoming a psychopath.
“Wait a moment, Miss Scott.”
His voice stops me cold. I turn back to meet his gaze and immediately regret it. His eyes are bright with anticipation, similar to the way I look at a spider before smashing it. Repeatedly.
He leans forward and lowers his voice. It takes everything inside me to hold my ground and not take a step back.
“I couldn’t help but notice some concerning behavior this morning,” he says. “I’ll be reporting your academic dishonesty to the Integrity Board. Today.”
“What?” I cringe at the volume of my voice. It wasn’t a screech per se, but it wasn’t far off. “I didn’t do anything wrong. He cheated off of me. Today isn’t the first time either.”
Professor Ames tilts his head. “And yet you haven’t mentioned it. This means you were assisting him.” He holds up a hand when I start to protest. “I understand this is upsetting, but we take integrity very seriously here. I suggest you speak with your student advisor as quickly as possible.”
With my mind spinning, I leave the room and head straight to the administration building. My panic over this unjust situation has my stomach tying in knots, and by the time I’m sitting in Mrs. Shipley’s office chair, I’m close to fainting.
“Delilah,” she says, her forehead wrinkling with concern, “what’s wrong?”
It takes me several deep breaths to clear the spots from my vision and to steady my racing pulse. I grip the armrests to ground myself and to keep from falling on the floor.
“I was just accused of cheating during Professor Ames’s exam, which is complete and total horseshit, bullshit, and pigshit.”
The woman delicately clears her throat and tucks a gray strand of hair back into the bun at the base of her head, before adjusting her glasses. In their reflection I can see myself, my expression borders on hysteria. So opposite of her professionalism.
She laces her fingers and sets them on the desk. “Start from the beginning.”
I tell her everything about the other student and my attempts to discourage him from copying. “Now I’m in danger of losing my scholarship. I can’t stay here without it.”
“This is very serious, my dear.”
I cover my face with my hands and groan. “I know.”
“Accusations like this can have severe consequences.”
“I know,” I repeat. I drop my hands into my lap and hang my head. “Is there anything I can do? I mean, there has to be a way to prove my innocence.”
She nods slowly, her gaze narrowing in thought. “Let me look into this.”
After reaching for the phone on her desk, she dials an extension and engages someone in a brief conversation. I watch her like she’s going to disappear if I so much as blink. My heart rate skyrockets again, and I have to concentrate on breathing evenly to avoid passing out.
Mrs. Shipley hangs up the phone. “Professor Ames is willing to reconsider the situation, but he still believes that you are at fault for failing to report the other student. To resolve this issue without escalating it to the Academic Integrity Board, he’s proposing an alternative.”
“What is it? I’ll do anything.”
The woman nods. “Instead of facing a formal investigation, he suggests you sign a contract.”
“What?” I narrow my gaze. “Like a promise to narc on pieces of sh—” When her mouth thins with disapproval, I clear my throat. “What does the contract entail?”
“This would involve you taking on a role as a model student. You would participate in campus events, attend ceremonies, and various university activities left up to the discretion of the Obsidian Order. It’s a way for you to demonstrate your character to your professors, as well as your fellow students.”
I open my mouth, close it, and then try again. “The Obsidian Order… as in the fraternity?”
“Yes, dear. It is our most prestigious foundation on campus. It dates back to before the university was even built.”
“So, this whole ordeal is like a community service thing?”
Mrs. Shipley nods. “In a sense. It’s a good way to show your commitment to the university’s values and prove you’re an asset to the community. Signing this contract would also be an acknowledgement that you understand the seriousness of the situation and are willing to take responsibility for your part in it.”
I fold my arms with a sigh. “I don’t see any other option for me.”
“It’d be in your best interest to do this.”
The older woman shifts her attention to her computer and clicks the mouse before typing for several minutes. Every time she presses a button, my stomach knots a little more. I don’t know what else I can do except go along with this stupid contract. As much as I’d like to tell everyone to kiss my ass, it won’t do me any good.
I silently curse at Professor Ames and the other student. Calling them cockwombles and cumstains almost makes me smile. Almost.
The hum of the printer interrupts my internal barrage of insults. Mrs. Shipley grabs several sheets of paper which has me frowning. How many pages is this contract? After the tenth page, I begin to lament the tree that sacrificed itself on my behalf.
“Here you go,” she says, sliding the stack of papers to me. “Legal documents are very thorough. Read it carefully so you’re fully aware of what you’re committing to. If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.”
“This is longer than I expected,” I mutter.
I quickly scan the words on the first page. The legalese on the document is mind-numbing. It’s paragraph after paragraph filled with dense language that seems designed to confuse more than inform.
After a few seconds, my eyes glaze over as I try to decipher the tiny font outlining the clauses and obligations in the contract. My academic advisor watches me with a smile, but her attentiveness is a little overwhelming. She’s not rushing me, but my intuition says she wants me to hurry up. I’m sure she has other tasks to complete that don’t include managing my crisis.
“I think I get the gist of it,” I say. “I sign, do my time, and keep my scholarship, right?”
She nods. “That’s the general idea. Make sure to note that your point of contact will be Professor Ames. Unless he appoints a senior to direct you, he’s the one who will reach out with the details of the upcoming events.”
I’m sure that dickhead will have me picking up trash alongside the road just to humiliate me. As long as my duties are nothing unconventional, I’ll handle them just fine. Growing up in the foster care system isn’t for the weak.
I pick up the pen, eyes widening at my shaking fingers. This situation is grossly unfair and pisses me off, but it’s fear that’s wrapping around my hands and making them tremble. I flip to the last page and scrawl my signature across the dotted line before I lose my nerve.
After shoving the document toward Mrs. Shipley, I blow out a breath. Instead of feeling relieved that I’m doing everything to save my future, a sense of doom hovers over me like a raincloud.
She snatches the papers from the desk. Almost like she doesn’t want me to change my mind. “Although you’ll be on probation with Professor Ames for the rest of the semester, your obligations will last for the entire school year. Take this seriously, and you might find it more rewarding than you expect. It’s an honor to be affiliated with the Obsidian Order.”
I get to my feet, shifting my gaze from her face, alight with pride and sophistication, and concentrate on the nameplate on her desk. “Thanks,” I mumble. “Shipley, as in one of the founding families?”
She beams up at me. “That is correct.”
That explains why she’s drinking the kool-aid the fraternity is serving. Too bad she’s snorting it as well.
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter 22DELILAH
Subject: Urgent:
Obsidian Order Ceremony Details
Delilah,
I trust this message finds you ready and willing to perform your contractual obligations. The Obsidian Order ceremony is slated for this night, September 3rd, commencing sharply at 9:00 PM. The venue is discreetly tucked away at 124 Oak Street, within the walls of our fraternity house.
Arrive punctually to avoid unnecessary complications. The dress code is formal. Discretion is paramount, as was indicated in the contract.
This event holds significant weight within our fraternity. Your presence is not only anticipated but crucial. Failure to comply may have unforeseen consequences.
For any queries or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out. Your cooperation is expected.
Regards,
Professor Ames
OceanofPDF.com
