Page 37 of The Hunt

Too bad I didn’t need to hunt my prey down. That part of the game was already over, thanks to the eyes and ears the Wilders had all over campus. I knew exactly where Ev was right now—curled up in her new bed, blissfully unaware, in dorm 304. Waiting. Vulnerable. Completely at my mercy.

It was a pity, really. I always liked the chase. Still, I couldn’t wait to get in there, catch her off guard, and see her big blue eyes flash with fear.

Usually, nothing turned me on more than seeing that fear slowly bleed into desire. However, in poor little Everly’s case, her desire wasn’t welcome. I only wanted her fear.

I stepped up to the new security guard posted at the front door of Ashcroft Hall. It would be laughably easy to get past him. The Hollingsworth administration was fucking stupid for thinking that his presence would make any difference. The Wilders had always had a bought-and-paid-for connection withthe college security team, granting us the ability to go wherever we wanted on campus without any issue.

That included any dorm, regardless of the fancy electronic locks the administration had dropped fifteen million dollars on a few years ago. I had a master keycard in my pocket right now, courtesy of the security team’s manager. It was programmed to override any lock.

I flashed an easy smile at the guard. “Hey.”

“Name and dorm number?” he said stiffly. “I’ll need to see some ID too.”

I showed him the silver skull ring on my right ring finger. That was all the fucking ID I needed around here. “I’m here to see my girlfriend.”

The guard’s eyes widened slightly, and he nodded, posture instantly straightening. “Of course, sir,” he said, stepping aside. “Have a good night.”

I pushed the glass door open and headed straight for the elevator. My black backpack was slung over one shoulder, and a black-and-white skull-print cloth face mask hung loose around my neck. As soon as I reached the third floor, I yanked my jacket hood over my head, pulled the skull mask up to cover my mouth and nose, and strode toward 304.

Ev needed to learn her lesson. Fast. She had to realize that it didn’t matter if she moved. Didn’t matter how much she whined to the college officials. Didn’t matter how much security they added to protect her. She wasn’t welcome here, and the sooner she figured that out and got the fuck off campus, the better.

A smile curved up my lips as I slid the master keycard into Ev’s door. The lock clicked open, and a sound instantly hit me—a whimper, followed by three choked-up words.

“No, please… stop!”

What in the hell?

My pulse spiked as I pushed the door all the way open. The dim light from the hall cast shadows across the room, making it difficult to see much. Still, I could make out the dark silhouette of a man looming over Ev’s bed, pinning her down.

“Motherfucker!”

I dropped my bag without a second thought and launched myself at the guy, tackling him off the bed with a force that rattled through my shoulders. He hit the floor hard, but it didn’t slow him much. He thrashed beneath me, twisting like a wild animal, trying to buck me off as I tightened my grip on him, forcing his shoulders to the floor.

His black clothes and balaclava made him almost indistinguishable from the darkness. All I could make out was the occasional glint of his eyes, cold and calculating, as he struck out at me.

I slammed my knee into his side, trying to keep him down, but he was relentless, clawing at my arms and attempting to wrench himself free. A fist came flying toward the center of my face, but I managed to twist my head in time to avoid a broken nose. Pain shot through my cheek as his knuckles skimmed me, but I didn’t let go. I threw a punch of my own, hitting the guy’s ribs with enough force to make him grunt. He clawed at me then, his hands scrambling for purchase as we rolled across the floor.

I tried to pin his arms, but he was quick. Too quick. Like he’d been trained. His knee came up, slamming into my side, and I cursed under my breath as the impact stole my breath for a second. He used the opening to shove me off balance, and we crashed into the side of the desk.

This guy might’ve been trained to fight, but I was trained better. I managed to get on top of him again, slamming the back of his head into the floorboards. He grunted in pain but didn’t relent, free hand going for my throat.

“Fuck you,” I hissed. My vision narrowed, pure adrenaline driving me as I batted the asshole’s hand away and landed another blow to his temple. His head snapped to the side, and he faltered. Finally, I had the upper hand.

But then I heard it.

Ev’s moan, strained and desperate, cut through the chaos like a blade. My head whipped toward her, and what I saw made my stomach drop. She was crumpled on the bed, one hand holding her phone to cast faint light across the room, presumably in an attempt to see what the hell was going on. Her other hand was clutching her face, blood pouring through her fingers.

Jesus. This fucking bastard had really hurt her.

My chest tightened at the thought, and for just a second, my focus slipped. That second was all it took.

The guy beneath me surged upward, smashing his shoulder into my chest. I slammed my knee into his side, trying to keep him down, but he was relentless, and he managed to roll out from under me before I could hit him again. With that, he sprang to his feet and sprinted through the open door.

Shit.

I got up and charged toward the door. “You’re fucking dead, asshole!” I roared.

“Wait! Please!” Ev’s broken voice floated after me. “Don’t leave me alone. Not like this.”

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