Page 80 of Dare To Take

Not the greeting I expected, and I’m immediately on edge. “Why?”

“I’m going to tell you something. Do not fucking react. Get your game face on. People are watching to see what you do.”

I stop at a vending machine, and Kellan rummages in his pocket for coins and punches the numbers to release two bottles of water. He waits until the machine grumbles into life before speaking.

“Someone has keyed your car.”

“What?”

“Watch your fucking face,” he snaps.

Schooling my expression, I lean down and snatch up each of the bottles as they are released. I hand one to Kellan and pop open the other.

“How bad?”

“Bad.”

I turn without another word and head down to the parking lot. There’s a small cluster of students around my car, and they part silently to allow me through. Dried egg yolk covers the windows and roof, but my main focus is on the hood. Two large letters are scratched into the black paint, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they stand for.

A.G.

Arabella Gray.

Internally, I thank Kellan for preparing me for this. I’m not sure I could have stopped myself from reacting without the warning. She’s scored the letters so deeply into the paint they stand out in stark white contrast to the black of the hood. Part of me is curious about how long it took. This wasn’t a quick keying or a slight scratch. She’s used something else to make sure the lines of the letters are thick and deep.

The message is clear. The line in the sand clearly marked out. Whatever we had before Christmas is over. Gone.

We are officially at war.

Without removing my gaze from the car, I take out my cell and hand it to Kellan. “The number for my dad’s mechanic is listed. Call them and arrange for someone to collect the car. Tell them what needs to be fixed.”

I turn away, casting my eyes over the crowd standing a few feet away.

“Where is she?” My voice is soft.

“I saw her go back to the dorm,” one voice calls.

“No, she went out into the woods,” another shouts.

“Eli. You can’t go near her.” Kellan breaks off from his call to remind me.

I grunt in acknowledgment, and stride over to the first one who spoke. “When did you see her go back to her room?”

“About an hour ago.”

I swing to the second person. “And you?”

“No more than twenty minutes ago.”

“Good enough.” I set off for the dorm building.

Kellan jogs to catch up to me. “What are you going to do?”

“She’s gone out of her way to make her intention clear. Now it’s my turn.”

Fury bubbles under my skin. There is no need for her to behave like this. But she’s making it clear that the time for talking is over. And I’ve received her message. She doesn’t want to hear my truth. She thinks I’m a monster.

She wants the Monster of Churchill Bradley?

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