Page 47 of Scorching Lies

“Just wait in the car for me. Only one more stop to make, but I’m going to step inside here for a moment first.” I tell the driver.

He’s older, probably mid 50’s with a shaved head and a stubby salt and pepper beard. I don’t require him to wear the stuffy suit that hugs his body, but he insists. Not one of the rich pricks he may be used to, I flash him a sincere smile on the way into the store. Cal, the driver, walks towards the town car parked off to the side and pops the trunk. Leaving him to take care of the bags, I pull open the door to my next stop. The bell above my head rings and an elderly woman greets me from behind the counter.

“Need help finding anything, Dear?”

Her voice is soft with a low rasp. Walking to the shelf near the front counter I pick up the first box I see and place it in front of her.

“Will this be it?”

“Yes ma’am.” I smile.

Her small wrinkle covered hands shake when she reaches out to pick up the small box. Scanning it, she tucks it inside a small bag, and gives me my total. Swiping my black card I ask her about her day and she happily returns the conversation. I doubt many customers give her the time of day, but older people like her just want someone to talk to. I can’t imagine getting old alone. Her bare ring finger shows no tan line of a past lover, but that doesn’t mean she never had kids.

“Here you go, Dear.” She says, her voice cracking on the last word.

Handing me my bag and receipt, she gives me a soft grin and a pat on the top of my hand.

“Have a wonderful day.”

Walking out of the store, I see Cal is standing just outside the door for me. Handing him my latest purchase I walk past him down the sidewalk, continuing to window shop until the sun slowly starts to set.

“Ms. Kingston?” A familiar voice calls out to me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end with the way my last name rolls off his tongue.

Spinning around I spot two things at once, the Dean heading right to me, and Cal sitting in the town car a few spaces away looking directly at me.

“Mr. Addington, right?” I ask, even though I remember exactly who he is.

The way his face lights up at my recognition makes my skin crawl. There is something about this man that has me on edge.

“It’s always weird running into teachers outside of campus.” I joke.

My laugh comes out forced. He steps closer, only leaving a couple feet between us. The heat from his flushed skin brushes against mine with our proximity. Those startling blue eyes explore their way down my body. It’s not until he notices the subtle way my body moves away from him that his gaze finds its way back to my face. There is a slight twitch under his eye with irritation at being interrupted with his musings.

“Don’t think of me as a teacher. I don’t deal much with the students. I’m more of a manager.”

He pushes his way forward, invading my space. Putting me on edge. A door opens somewhere behind him, but I can’t see past his broad shoulders. A long meaty finger pinches a loose strand of hair, twisting it around the fat digit.

“So pretty.” He whispers.

He’s so close now that I can smell the hint of whiskey on his breath. A quick chuckle escapes my throat. Wrapping my fingers around his wrist, I pull his hand away from my face.

“I think it’s getting late. I’m going to head back to campus. Maybe you should sober up, yeah?”

Dropping his wrist, I pull my hand back before he has a chance to grab me. The Dean's pupils grow wider, covering the cobalt blue of his eyes with pure darkness. There is something wrong with this man and the fact that the Stone brothers allowed the foundation to employ a fucking creep doesn’t sit well with me. It’s time for a change in control if this is what’s going on behind the scenes. Turning sideways I keep my eyes locked on his, a manic smile in place on his face as I scoot past him back towards Cal. Before I’m fully past him, the Dean bends forward, his whiskey-soaked skin so close to mine.

“I’ll see you soon.”

A shiver runs down my spine with his words. Flashes of the last text sent to my phone comes to mind, but I keep walking. Giving him no signs that I caught what he said my feet pick up speed until I'm damn near running into Cal.

Cal, who is in fact headed this way with a blank stare in place, is holding his right hip. Just what we need.

“I’m fine, Cal. Let’s get out of here.”

Squeezing his shoulder on my way past, I decide to save the last stop for another day. I need to clean out Ally’s shit first anyway. Ally’s face from earlier breaks through the wall I put up. My heart pinches at the complete fear in her eyes when she saw me coming. No matter how betrayed I feel for what she did, it still hurts. No one loses a best friend and feels fine the same day. I’m not heartless, but I am vengeful.

Cal opens the back passenger side door for me and I slide against the leather seats, putting on my seatbelt before turning back to him. Before closing the door, he hands me the bag from the last store, I say a quick thank you before I’m left alone. Tinted windows block wandering eyes, so I take this chance to pull out the prepaid cell phone that rests on my lap. I decided it was best to use now since my other one was compromised. I’m not paranoid, I'm smart. Cole Stone is a tech wiz that loves to try out new bugs. I’ll be damned if I have not only one stalker, but four. It’s bad enough that I don’t know who Shadow man is, but I do know how sinister the brothers can be.

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