Page 76 of Surrender (Angels Halo MC Next Gen)

Turning my head in that direction, I saw a tall figure with dark hair that was shorter on the sides but a little too long on top entering the building to my right. All I saw was his back, but I found myself suddenly frozen in place, a chill slithering down my spine.

He seemed oddly familiar to me, and I hadn’t even seen his face.

“He’s definitely not built like he’s nearly forty,” I told my friend, needing something to say as I tried to calm my racing pulse. “What did you say his name was again?” I asked as we continued walking.

I didn’t need her to remind me; I remembered everything she’d already told me about him. Victor Vaughn. Professor V, as she liked to call him. Had no accent when he lectured or spoke to other students, but when he spoke to her, she detected something Eastern European.

She had a major crush, and I’d been encouraging it. If she wanted to have a wild affair with her professor, I was all for her experiencing a little fun. But after catching a glimpse of the man, I needed my new friend to run in the other direction from him.

“Crap,” Abi groaned when we reached her dorm. “You’re going to be late for work. I didn’t realize it was getting so late.”

I gave her a hug. “I won’t be late. Elias is picking me up.” Even as I stepped back, I saw his truck coming down the road.

She followed my gaze and then waved when Elias stopped nearby. Rolling down his window, he returned the wave. “Hey, Abi.”

“Hi, Elias. Good to see you again.” She turned back to me. “I need a shower. And then I have back-to-back classes. If I want to get into Professor V’s summer class, I need to stop by my adviser’s office.”

I nodded and grinned, while mentally crossing my fingers that the class was already full. My gut was tossing just thinking of her being in the same room with the man I’d only seen for a few seconds. From behind. Yet, I couldn’t ignore my instincts that he was dangerous. “Good luck.”

She gave me another hug. “See you tomorrow!”

I watched her go until the door to her dorm closed behind her, and then I slowly walked toward Elias’s truck. As soon as I was in the passenger seat, he grabbed my face in both hands and kissed me.

Melting into him, I returned the kiss until he pulled back. His nose brushed over mine. “What’s going on in that head of yours, baby girl?”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I found myself looking back at the computer science building. “I need to make a few calls.”

CHAPTERFORTY

elias

I heardsomething hit a wall and crash to the floor from the direction of Samara’s office. Jumping out of my chair, I rushed to check on her, the door slamming against the wall in my panic to get to her.

With a shriek, she threw her coffee mug against the wall. Flames spiked high in her eyes as she paced back and forth in front of her desk. Other than the broken mug, a paperweight that was still intact, and a few papers scattered on the floor, nothing seemed amiss.

Shutting the door, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against it. “Why are you throwing a tantrum, Sammy?”

Hands on her hips, she turned to march ten steps the other direction before making an abrupt turn and walking toward me ten steps. Back and forth, I watched her go for several moments. Her chest heaved the longer she mentally stewed.

“Nothing,” she spat. “I can’t find one goddamn piece of information on that prick Victor Vaughn. Six favors, two of which I’ve been holding on to since I was fifteen, have been used. All I’ve found are more questions, but no fucking answers. Not one!”

“Sammy?” Mom called as she knocked on the door. “Is everything okay in there, honey?”

Samara didn’t appear to hear her as she kept pacing. I flipped the lock but called out, “She’s fine, Mom. We just need a minute.”

“Ah,” she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “Well, let me know if either of you needs anything.”

I waited a beat to give her time to walk away before pushing away from the door and crossing to my pissed-off baby girl. When she turned, I slid my arms around her, and she melted into me. I felt some of her rage evaporate, and I kissed the top of her head.

“Maybe he’s in the witness protection program.” I was only half teasing. At this point, anything was possible. She’d been investigating her new friend Abi’s professor for three days. For the entire weekend, she’d been hyperfocused on learning all she could about the man but had come up with nothing on her own.

“Oh God,” she moaned, pressing her face into my chest. “I have to find out what this guy is doing in this town.”

Her head shot up, and I could feel her panic brewing. “What if Abi isn’t safe around him?”

I traced my thumb over her jaw, the vulnerability in her eyes stabbing at my heart. “Talk to her about it. Explain that you have a bad feeling about this guy and convince her she needs to stay away from him.”

She shook her head frantically. “No, no, I can’t. I’ll only scare her. If I freak her out, she won’t want to be my friend anymore.”

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