Page 26 of Scorching Lies

“Whoever it was should have let you die right there beside her. She didn’t deserve this, but you do. And I’ll make sure you pay, even if Ryker forgets who you are. I'll remind him.”

Standing there staring after him, he turns his back and walks away, leaving me with the same answers I had before. None.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

KENNA

Monday. Usually the day everyone despises. But for me, let’s just say, it’s the one day I don’t have to deal with a certain purple haired bombshell sucking face with a Stone brother. The halls of Hawthorne are a madhouse this morning with it being the month of our fundraiser. Every year the college, hosted by the foundation- i.e my family and the other members, throw an extravagant masquerade ball to raise money for charity. Or flaunt their wealth. After all, whoever has the highest donation gets to have a wing of the school named after them. Who wouldn’t throw millions at the chance of being a part of that?

It’s at the end of the month and the days are flying by way too fast to keep up. Right now, the halls are lined with girls who are hosting different parties, events, and anything in between to have the chance at one of the higher status guys around campus. Me? I’m wearing a denim blue ball cap with my hair down my back, concealing my face. Not that it does any good being who I am, people still stare at me as I pass.

I slam into a body as I turn the corner towards my first class. The move jolts me backwards, but a large hand snatches my arm before I fall on my ass. My gaze travels up the dark black suit, a crisp white button up shirt hugging a large muscular frame. My eyes finally land on striking, cobalt blue eyes that are framed with a thick salt and pepper beard matching his short, thick hair resting on top of his head. .

“My bad, Ms. Kingston.” His voice cuts through me, sending chills up my arms.

Something familiar tugs at me, the shape of his face, his bright cold eyes, they almost feel like a distant memory. He releases my arm now that I’m not stumbling backwards and extends his hand to me.

“Um, not a problem Mr.-” I pause, brows dipping down.

Even being a member of the foundation doesn’t keep me in the loop of who they hire, but judging by his age, I’d put money on him being a new member of the staff.

“Dean Addington.”

He squeezes my hand gently with our hand-shake, but when his thumb caresses the skin on the top of my fingers I pull back with a smile.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m glad we were able to replace the previous Dean this quickly.”

His eyes stare back at me, studying me for a brief moment. Not with suspicion or curiosity. Something a little more sinister lurks just under the surface. Flexing my fingers in an attempt to shake the feeling of his skin on mine, we hold eye contact until a throatclears to the left. Inching my attention away from the snake in front of me only to find a viper with their sights set on us.

“Addington.” Ryker says, his tone clipped.

Bouncing between the two men before me, my lip twitches at the change in the Dean’s demeanor, almost on edge with Ryker near him. Dropping the untaken hand he offered Ryker, Addington steps backwards, putting space between the three of us. His blue eyes never leave the man before him, who is wound tight and ready to strike. Being so close to the two alpha males, who seem to know each other, sets me on edge like a caged animal. I’m getting sick of being cornered like prey when my teeth are just as fucking sharp.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me I have class to get to.”

Passing a look between the two men, my foot moves one step forward before the Dean has his fingers wrapped around my arm once again. What’s with men getting handsy with me on school grounds? I wasn’t aware there was a big ass neon sign flashingplease touch meover my head yet here we were. Moving my shoulder in a roll I make a show of removing his hold on me but Ryker strikes much faster like the venomous bastard he is.

“Addington, I think it’d be best if you kept your hands off the students. It’s not a good look for the first week of work. Yeah?” Words dipped in acid drip from Ryker’s sharp tongue.

My stare settles on cobalt once again but this time hunger glares back at me, bouncing from the ice in his eyes. Something unsettling forms in my stomach with each passing second, but the moment is broken just as quickly when Ryker replaces the Dean's hand with his own. My feet stumble over each other asI’m pulled away from the man who seems to tug at something darker inside me.

Students move to the side, avoiding the broody bastard dragging me down the long brick hallway. Shadows dance along the walls as we pass, the low lighting in this building is almost unsettling. One particular shadow catches my attention, but the hidden form sinks into the darkness when we pass. Unsure if I’m seeing things, or if my mind is playing tricks on me, my head shakes to clear the unnerving image. Digging my heels into the tile floor, I lean my weight back in an attempt to break his hold or slow him down.

“Keep trying, Killer. I love when you fight back.” He tosses over his shoulder.

I let out a grunt, deciding to pick my battles, choosing to follow him to fuck knows where. Turning down the left wing towards the gardens, the opposite direction of my next class, we keep moving through warm bodies with their stares trailing after us. This is going to get back to Ally and the brothers pretty quick. Ally, I’m not worried about unless she wants to push the narrative of Ryker not being the bad guy, but the brothers? Cole made it clear he wanted his older brother to keep his distance from me since “I'm poison to their family”. West doesn’t give a shit, as long as I don’t turn Ally against him now that she’s his fuck buddy, even when it kills his brother.

No longer seeing the walls, people, or even Ryker, my thoughts float to Paige. My best friend. The one person who would know what to do and how to do it. If she were still here, she’d smack the boys and tell them they’re all fucked in the head with a smile on her beautiful face. My chest rattles with my next breath. Flashes of her smile bright and wide, filled with laughter, and Cole in the background, looking at her as if she was the sun. Shewas his. My father took her from me. From him. And now he’s lost in the void of what could have been.

The picture in my head swims, the edges blurring, until it’s all but gone. Leaving nothing but colorful flowers spanning yards ahead of us off a cobblestone path. Still, we storm past the bushes, the roses, purple wildflowers, until we veer right, towards the small circle where a bench sits. The bench is made of stone, perfectly placed in the middle of a large circle of flowers. Not just any flowers. My favorite. Lilies spread in rows and rows of different colors. Oranges, yellows, reds, burnt sunset, even pale pink and white. Some are altered to get colors that don’t grow naturally like the section of dark black settled against the back row.

Breaking out of my trance, I scowl at him, “You need to learn to keep your hands off me.”

Turning away from him, my hand rubs at the spot his hand just left, soreness evident with a pinch of pain. Another bruise added to the roaster. Heat engulfs my back, his body warming me, pressing closer with each breath. My blood boils the closer he gets, until I can feel him settled against my ass.

“Maybe you need to learn to stay away from the monsters that calls to you.” He says.

My chest rises faster, the small path secluded from prying, urging me on. Bravery is a son of bitch but carelessness is her sister.

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