As the town car pulls through the gates of the academy a day early, I'm kind of thankful I received Eva's message. Even if I don't understand why she needs all of us here a day before term actually starts, the idea of getting here before Alexander was enticing.Eva called me two days ago to ask me to come back early as she had some epic news she needs to break to the three of us. I tried to quiz her on it, but she was cryptic. Adrianna was coming back early anyway, as she often does. Azira has moved up her return to today, aswell.Popov parks the car in front of the imposing building and turns off the engine, getting out to open the door to me.I slide out and stare up at the building, surprised when I don't feel any dread at all. Normally, every time I return that's all I feel, but ever since things changed between Alexander and I, all I feel is a weird sense of excitement to see him again, even though he won't be here until tomorrow with the rest of the students.Popov grabs my suit
Silence falls over the entire room as all three of us stare at her, dumbfounded. Did she just say she married the principal of the fucking academy?She clears her throat. "I'm Eva Byrne now." She digs in her pocket and pulls out a large diamond engagement ring and wedding band, slipping them onto her finger. "I know that may sound fucking crazy.""You don't say," Adrianna mutters, shaking her head. "How? When?"Eva's cheeks flush a deep red. "Things between us got heated over the first semester, and that's why I didn't want to go home for winter break as I stayed here with him in the cottage." She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. "My family found out about the wedding and came to try to stop it, but they were too late.""What happened?" Azira asks."It all happened so fast, but my father threatened to kill Oak and then my mom got hold of a gun and threatened to kill me.""Your mom threatened to kill you?" I ask, finding it hard to believe that a mother could be that heartless, eve
The news broke this morning and all I can think is Eva is going to get in between Natalya and I. She is the Principal's wife, for fuck's sake. It gives her power I can't contend with. I stalk after her down the path toward the cottage, knowing I have to get her alone and warn her off. There's no way I'm letting her screw this up for me, not now."Eva," I call her name.Eva's back turns tense as she stops, turning around. "Alexander, what do you want?"I smirk, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the wall flanking the path. "Why don't you come and sit?"Eva shakes her head. "I'm alright here, thanks."Rage coils through me as my eyes narrow. "Just because you're now the principal's little pet, don't get any ideas about Natalya and me." I close the gap between us. "You may think it gives you power, but with Natalya, you stay the fuck out of it."Eva's eyes flash with anger. "Why don't you stop messing with Nat and admit that you have feelings for her already?"It feels li
I rub a hand across the back of my neck as I walk slowly up the path toward the boy's dormitories, which are separate from the main building.The idea is foreign and yet I can't deny that the hatred I'd felt toward her has been slowly morphing and changing.Over the years, it turned into something sinister. I wince as I remember when I took things too far in tenth grade and stabbed her in the leg.My anger over my mother's death and the way my father beat her was taken out on her, because she was the only outlet I had.The Gurin Bratva was in my eyes the reason I was here, but it turns out I was very wrong.Now, I don't know how I feel about any of it.Guilty, perhaps. As even if the Gurin Bratva had been the reason for my mother's death, Natalya has always been an innocent in all of it.And my attraction to her has been apparent for a number of years. At first it disgusted me, but now I'm starting to realize that perhaps both Rizzo and Eva are right.I want Natalya in the most primal
"Natalya, can you tell me the easiest access point to the spleen?"Professor Luigi saying my name snaps me out of a daze I'd fallen into, as I clear my throat, buying my time. The spleen. "On the left side, about three inches below the armpit."Luigi nods in appreciation. "Exactly." He walks over to the other side of the classroom, still droning on about body parts.Eva nudges me. "Are you okay?"I glance at her. "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"She shrugs. "You seem a little distracted, is all."I swallow hard as I am distracted. It's been three days since we returned to the academy, and Alexander has barely looked at me. He hasn't said a word, and it's making me nervous.Right now, he's sitting behind me in this class and I can't bring myself to glance in his direction. He walked in and sat down without a word or a jibe — no silly comments or throwing things at me. It's not what I've come to expect, and that makes me more nervous than anything else could.Azira sits on my other side and ha
After half an hour, I'm done.I stop writing and slide the lid on my pen, standing. "I've finished, sir."Luigi looks up, eyes narrowing to slits. "That was fast, Natalya. I hope it's good quality."I swallow hard, hoping it is good too as I rushed it."I've finished too, sir," Alexander says, also standing."What the hell?" Azira asks, glaring at the two of us. "How did you write it that fast? I'm only just over half way.""Quiet, Sidorov." Luigi nods. "Bring them to me."I swallow hard, struggling to believe that Alexander wrote his essay as fast as I did."Sorry," I mouth to Azira and then walk to the front, setting my essay down on his desk.He picks it up and scans the first few sentences before nodding. "Fine. You may go."Alexander is next to approach as I walk back to the desk and grab my rucksack, stuffing my books into it."Do you always have to be so quick at everything?" Azira whines.I shrug. "Sorry, I just hate being sat next to him."Her expression softens and she nods.
The next week passes by in a blur, as I tease and torment Natalya, but don't give her what she wants. And it's fucking excruciating, as denying her what she wants is also denying myself. Every day I'm having to make matters into my own hands just to ensure I remain sane.I fear if I keep going down the twisted path I took at the start of this year, then I'll be in too deep to find a way out. The problem is my dick doesn't want to listen.Today we're going on a trip out of the academy up to the woods for some target practice, and Natalya is sitting all the way at the front of the bus with her friends.I can't deny that I want her to be sitting on my lap right now, making sure everyone knows exactly who she belongs to.Coach Daniels is leading this excursion.I'd say the academy is fucking insane, allowing a bunch of high-strung mafia heirs into the woods with loaded weapons, but then what do I know?The bus stops in a small clearing in the woods and Coach Daniels clears his throat, sta
I tighten my grasp on Natalya's hips, pushing her harder against the tree.She groans, fingers clasping at my hair as if she wants me closer than physically possible.I sink my teeth into her bottom lip, groaning. "Turn around."My little pet does as I ask, turning around and arching her back in a way that accentuates her firm butt cheeks in the tight pants she's wearing.I spank her ass, and then press the length of my cock against it, making her feel how fucking hard she makes me. "Do you feel what you do to me?" I ask.Nat glances at me over her shoulder. "Yes, you should feel how wet I am right now."Fuck."Pants down, now," I order.She chuckles as she unfastens the buttons on them and drags them down her curvy hips.The sight of her bare for me out here drives me wild as her glistening cunt comes into view. "I don't think I need to feel, nena. I can see you dripping for me."She moans, her lips parting sensuously. "What are you going to do with me?"I slide my fingers through he
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