Page 189 of Teacher's Pet

"My men say it looks like Cole and Walker ditched their car and ran into the woods," Roman says, his tone dark, calculated. "They must be trying to meet up with Jake, to finish what they started."

A cold dread coils in my gut. Time is slipping away. Every second we waste puts Ana closer to whatever twisted fate Jake has planned for her.

"We have to get there," I snap, urgency lacing my words. "Your men won’t make it in time. They don’t have her location-"

"I know," Roman murmurs, his voice dangerously quiet.

Controlled. Precise. Lethal.

With an ease that speaks to years of experience, he pulls out his Glock. The metallic click of the magazine sliding free echoes between us. He counts the bullets with a practiced flick of his fingers, his face void of anything but steely focus. Satisfied, he pops the mag back in, pulls back the slide, and chambers a round.

Then, without a word, he reaches down, retrieving a smaller gun from an ankle holster. He extends it to me, grip first—a silent offering, a gesture that seals our course of action.

No hesitation. No questions. Just cold, relentless determination.

His own weapon disappears back beneath his jacket as he tilts his head slightly, smirking.

"Care for a drive?" His tone is light, but his eyes burn with something darker, something merciless.

I take the pistol, its weight solid in my hands, its meaning heavier. Tucking it securely into my waistband, I let out a dry, humorless chuckle.

"Lead the fucking way."

We stride toward the parking lot, each step propelling us closer to the inevitable confrontation. The crowd hums with chatter, laughter, and the blissful ignorance of people who have no idea what’s unfolding.

For the briefest second, my gaze locks with Will’s across the sea of bodies. His expression is tight, unreadable, but I don’t have time to decipher it.

Adrenaline thrums in my veins, pulsing with a singular purpose.

There is no room for doubt. No room for failure.

There is only one thing that matters now.

Finding Jake.

Saving Ana.

And making themall pay.

Chapter 35

Anastasia

Wrists bound, I stare down the barrel of the gun Jake has pointed at me, his free hand gripping the wheel as he drives us further from the university, further into the night. The dense forest ahead looms closer, its dark silhouette stretching endlessly against the horizon. My throat goes dry.

He still hasn’t noticed my phone.

Pain radiates from the dagger lodged deep in my thigh, my skin searing with every shift of the car. Blood soaks into my dress, warm and sticky, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins is the only thing keeping me from slipping into unconsciousness.

"You know," Jake muses, his tone almost casual, "I'm almost impressed Noah was able to score you. I mean, I know he’s good-looking, but could he really be pleasing you so well that you willingly threw your life away for him?"

Still reeling from the blow Jake landed across my face earlier, I taste dried blood on my lips. My heart hammers against my ribcage, but I lift my chin, forcing myself to hold his gaze.

"You’d be surprised what people are willing to do for the ones they love," I hiss, voice hoarse but defiant. "I know that concept is foreign to you-"

The gun cracks against my cheek before I can finish, splitting my skin open with a sharp sting. The metallic taste floods my mouth as fresh blood trails down my face.

"I told you to be careful how you speak to me, Anastasia," Jake warns, his voice sharp as a blade. "That mouth of yours is going to be the fine line between an easy death or a very painful one."

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