Page 61 of Justice

I hovered over it for a second before the breeze made my decision for me. I was sure Danny wouldn’t mind me wearing it. It was at least four sizes too big, but it’d keep me warm for my walk. I added a scarf, just to be sure.

I headed for the path that ran between the Highfield and Avenue campuses. Bordered by woodland on either side, it was a picturesque route.

Clouds of my breath hung in the air as my feet crunched over the fallen leaves. Pulling my scarf a little closer around my neck made me think of Sebastian. Again.

Was he wearing it? I hoped he was. The weather was much colder this week. I should’ve made him a hat too.

I was so preoccupied by thoughts of Sebastian that I didn’t notice someone was behind me at first.

A cracking twig had me glancing back over my shoulder. Two large men were walking at a distance behind me. Strangely, they were only wearing jeans and thin vest tops, their bare arms on display.

They must be freezing, I thought to myself, forcing my attention forwards. Maybe they liked to show off their muscles—they had those in spades.

I wasn’t sure what it was about them that had spooked me, but I found myself walking a bit quicker. You’re just being paranoid, Matty. They aren’t following you.

Still, another glance over my shoulder showed them getting closer. A chill ran down my spine as I realised how intently they were staring at me.

Then, one of them winked.

There was a whisper in my mind, like some ancient survival instinct kicking in.

Run.

I listened.

I didn’t care if I looked stupid or if people thought I was strange. I just broke into a flat-out sprint. My bag was bouncing against my side, my textbook catching my hip painfully. I ignored it, focusing on nothing but putting as much distance as I could between me and the men behind me.

Loud laughter had the unease twisting into full-blown fear. “Where you running to, darling? Danny can’t save you now.”

Oh my gosh. I was right. They were following me. What did Danny have to do with anything though?

I hit the corner onto Avenue campus at speed. I could almost feel the men behind me, the whisper of their fingers on my sleeve.

The doors to the building were closing. They were operated by a key card, locking out anyone who wasn’t a professor or a student.

The gap was tiny and shrinking by the second. I put on an extra burst of speed, twisting and throwing myself forward.

I flew through the gap, landing on the floor with a gasp. I jerked my head around to see the guy who’d winked crash into the glass. The doors closed, locking them out.

The winker cracked his knuckles while the other pointed at me through the glass.

The message was clear.

They were coming for me.

But why? What could they possibly want with me?

I scrambled to my feet, taking off down the corridor at a run. Students and staff zipped out of my way, but somewhere deep down I knew they wouldn’t be able to help me. It was like some instinct was tugging at me. Guiding me. Telling me to run.

To hide.

A door stood ajar up ahead. It was a room I had a seminar in twice a week.

I hurtled inside, knowing there was a storage cupboard in the corner with a lock on the inside. Riley had hooked up with a lecturer in here last year. Apparently, the professor had had it installed for that very reason.

At the time, the knowledge had made my skin crawl. Now I was grateful for our lecturer’s perving ways.

I slammed the lock shut, pulling my phone out with shaking hands.

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