Page 2 of Shielded Secrets

He’d left halfway through the semester, which was scandalous enough. But that wasn’t all that had captured my attention about the admittedly attractive professor. I spotted him talking to Rurik one day, way back in the beginning of last month. And again, at the library, I noticed the professor talking to Irina Petrov.

And she left too.

I didn’t go out of my way to talk to anyone here. Being social wasn’t on my agenda, but Irina was different. Eva knew her—or of her. Irina and her friends had also been at that one party that Eva and I snuck out to attend. Then later, Irina was also at the health clinic when Eva had taken me there following my incident of passing out in the bathroom.

I didn’t claim any true association with the young woman who was rumored to be a Mafia princess. I didn’t need any more trouble from the Mafia or anyone in those circles. A girl didn’t grow up in the system andnotdevelop the street smarts to know whom to stay away from.

I hadn’t been able to stay away from Eva, but in my defense, when we met, I wasn’t entirely aware that she was part of the Baranov Family, who wielded strong Mafia power in and around New York City. To me, she was just Eva. A friend. A friend I stopped staying in touch with because it was just too hard to watch her be in love and enjoying a happily ever after when I knew I’d never get my own.

Maybe Professor Remi is Mafia too.It was awfully telling that Irina ceased being a student at the same time he’d left.

I stilled my fingers on the computer mouse, grimacing as another thought hit me.

Maybe… they were killed.

Such gruesome thoughts weren’t welcome when I wanted to cling to this hope for a better future, but I wasn’t naïve. I knew that Lev and Rurik, all the men in the Baranov Mafia, were hard men who could kill. Others, too, like the men from Irina’s family, were capable of such violence. It was all around us, and it was just one more reason I had to step away from my friendship with Eva. I couldn’t in good conscience hang around trouble like that. I’d spent too long running from the trouble in my past already.

“Hey there, stranger,” a man said as he approached the small front-desk counter where I was stationed.

I mentally cringed at his flirty tone.Not now, dude. Not ever.Even though I couldn’t keep Rurik out of my thoughts and missed him daily, I wanted nothing to do with any other man.

“I can’t say I’ve ever seen you around here before.” He smiled brightly, shifting to hoist the strap of his backpack higher on his shoulder. “And I’d remember a gorgeous face like this.” He lifted his free hand to chuck my chin, but I dodged his hand.

“You were my lab partner last semester. In chem.” I said it deadpan, hoping he’d read the room and understand I wasn’t in the mood to be hit on.

“No way.”

I stared at him, not budging or modifying my neutral blank stare. I doubted he’d remember a single thing from that lab—aside from being partnered with me on and off—because he’d spent the whole time being so wasted or stoned that he sleptor just played on his phone. It wasn’t a unique situation. With the Petrovs and Ilyins plying the area with drugs, there would continue to be an influx of deadbeats like him.

More drugs circulating—and more rapes happening.

Like what almost happened to me…

Shuddering at the reminder and loathing the stink of weed and booze drifting from this guy, I willed him to just go away.

“So, are you?—”

“No.” I cut him off with a rejection for whatever he wanted to ask. His leery, slimy smile was telling. That lopsided grin was a clear sign of his trying to flirt and get in my pants.

“Oh.” He shrugged. “Whatever.” He rubbed the back of his head, messing up his hair, and yawned. “Then can I, like, see the dean about something? No, wait. My friend told me to look for the assistant dean.”

Relieved that he put such little effort into actually charming me, I pointed to the right for him to proceed that way. “You can try over there.”

As soon as he was gone, I exhaled a long breath. Deflated from the experience—something that happened when I was tense around menallthe time—I wished I didn’t have to suffer alone. That I had someone to talk to. Someone to lean on.

You could call Eva…

But I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to bother her when she was so happy. I didn’t want to get involved with dangerous criminals. It was too risky to reach out to her, and I wondered whether Imissed her friendship or I missed her because she meant Rurik would be near and I missed seeing him even more.

Don’t.

I put my phone down, resigning myself to stay alone—like I’ve always been.

And always would.

2

RURIK

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