I stand in the doorway into my classroom, watching Eva through the small window.It has been nine days since she arrived at the academy, but this is the first lesson she has attended. Among other subjects, I teach leadership strategy, which she won’t be too interested in, but none of the subjects that we cover here will interest her.Nurse Jasper has given her two crutches to aid walking as her stab wound heals. She believes Eva may have sustained some nerve damage, but only time will tell.Eva sits at the front of the classroom next to Dimitri Jakov, staring at her like a hungry wolf ready to pounce. My stomach tightens as I clench my fists by my side.Thankfully, Eva appears unaware of his attention as she doodles on a small notepad in front of her.I uncurl my fists and reach for the door handle, turning it and entering the classroom. I fix my gaze on Eva, who doesn’t look up as I walk in.The giggles erupt from the back of the classroom as they chatter together. All the girl’s eye
I clap my hand. “Does anyone else have anything degrading to say to their classmates?” I ask, remaining stood in front of Eva.The silence is deafening as she stares at me in surprise. I let my gaze move to her for a few moments, observing the way her cheeks are more flushed and her chest rises and falls violently.“Good,” I say when no one speaks. “I want you to read page fifty-six to page sixty-five.” I turn away from Eva and return to my desk, sitting down behind it.My harsh punishment for Dimitry is unusual, and I know that if he’d said it to any other girl in this room, my reaction would have been different. Pure jealousy reared its ugly head, drawing more questions to light about my questionable urges toward Eva. I’ve never been so viscerally attracted to a woman before I set eyes on her. She’s under my skin, which is a terrible complication I don’t need.I notice Jeanie leans over and mutters something to Anita again.“In silence, unless you want to join Dimitry.” I glare at t
“Hey, I’m Natalya,” a girl says, sitting next to me in the cafeteria. “Thought you could use some company.”I smile at her but can’t help the paranoia that sweeps over me. The last time someone introduced themself to me, I ended up stabbed and in a hospital bed for a week.“Don’t worry. I’m not a psycho like Jeanie, Kerry, or Anita.” She grabs her fork and digs into her vegetable lasagna, clearly sensing my unease.Natalya was in my class with Principal Byrne before lunch. I noticed she was one of the few people to answer his questions, and she was the first to leave after finishing her essay. She’s a motivated student who wants to do well, like me. The only difference is she wants a life of crime.“I saw you in my leadership class,” I say.She nods. “Yeah, ignore assholes like Dimitry. He’ll regret it after being sent to Luigi.”“Who is professor Luigi?” I ask.It’s not the first time I’ve heard his name since Principal Byrne sent my attackers to him.“He’s a fucking sadistic hardass
I swallow hard, following him in silence out of the cafeteria and down a dark corridor toward his office. The click-clack of my crutches on the cobblestones is the only sound that echoes through the silence. My palms are already sweaty, and my heart is practically drumming against my rib cage with each step I take.This man is too intimidating and too beautiful to be alone with. He both scares and thrills me. The way he watched me earlier today in leadership class was bordering on predatory.He comes to a halt outside of his office, slipping a hand into his jacket and pulling out a key.I watch as he slides it into the lock, turning it slowly. The click echoes through the cold, stone corridor. The thought of being trapped in his tiny office with him for an entire hour makes butterflies take flight in my gut.“After you,” he says, his voice as smooth as butter. I hate that his voice sends a prickle of goosebumps rising over every inch of exposed skin.What the hell is wrong with me?I
It takes every ounce of restraint within me not to bend this beauty over the desk and spank her ass with the ruler until she’s so sore she won’t be able to sit for days.I’m a sadistic son of a bitch because I know she’s not lying, but I can’t help myself. The darkness inside of me demands I make her hurt, punish her for being the offspring of the two people who tore my world apart. And yet, there’s a small part of me that wants her close, begging me with those beautiful, bright hazel eyes to stop.“Are you ready to tell me the truth?” I ask, halting my assault on her red palms.Her eyes narrow, and she holds my gaze without a word.“Do I need to take this punishment a step further?” I ask, searching those eyes for fear.If she fears me, she doesn’t show it. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”I narrow my eyes. Eva seems so unaltered by the pain I’ve inflicted. There’s a part of me that is desperate to push her more, see how long she will hold out, and I’m so close to following
I move the tip of the ruler between her thighs and stroke it down her wet seam in the cotton, making her gasp. “Eva, this isn’t supposed to be pleasurable,” I say coldly.A strangled half-scream comes from her lips as I gently bring the rule down flat against her wet, fabric-clad arousal.“Such a dirty girl.” I slide the tip of the ruler over her red skin. “It’s proof that you were so desperate you fucked your school’s janitor.” I spank her ass cheeks again, watching the way her skin reddens.The welts are beyond erotic, and all I want is to rub my hands over her skin, caressing the pain away before giving her more. “And now you’re getting wet for your principal, aren’t you?”“No,” she snarls, her body tensing. “You’re a fucking psychopath.”I chuckle at her outburst and spank her repeatedly until she is panting from the mix of pain and pleasure.“Stop,” she cries, her voice a mix of anguish and pure lust. “Please, Oak, stop this.”I place the ruler down on the desk she’s bent over an
Natalya sits down next to me in our law class, smiling. “You look like someone pissed in your cheerios.”I shake my head. “Shit lesson with Byrne,” I mutter, my hands and ass still stinging from his assault. It’s hard to believe that they get away with such brutal punishment at this school. The harder thing to believe is the way he touched me afterward. The things he said bordered on sexual.And now you’re getting wet for your principal, aren’t you?My heart is still hammering a little uncontrollably as I think about how it felt to be at his mercy.Her brow furrows. “Can’t have been as bad as combat training.” She sighs heavily. “Archer was grumpy today.”Oak was a complete and utter asshole, but I don’t want to go into detail. “Who takes this class?” I ask.“Byrne.”My stomach dips, hearing his name.“He teaches law, discipline, and leadership.”Fuck.“Great,” I murmur, swallowing hard as my fear and arousal blend at the prospect of seeing him again. Three times in one day is too fuc
“What class do you have next?” I ask as we meander down the hallway, finally escaping Byrne for the day.Natalya smirks. “Anatomy, with Luigi.” She shakes her head. “Can’t fucking wait.”I glance at my timetable, noticing I have the same. “Me too.” I raise a brow. “What’s so bad about anatomy class?”“You will see,” she says, smirking at me. “Come on.”She links arms with me and pulls me down the corridor, where a boy marches right toward us, piercing blue eyes fixed on Natalya.“Fuck,” she murmurs.“What’s wrong?” I ask.Before she replies, the boy speaks, “Well, well, look who we have here.” He smirks, and it’s a cruel smile that sends shivers down my spine. “Gurin always has to latch onto the newbies because she has no fucking friends.”His two friends chuckle in response.“Go away, Alexander,” she mutters, trying to pull me past him.Alexander holds his muscled, tattooed arm out in front of her, stopping her dead. “That’s rude, Natalya. Introduce me to your friend.” He has dark, m
Archer holds my hand as we pad barefoot through the sand, the sun just setting beyond the horizon and casting a warm, orange glow over the beach.Natalya's wedding was beautiful. And even though I still can't believe she's married the man that tormented her for years, I'm happy that she is happy."It's beautiful, isn't it?" I ask, stopping to watch as the sun dips slowly lower.Archer smiles at me. "Shall we sit down and watch?"I nod in response. "Sounds good." I sit down in the sand and he sits behind me, placing his legs on either side of my thighs and his arms around my waist. "This is nice," he murmurs into my ear.I lean back into him. "It is.""Did you enjoy the wedding?" He asks."It was beautiful, even though I still can't quite believe that Nat ended up with Elias after he was such a bully."Archer moves my hair to the side and skims his lips over the back of my neck. "Is it any different to you being with me after I blackmailed you?"I stiffen at the reminder. "Not sure it'
Motherfucker.I search the closet for something to pick the bedroom lock with. If Archer is facing my father and his goons, then I need to be by his side.Another shot echoes through the air, making me tense. I work even harder to focus on the lock, knowing I need to get out of this room. Finally, the lock clicks and I'm thankful I took the class on safe breaking two years ago when it was being taught.Quickly, I run out of the room and down the corridor, hardly thinking about what I'm doing.My heart skips a beat when I see my father and Archer standing outside of the window, each pointing a gun at one another. "No." I rush out of the cabin without a second thought. "Stop!""Adrianna," my father growls, pointing the gun at me. "What the fuck are you doing?"I freeze at the other end of his gun, knowing that he would without a doubt shoot me dead. "I'm not coming home to Mexico," I say.He growls. "Like hell you aren't.""I don't want to be married off to some mobster.""No, you want
I pull my jeep off the main road in the middle of nowhere, driving down an unmarked track. It may be secluded, but I know the path to this place like the back of my hand. After all, I spent just under two years living up here in my cabin.I notice Adrianna shudder."Are you cold?" I ask.She shakes her head. "No, this place just gives me the creeps.""The creeps?" I never thought of it as creepy."Yeah, like maybe you are actually a serial killer and this was your elaborate plan all along."I laugh, shaking my head. "You have a wild imagination." The woods open up to a clearing where my cabin is, and it's not just any old cabin. It's modern and sophisticated."Wow, do you own this place?" Adrianna asks.I nod. "I bought it when I needed to remain low while my family was looking for me." It was a difficult time in my life. One fraught with loneliness and a little too much alcohol, but this place saved me. "It's actually how I met Oak. He owns a cabin near to here and we met while we we
I approach Adrianna, who is standing with all her friends. My nerves are fried, mainly because I'm practically kidnapping the princess of the Vasquez Cartel. Thankfully, I saw Damien Vasquez leave ten minutes ago in his armored SUV. I'm pretty sure he hardly even said a word to Adrianna after the ceremony.I clear my throat. "Adrianna, can I have a word?""Stil not giving up?" Natalya teases.It's clear no one knows about us among her friends, except for Azira, and that was my fault.She meets my gaze and nods. I can tell from the look on her face that she's just as nervous as me. "Sure."I nod toward the exit of the hall and she follows me out of it."What's up?" she asks, as I lead her into an empty classroom and shut the door."I just wanted to double check you are all set for the plan?"She nods. "Of course. I'm packed, only essentials and no tech.""Good. And your father has gone. I watched him leave."She purses her lips. "I don't even know why he bothered to come. He didn't say
My father is standing at my door half an hour before the ceremony."Hey, Adrianna." He looks at my outfit. "You look well."I swallow hard. "Thanks for coming." I glance down the corridor. "Where is mom?"He shakes his head. "Your mother couldn't make it."It hurts a bit, I must admit. Out of the two of them, I'd expect my mom to be here over my father. She may not have ever been emotionally supportive, but she's always been a little less cold than him."Oh, is she busy?""No, but I don't enjoy traveling with your mother. You know that."I clench my jaw. "I know that." He doesn't like to travel with her because he likes to pay hookers whenever he stays away from home. The man disgusts me, but my mother isn't much better. Their marriage is a sham, and it has been all my life. Exactly what I want to avoid by escaping, as that was my future. My mom was married by arrangement to my father, hence the toxic relationship between them."Shall we get going then?" I say.He nods. "Lead the way.
Adrenaline has been racing through my veins since I woke this morning.It's sickening, but today is the day. Graduation is this afternoon and then all my friends and I will go out to celebrate. My father agreed to my plan and told me he'd booked into a hotel twenty miles away in the nearest city, as he's above the little inn in town and the motel near here. It actually makes the plan easier, as he won't be nearby when I make a run for it.However, after the celebrations are through, Archer and I will disappear. Our friends will know that we've left for good, but not where we are going. No one knows that, not even I do. I've let Archer figure the entire thing out and where I'm going to go.It's been hard trusting him in this way, as I've always relied on myself alone. He can't disappear with me, though. He has a life here at the academy, and so he's going to set me up with my new life and then leave. That's the part I've been trying to avoid thinking about entirely.I'm not sure how I'
I walk up to the door of Archer's apartment, my heart thumping at a hundred miles an hour.Am I crazy for being here?Perhaps. I knock on the door and wait a few moments and then I hear the thud of footsteps descending the stairs. Archer opens it and smiles at me with a smile that could stop most women's hearts. "You are here."I smile back at him. "I didn't get murdered.""I'm glad," he says, stepping aside to allow me in.I pause for a moment, knowing that now I'm coming to him of my free will rather than because he's blackmailing me. I'm not sure how to feel about that. It changes everything.His brow furrows. "Are you going to stay there or come in?"I purse my lips. "Still trying to decide."He laughs and grabs my hand, yanking me into the apartment and against him. "Don't be an idiot.""I'm normally the one saying that to you."He leads me up into his apartment, where he has a table set with candles alight. "I was prepared since I hadn't heard of any murders on campus." There is
My plan to get my revenge on Archer is backfiring.Why the hell do I feel so excited whenever I see him?And when he touched me earlier by the stream, he was trying to comfort me, but his touch ignited butterflies fluttering in my stomach and made my head spin. He keeps talking about feelings and how he wants us to continue after I graduate, which is insane.I can't work out if he's only saying it because I've never admitted I want him. All the while, I've made sure I keep detached and cold, even when he talks about his feelings.As I walk into the academy, I'm ambushed by my father. "Where have you been?"I cross my arms over my chest. "I went for a walk. Is that a crime?"He sighs heavily. "I'm here to take you back home."My brow furrows. "But what about the academy?" I ask, wondering why he didn't come to get me during spring break, especially as he said he had a meeting set out for me the week before.He yanks my wrist and drags me into an empty classroom, slamming the door behin
I sense Adrianna isn't used to relying on anyone for anything."Seriously, Adrianna. Let me help." I need to help her as I need to know her plan. She's so pigheaded. It wouldn't surprise me if she disappeared forever and I couldn't find her. It's the only way to ensure I keep tabs on her."Fine, you can help."I smile, relief coursing through my veins. "Good, as I have quite a few ideas.""Such as?"I pat my lap for her to come and sit on it.Her eyes narrow, but she sits anyway."Your father is coming to graduation, and that's a complication, but not the be all and end all. I mean, you dictated to your father before, so do it again.""What do you mean?""Tell him that you are going to celebrate with your friends. They're all going to be celebrating, right?"She nods. "Yeah.""Then tell him to book a motel and you'll leave with him the next morning."A crease forms in between her brows. "I'm uncertain it will work, but I can ring him beforehand. It's an option, I guess.""Well, tell m