"You are finally back!" I say, wrapping Nat in a hug as she walks up to me in the corridor.She's been gone for almost two weeks, way longer than we expected as she told us she'd be gone for a few days. Texts from her have been rather cryptic and unspecific about why she wasn't back and that she'd break the news to us when she was back at SA."Yeah, I'm back." She doesn't sound too thrilled about it, which surprises me.I break the hug and glance at her. "So what's this news you've got to break to us?"Adrianna squeezes my shoulder. "Give her a second. She's only just walked into the academy, for fuck's sake."Nat gives her a thankful glance."You're right. Sorry." I shrug. "You know how impatient I can be."They both laugh at that."Where is Eva?" Nat asks."She wasn't at breakfast, so I assume she's otherwise detained by her husband."Adrianna wrinkles her nose. "They're so inseparable, it's sickening."I wouldn't call is sickening, I'd call it adorable. Eva is lucky to have found a
My footsteps falter as I approach our usual table that evening with my tray of food, swallowing hard.We've got some new arrivals, it would seem. Alexander is sitting next to Natalya with his arm draped over her shoulder possessively. My stomach churns as it's weird to see them together like that after everything that's happened over the years.And yet, as he murmurs something in her ear and she laughs, I can't deny that I've never her seen her look so happy and at ease before.I keep moving, taking note that Alek, Rizzo and Rosa have also moved to our table. Rizzo has the audacity to be sitting in my usual seat.I clear my throat when I get to him. "Why are you sitting in my seat?"Rizzo's brow raises as he meets my gaze. He's Alexander' newest friend, who none of us have really spoken to. He seems to keep himself to himself.Supposedly, Rizzo's father had bad blood with my family and intended to overthrow us, until they uncovered his father has been poisoning his mother for years an
I rest my feet on the footstool in the staff room and take a long sip of whiskey to calm my nerves. Drinking on the job isn't something I do often, but since the other night with Azira, I've been on edge. I've also been avoiding her like the plague for an entire week, and it's driving me crazy.Whiskey takes the edge off.Oak is right. Getting involved too heavily with a student is a bad idea, because most full grown women can't handle the sadistic side of me, let alone an innocent little virgin like Azira Sidorov. No matter whether she's a natural masochist, there are some things even most masochists can't handle."Drinking on the job, Blaine?" Archer says as he walks into the staff room."Who says it's alcohol?"He arches a brow. "No one carries anything but alcohol in a fucking flask and I can smell it." He holds a hand out, expecting me to give him a swig."Get your own."He crosses his arms over his chest. "You're not the only one who is having a bad day. Now hand it over.""Who
I push myself off the wall and walk toward her, eyes fixed on my prize. This part of the corridor isn't too busy.Her honey brown eyes are wide as she stares at me for a moment, frozen to the spot. And then she pivots to turn her back to me and marches in the opposite direction."Sidorov," I bark her surname, stopping her in her tracks.I see the way her whole body stiffens as she comes to an abrupt halt, turning slowly to face me. "Yes, sir?" Her voice is high-pitched as her cheeks turn so red I can't believe it's possible.I fold my arms over my chest. "My office, now."The delicate column of her throat bobs as she swallows hard, drawing my eyes to it. I want to put my collar around it and make her wear it day and fucking night. "Sir, I'm supposed to be meeting my friends at—""I don't give a shit, Sidorov." I step closer to her, towering over her small frame. "Now and don't make me ask again."It's clear that trying to resist a pull like Azira has on me is a grave mistake. As it ha
"Did you want me to look you in the eye?" I ask.The flush in her cheeks returns. "Maybe."I tighten my fingers around my throat, imagining the way she'd look with my leather collar around her neck. The collar I own with "Property of Blaine Luigi" etched into it. I would love to see her crawling around on all fours like an animal, wearing it and a leash for me, while I whip her beautiful skin until it's red with my marks. Hell, until she's bleeding for me and begging me to fuck her.The depraved images in my mind make me harder than stone. As I return my attention to the innocent virgin in front of me, it's impossible to ignore how wrong it is. Azira can't know what sick fantasy I have playing in my mind. A fantasy I want to make a reality. She's an untouched student who hasn't even had normal, boring vanilla sex.Normally, that idea would be enough to turn me off, but it only makes me long for her more, forcing me to tighten my grip and pull her flush against me until her firm breast
Blaine's arm wraps around my waist forcefully and he lifts me off my feet, carrying me as if I weigh nothing into the empty classroom adjoining his office and toward the door into the basement. He supports me with one arm and uses his free hand to open the door.My heart clatters at a thousand miles an hour, racing like horses on a race track as we're engulfed by the darkness. Blaine's dark, sadistic torture room is a place I've been fantasizing about him bringing me back down here since the last time when I climaxed from pain alone."Why are we going down here?"Butterflies beat around in my stomach as a cruel smirk spreads onto his lips. "Because you need punishing, malishka.""Punishing for what?" I ask, knowing I have done nothing wrong.He bites my lip again, making the sore skin bleed. And then he licks it like a hungry animal desperate for a taste of its prey. "You need punishing for being a dirty little pain slut who can't help but get aroused every time I whip you.""You've o
"I'm not sure about this," I say, despite knowing deep down there's a part of me that wants to experience this, but I can't deny that I fear the man in front of me, too. Because he's not a man, he's a monster. The kind that thrives off pain and suffering.He reaches for me and slides a firm hand around my throat. "You can't tell me okay one minute and then back out, malishka." He squeezes forcefully. "That's not how this works."I struggle to draw enough air into my lungs as he squeezes my throat like he's trying to kill me.The darkness in his eyes makes me shudder as he finally releases his grip. "Be a good girl and turn around for me."Coldness spreads through my veins as I realize that coming down into a basement where no one can hear you scream with a monster is probably a terrible idea. I turn my back to him as instructed, as I can't seem to help myself from obeying his orders. It's crazy, considering I know how dangerous he is and what he's going to do to me.He grabs my waist
"Beautiful." Blaine can't take his eyes off the small incision he's made and the droplets of blood running into the fabric and staining it. He hooks the knife into my panties and slowly cuts them away from my body, making me hotter than I've ever felt.Even though this man has licked me to climax before, he's never seen me so naked. As the tatters of my panties drop to the floor, I know I've never felt more vulnerable.A soft rumble rises from his chest as his eyes dip between my thighs, making my body catch on fire."Sir, are you—"He grabs my throat hard, cutting off my question before I have the chance to finish. "No questions." There's a darkness in his expression, one that scares me right to the core.He drags the sharp edge of the knife past the cut in my skin in my lower abdomen and moves it downward, stopping just above my clit.I draw in a sharp inhale of oxygen as the anticipation is killing me. This man is unpredictable and clearly a little insane, and I'm standing here ent
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