Page 79 of Kings of the Campus

Ryan blinks, confused, glancing at Devin. His face registers nothing yet. “Uh, who are you?—?”

Before he can finish, Jace and I flank him on either side. There’s no mistaking the tension now. His confusion shifts into unease as he looks from one of us to the next.

“What’s going on?” Ryan asks, his voice tight with nervousness.

Devin’s tone is casual, but there’s an edge to it. “We need to have a conversation, Ryan. Away from here.”

He hesitates, his eyes flicking toward the entrance of the building, but Jace moves closer cutting off his path. “It’s in your best interest to come with us.”

Ryan glances between us again, clearly unsettled now, but when we start walking him toward a quieter part of campus, he doesn’t resist. Not yet.

We don’t stop until we’re tucked away in a secluded courtyard, out of view from prying eyes. Devin lets go of his arm, but the message is clear: he’s not leaving until we get what we came for.

Ryan rubs his wrist where Devin held him, shifting his weight nervously. “What the hell is this about? Who are you guys?”

I step forward, crossing my arms as I keep my gaze steady on him, taking in his trembling form and noticing that he looks young, with a baby face. Not like someone who wanted to menace Tessa but then again, looks can be deceiving.

“We’re the guys who’ve been protecting Tessa.”

Ryan’s face goes pale. He swallows hard, his eyes widening as realization sets in. “Tessa?” His voice cracks slightly.

Jace steps closer, his voice low and dangerous. “Yeah, Tessa. The one you’ve been terrorizing.”

Ryan’s eyes dart around, like he’s searching for a way out. But we’ve got him cornered. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammers, his voice shaky now. “I didn’t do anything to her?—”

“Save it,” I snap, cutting him off. “We know you stole her laptop, used her badge to get into theSentinelbuilding. We know you’ve been stalking her.”

Ryan’s lips part, a weak attempt at denial, but no words come out. His hands tremble as he looks between us, panic starting tocreep into his expression. “Look, I-I didn’t…I didn’t stalk her, okay? I didn’t do that part.”

Devin scoffs. “Right. So what part did you play, Ryan? Because from where we’re standing, you’ve been helping make her life a living hell.”

Ryan wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead, his voice shaky as he tries to explain. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I swear. Someone approached me, okay? They…they knew I was pissed at her. I was angry because she took the Sigma Theta story from me. That could’ve been my big break—my shot at a promotion.”

“So you decided to help destroy her life instead?” Jace growls, his patience wearing thin.

Ryan shakes his head frantically, his voice rising in desperation. “No! No, it wasn’t like that. I thought we were just messing with her. You know, like…making her feel what I felt. Powerless, frustrated. I never wanted to actually hurt her.”

“Then why didn’t you stop when things escalated?” I ask, my voice cold.

Ryan swallows hard, his eyes darting between us again. “I…I didn’t realize how bad it was until her dorm was broken into. That’s when I knew it had gone too far.”

Jace’s fists clench. “And you just kept quiet?”

Ryan looks down, his voice barely above a whisper. “I was scared, okay? The person who approached me…they threatened me. Said if I tried to back out or warn Tessa, they’d eliminate the problem. I didn’t know what to do. I was in too deep.”

Devin steps forward, glaring at him. “Who’s ‘they,’ Ryan? Who’s pulling the strings?”

Ryan hesitates, his body trembling, but he shakes his head. “I don’t know their name. They were careful, kept everything anonymous—burner phones, emails. But…but they’re dangerous. More dangerous than I thought.”

I step even closer, keeping my voice low but firm. “You’ve already crossed the line, Ryan. There’s no turning back now. So you’d better tell us everything you know.”

Ryan’s shoulders slump, his face ashen. “I don’t know who it is. I swear…all I know is that they hate her as much as I did.” He pauses. “Well, there was one thing. We never met in person, but he had a lot of knowledge of the campus, so he had to be like, a student or former student, right?”

I bite my lip, considering his words. Who do we know who would have a grudge against Tessa that fits that description? “I need more,” I order Ryan.

“Um…he also mentioned something about recently getting out of prison one time. This was after he started threatening me for wanting to back out. I thought it was just to scare me but now I’m not so sure.”

I frown. Something is prickling at the edges of my brain. Then it hits me. The one person who has the money, the time, and the desperate desire for revenge. Plus, the connection with Julian suddenly makes sense now.

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