Page 207 of Teacher's Pet

"Like I was just beaten and tortured," I mutter, shaking my head.

His lips twitch. "Fair."

Noah, however, is far less amused. "What are you doing with him?" he growls, his narrowed gaze locked onto the car his brother is now in.

Roman straightens, his expression unreadable. "We need more intel," he says simply. "I told you, shooting him wouldn’t be torture enough. Lucky for you, with your new promotion, you’ll get to have all the fun with him."

I blink, turning to Noah, brows raised.

"Promotion?" I laugh, the word foreign on my tongue.

Noah rubs the back of his neck, a slow smile tugging at his lips.

"I put in my resignation at Spokehaven this morning," he admits, watching my reaction. "Roman offered me a job at Catalyst, and I couldn’t refuse."

I blink, glancing between the two men, trying to process what he just said.

"So… you won’t be my teacher anymore?" I tease, a grin playing at my lips.

"No," Noah murmurs, his smile deepening as he leans in. His lips graze mine, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver down my spine. "Have any problems with that-"

"Where is my daughter?" my dad’s voice booms, raw with desperation.

"Sir, this is an active crime scene-" one of the officers attempts to interject, but he barely gets the words out.

"Tough," Megan snaps.

My head whips toward the yellow tape just as my family spills out of my dad’s rental. Megan, Elijah, my mother, and my father push past the officers with unwavering determination. Roman lifts a hand, signaling his men to stand down, letting them through without resistance.

"I need to see my daughter-" my dad’s voice falters as his gaze locks onto mine.

Then his face crumbles.

"Oh, my God," he bellows.

His feet barely touch the ground as he runs toward me, nearly slipping on the ice. Noah keeps his grip on me, steadying me just as my father reaches us. His arms wrap around me with desperate force, pulling me close. Pain lances through me, but I bite it down, letting him hold me.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Ana," he groans, his voice breaking. "What the hell happened? We saw it on the news, Cole and Walker, they-" His breath shudders. "They killed some kid and kidnapped you to drag you into it-"

I flick a glance at Roman. He meets my eyes and offers a knowing smile.

Of course. He’s already leaked the story.

Roman fucking Briar, handling one disaster after another like a master puppeteer.

"Dad, I’m fine," I whisper, though the words feel flimsy even to me. "I’m okay-"

"Oh, honey," my mom sobs, crashing into the hug. "We were so damn worried."

Megan and Elijah aren’t far behind. "Let us in!" they cry, throwing their arms around me with enough force to knock the wind from my lungs.

"Guys-" I gasp, wincing. "Still injured-"

They ease up instantly, but my dad refuses to let go.

Noah, ever the tactician, clears his throat. "Why don’t you three give Roman’s men a few statements?" he suggests, his voice calm but firm. "You all knew Cole or Walker."

Roman nods, smoothly stepping in. "This way, folks," he says with an easy smile, guiding Megan, Elijah, and my mom toward his men. In seconds, it’s just Noah, my father, and me.

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