Page 19 of Snitches and Serpents

“No.” I level a commanding stare on her. “You’re going to stay right here.”

She narrows her eyes at me, that adorable fury still flickering over her face. “Or what?”

A huff of laughter escapes me before I can stop it. She really is ballsy in a way I didn’t expect.

Too bad she’s outmatched.

And surrounded.

After holding her stare for another second, I pointedly sweep my gaze over the other four men seated around the table. She blinks, as if she had forgotten that they were there, and then casts a quick glance at them too. I know what she sees. Dangerous, tattooed guys with very limited morals.

I give her thigh a firm squeeze as I hold her stare. “Are you sure you want to find out?”

She swallows. Then she drops her gaze to the table and shakes her head.

“No,” she says softly.

My cock hardens at the delicious surrender in her tone.

I give her thigh a couple of firm pats before removing my hand. “Good girl.”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because her rage sparks again. Fire flickers in her eyes as she snaps her gaze up from the table and shoots me a glare so vicious that I’m momentarily stunned.

Her voice is low but full of venom as she snaps, “If you ever speak to me like I’m a pet again, I will?—”

“You’ll do what?” I interrupt, recovering from my surprise. Twisting in my seat, I brace my forearm on the table and face her fully as I lock hard eyes on her. “You’ll do what, exactly?”

She opens her mouth to retort, but then she hesitates. Once again, she casts a glance at the people around us. However, this time, it looks as if she is watching the other students around us rather than Amir and the rest of my housemates. Some of them study us with curious eyes. Brandi is one of them.

The fury in Elle’s eyes dissipates.

Closing her mouth again, she draws in a long breath through her nose as if to compose herself. Then she turns to face me once more.

“How did you turn out like this?” she says. Holding my gaze, she shakes her head as if she truly doesn’t understand it. “I remember you from high school. You were a nerd. So how did you turn into… this?” she finishes, and motions towards my body.

A flash of panic pulses through me. Hot and bright like a lightning strike.

From around the table, Amir and Paul and the others suddenly shift their attention to me. Surprise, confusion, and curiosity swirl in their eyes.

Fuck.

They know that I’m studying to become an engineer, of course. But I always keep the door to my room closed, so they don’t know just how much I actually study and how seriously I really take my education here. To them, I’m a ruthless punisher who beats people up without conscience or remorse. Not a nerd who genuinely loves science and math.

“And how are you even here if you lost your scholarship?” Elle continues.

I slide my hand back onto her thigh and give it a warning squeeze. Leaning forward, I place my lips next to her ear. She tries to pull back, but I tighten my grip on her thigh.

She freezes in place.

“If I were you,” I whisper in her ear. “I would keep my mouth shut right now.”

A shudder rolls through her, and I’m not sure if it’s because of my threat or because of how my breath caresses the shell of her ear when I speak. She swallows and draws in an unsteady breath.

And then she keeps her mouth shut.

I give her thigh an approving squeeze.

Then I glance towards the table where Brandi and the rest of her friends are sitting. All of them are staring at us now.

---