Page 68 of Guarded Rebellion

I nodded. “But I know what else it means for her to stay here.”

“What?” he prompted.

“That she’s… getting involved with family business.” She hadn’t intended to get in it or be a participant in anything affecting the Baranov organization, but by being my friend, this seemed to be the price to pay.

“And you’ll be there to help her with that adjustment,” he explained plainly.

Within the hour, she was there. Even though she walked on her own and didn’t cringe in pain with every moment, I saw the signs of the drugs taking a toll on her body. She looked tired. Worried. And when she saw Lev seated on the couch with his face beaten and ice within reach, her expression shifted to outright concern.

“What thehellis going on?” she asked quietly.

“Sit,” I instructed first, patting the chair in the living room as Rurik took her things to the spare bedroom.

Careful not to divulge anything incriminating and sticking with vague details, I brought her up to speed about what happened when I went to retrieve her papers earlier.

Lev added some things as well, but overall, she sat there without a word and seemed to struggle letting this news sink in.

“My—our—room was broken into,” she said after a bit of silence. She stated it as a request for confirmation, but not as a question itself.

“Yes,” I replied.

“And a man was in there, getting a message from someone on the phone to capture you.” She opened her eyes wide with alarm as she faced me.

“Correct,” I said.

“And you’recalmabout that?” She huffed a rough laugh and shook her head. “Never mind answering that. Of course, you are.”

I glanced at Lev and Rurik, who’d stood behind Lev while we explained this all to Kelly. They shared impassive but patient expressions, likely thinking what I did.It is what it is.Kelly would either adapt to this or not.

“A man was killed—where I live—because he planned to get to you there?” This time, she intoned it as a question.

I nodded, but she furrowed her brow and shook her head.

“No. That can’t be right.”

“How wouldn’t it be right?” I asked.

“Because you’ve never been there. Youdon’tlive on campus. Yeah, anyone could figure out that was where you were assigned, but the fact of the matter is until today, you never set foot in that room.”

“Are you trying to suggest that man was there to getyou?” Lev asked.

“Because I know her?” Kelly gestured at me. “I don’t know.”

“I see what you mean, though,” I said. “People can see me befriending her, but if they’ve been watching me that much, they’d see that I never go to the dorm.”

Kelly nodded.

“Why would someone want you?” Rurik asked, not sounding happy about this idea at all.

“To use as leverage to get her,” Lev replied, pointing at me.

“But why?” I shook my head. “For what?” When Lev gave me aduhlook, I clarified. “Other than the general idea that I could be used in some sort of war or power play, why?”

“Because you’re the target,” Kelly said.

“Huh?”

She looked at each of us in turn before she faced me. “When I was in the health clinic, I was moved for a few hours to the room next to Irina’s friend who was raped at that frat party. I heard them talking, and they mentionedyoua few times.”

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