I ring Doris, my secretary, to check if she knows. She answers on the second dial tone, her voice sleepy. “Sir, what is it?”“The building is on fire. Could anyone be in there?”“How awful.” She rummages around, and there’s a click as she turns on a light. “They show up at about three o’clock.”“Jane mentioned she’d be working late, but I’d guess she’d be home by now, right?” I ask, swallowing hard.Doris sucks in a worried breath. “Oh no, Jane regularly stayed in the early hours of the morning. I hope she isn’t, but it’s not impossible, Mr. Archer.”My hand tightens around my cell phone. “Thank you. Can you do me a favor?”“Of course, anything, sir.”I clench my jaw. “Can you call the cleaning agency and call them off tonight for me?”“Yes, I’ll do it right now, sir.”“Thanks, Doris. Nobody will need to come in tomorrow.“Leave it to me. I’ll handle it, sir.”I cancel the call, feeling panic take hold of me again that Jane might be in the building. I’ll never forgive those fucking Ca
Five years later…“I swear that isn’t me,” I say, standing in front of my father, who is holding a photo of someone who looks remarkably like me kissing the high school janitor. “Someone must have photoshopped it.”For a start, I don’t think I’ve ever even spoken to the high school janitor in my life. As I stare at the photo, the sight of him churns my stomach. Not that I’m vain, but he’s certainly not a man I’d be attracted to, weighing probably a hundred pounds more than he should and less hair on his head than I have on my legs.Second, I’ve never kissed a boy in my life, let alone some random, balding, middle-aged man. It’s hard to believe they think that’s me.“Eva Carmichael. You almost brought utter ruin on our family,” my mother chides, shaking her head in the corner. “Don’t think we’re stupid enough to believe that isn’t you.” She steps forward and glares at me with her hard, stony expression. “How long has it been going on?”I stare at my mother, dumbfounded, wondering if sh
My heart flutters in my chest as I stare up at the dark, intimidating building. Its cold stone and harsh lines only foreshadow what’s waiting for me inside. The columns that flank the entryway all along the many meters of facade only add to its imposing effect.I swallow hard, realizing I’m about to enroll in a school full of the spawn of murderous criminals who are probably exactly like my parents. “Please don’t leave me here, mother,” I say, pleading at her with my eyes.Her expression hardens as she glares at me with no emotion whatsoever. “The Syndicate Academy is the perfect place for you to learn discipline, Eva.” She tucks a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “You need to learn what kind of behavior we expect of you as the sole heir to the Carmichael Clan.” I hate when my mother calls me the sole heir, as all it does is remind me of my loss–our loss, and yet the way she says it, you’d think her child wasn’t dead and buried.Karl, my older brother, died two years ago. Unli
I force one foot in front of the other and step into the dark office. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust. And then, it feels like my heart stops beating entirely. A pair of striking aquamarine eyes gaze at me. The man they belong to stands, drawing my attention to the bulging muscles straining against his simple white dress shirt. He has to be about six foot five tall as he towers over the desk. “Mrs. Carmichael, I presume?” he asks my mother, but his eyes don’t move from me for a second.“Yes, I’m ever so sorry that we’re late, Principal Byrne.” My mother shoots me an irritated glare as if it’s my fault our flight was delayed. “Unfortunately, you’re going to have your hands full with this one.”Unbelievable.I’m being punished for something I didn’t do. I’ve ensured I never stepped one toe out of line my entire life, and this is the thanks I get. They have uprooted me and turned my life upside down because of one stupid prank. As it is the only plausible explanation that I could com
My nails bite into my palm as I clench my hands tightly, using the dull pain to control myself. There’s a sinister part of me that craves to reach out, snatch Angela by her stupid ponytail, yank her over to me, and wrap my hands around her throat until I crush the life out of her right in front of her daughter.I close my eyes, drawing in a deep, calming breath. The mental picture of her life slipping from her eyes as I choke her while her daughter watches is satisfying, but it’s not time.There’s a simmering inferno building under my skin, provoking the beast that lies in wait. Vengeance has never been this close. I can practically taste it on my tongue, but killing her here and now wouldn’t come close to making her suffer enough.Nothing short of deliberately and painfully torturing her and her husband will suffice. When I’ve had my fun, I’ll delight in obliterating the Carmichael family from the face of this earth.“If that’s all.” She glances at her daughter. “Eva has a suitcase o
OakleyI watch as she moves forward and gently runs her fingers over the cream silk linen on the four-poster bed. There’s no denying that she is stunning, but it’s a mask to what lies beneath–darkness and rotten evil.“Listen to me, Eva,” I say, my voice stern.She spins around and meets my gaze, eyes wide. “Sorry, sir.”The word sir tugs at my insides as I feel myself thicken in my pants. No schoolgirls call me sir here, so perhaps the word appeals to the dominant side of me I buried long ago. My brow furrows as I stare at her, speculating why that word coming from this girl would affect me.“Listen carefully. You will conform to the rules here, whether or not you like it.” I close the gap between us, forcing her to step back against the wall. “I don’t cower away from corporal punishment for those who don’t obey.”Eva shudders, her eyes fluttering as a whoosh of air escapes her lungs.The satisfaction coils through me at the first sign that she does indeed find me intimidating. I gri
A knock at my door forces me to sit up straight. “Who is it?” I wonder if principal Byrne has returned, remembering his warning not to open the door.He’s the scariest man I’ve ever met, and I’ve met some nasty characters through my parents’ work, but he’s also the most beautiful man.“It’s your next-door neighbor,” a voice calls back.I stand and approach the door, considering opening it after Oak’s warning. “Oh, what do you want?” I ask.“I wanted to introduce myself. I’m on your left. There is a moment of silence.My brow furrows as I speculate why Principal Bryne would advise me not to open the door. If I wish to fit in, I have to be friendly, and refusing to open the door isn’t a good way to make acquaintances.I open the door to a small, pretty girl with red hair. “Hey.”She smirks. “Hi, you’re Eva Carmichael, right?”I clench my jaw and nod. “Yes, who are you?”“Jeanie Doyle,” she says, holding out a hand for me to shake.I regard it anxiously. “As in Doyle from Chicago?” I ask
EvaI scream in agony as she pulls it out, making blood fly into the air. My stomach churns at the sight of my blood spurting from the deep wound as I take a step backward, which only serves to make it bleed more.The pain is terrible as I put weight on my leg, so I balance on one leg, knowing they might attack again and I won’t be able to fend them off. “What the hell?” I say, glaring at them as a foreign rage infects my blood. “As if it wasn’t unfair, three against one, you bring a knife, too?”The same girl who stabbed me smirks and steps closer, twirling the knife in her hand. “Because you fought, you get special treatment.”I hop backward on my one good leg, knowing that I’m only delaying another painful attack. My eyes flit to the doorway, which now has an audience gathered outside of it, but no one comes to my aid.The tall girl comes for me again, and I dodge her but only just, falling over in the process and landing flat on my ass. The jolt sends a shot of excruciating pain t
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