Page 21 of Lunar Crest University

They should’ve known better, especially knowing how capable I am at making people disappear.

It was all I did for fourteen years. Javier gave me a name, and I would take care of them. The job paid good money, and I needed money. My family needed money. After the first few times, the blood on my hands felt less and less terrible. It was manageable. I learned how to shut off my emotions when it came to ending a life.

I’m not proud of that part of my life—hence the reason I’m trying so hard to move on, pay Javier off and leave all those ghosts in the past. I’m tired of feeling haunted.

“I’m going to take care of it.”

Kill the only person who knows about her.

Problem solved.

Finley pulls away as she peers up at me with red, swollen eyes. The red is a stark contrast to the emerald green, making my heart thrash against my chest violently as I swallow the lump in my throat. She’s too beautiful for her own good, and I’m too fucking irrational.

“How?” She hiccups. “Are you going to…k-kill him?”

I remain stoic as I look down at her.

Her pupils dilate as she pulls away more. “How did you know we were in the alley?”

I swallow. “Finley?—”

“Howdid you know?”

“I was keeping tabs…on him.”

“Are you…” She pauses, stepping backward. “Bad? Like him?”

I had all the answers to her questions, but none of them would make her feel better. As soon as she finds out just how bad I am, she’ll probably run for the hills. And the tiny, selfish part of me doesn’t want her to run away at all. I want to keep her close, at arm’s length, hovering just in my reach.

Fucking irrational.

“I’m not a saint, Finley.”

Her arms drop to her sides as a weak sigh leaves her mouth. Rubbing her forehead, she shakes her head before twirling on her heel to hurry to her bedroom. She doesn’t even look over her shoulder as she slams the door behind her.

I deserve that.

Chapter Nine

LUCA

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2023

Finley stays locked away in her bedroom for the rest of the night. I sit on the couch forhours, staring blankly at the large picture of a younger version of her standing with a man that hangs near the bookshelf beside the TV. She’s smiling widely, a smile I’ve only seen as she talks to Levi and one she has never shown me personally. Not that I deserve to see it.

I don’t want to immediately leave. It feels wrong. She has just been through something traumatic, and I want to make sure she is okay, to be here in case anyone decides to pay her a visit.

After a while, when I don’t hear a single sound from her room and get tired of staring at the version of Finley I wish to see, I decide it’s time to leave. There’s business to take care of before class in a couple of hours, and I need adequate time to execute and clean up afterward.

She’s probably waiting for me to leave, anyway.

I can’t blame her, though, can I? I’m the reason she’s in danger to begin with. Being around me makes her a target for the worst kinds of people—I’ve seen what Javier and his men arecapable of. I was one of them for a long time. Not because I’m the worst kind of person, but because I wanted to take care of my family. Money brought my family to the States, freed them, kept them safe. I’ve only ever wanted my mother and sisters to be okay.

But I can’t tell her that. I have to leave her out of it.

She’s already more involved than I want her to be, but not for lack of trying. I hate it more than I like to admit that she’s affected by this bullshit because of me, hate that Rosco was trying to force himself on her. That fucker. Ihatethat this will be a day she’ll probably never forget. This hatred only reminds me of my plan to kill him and how much I’m going to enjoy it.

It clouds my mind; my vision turns crimson the longer I think about it. I grind my molars irritably as I slip from Finley’s apartment, locking the door with the spare key I’m pleased to find is still where I left it. It’s still dark outside, an hour before the sun is set to rise, giving me ample time to complete the task at hand before I need to be at the university.

---