I should offer some measure of commiseration. I am responsible for Brad, after all. And mostly everything else. Well, Kyrie’s to blame for Mason. With two killers hunting in the same territory, staking their claim with a rivalry, things were bound to get a little out of hand.

The main reason it’s time to leave.

“But that’s why I need to speak with you,” Hugh says, his voice lowering to a serious timbre.

My hackles raise. I already don’t like where this is going. Crossing my arms, I say, “Sure.”

“I’m looking to replace Dr. Roth.” Hugh glances through the door toward Kyrie’s office.

Confusion furrows my brow. “I don’t understand. You said she was doing well here.”

“She is,” he says, then expels a breath. “She’s the best wildlife biologist this university has ever had.”

I chuckle. “Then I’m really confused. What’s the problem?”

A puzzled expression creases his weathered features. “Jack, you’re the one who has demanded for Dr. Roth to be removed ever since she started. I’m offering you what you want.”

I eye him suspiciously. “What is it that you need from me, Hugh?”

His gaze holds mine in firm resolve. “I need you to be the chair of the West Paine Future of STEM Initiative.”

“No,” I say with strict authority. “I’m not interested in wrangling a whole initiative program for your donors.”

“Your donors, too.” His mouth thins. “Look, Jack. You’ve got one foot out the door anyway with your transfer.” He moves farther into my office. “The university is taking a hit with this investigation. Donations are drying up. Students and professors alike are wary, scared. West Paine needs to be shown in a good light, and a university-wide initiative to attract new talent from all over can make that happen.”

I straighten my back, drawing to my full height. “That’s a commitment that could take months.”

“Months where you don’t have to worry about another CRYO freezer incident,” he says.

I clear my throat. “That was actually Madeleine’s fault.”

He squares his shoulders. “This is my best attempt at a compromise, Jack. You’re leaving me with a mess of a department when you go. So…” He turns and braces a hand on the doorknob before he looks me directly in the eyes. “Do this, and I won’t renew Dr. Roth’s contract. You can have your pick of who takes her position.”

Hugh is desperate. I’ve been so focused on Kyrie and Hayes that I haven’t noticed the impact on the university. A year ago—hell, a week ago—none of this would affect me. It would simply be one more reason to disappear. The sooner, the better.

The talk about my impending transfer sets my jaw, a thought burrowing in deep. I’ve treated Kyrie unfairly these past few years, and I doubt there is anything that can be done to make up for that now, but I’m willing to try.

“When is Dr. Roth’s contract up?” I ask, shuffling my stance.

“Three months.”

Three months. It’s taken three years for me to see her—to truly see her; the darkness hidden in the shadows cast by her light, the pain she’s honed into a weapon, the pain I’m partly responsible for—and in just three short months, I could lose her.

That won’t happen.

I slip my hand down my necktie. “So then you’ll still need Dr. Roth to participate in the STEM initiative.”

His sigh is weary. “Yes, that will be an uncomfortable conversation. I don’t relish having to ask that of Dr. Roth when I know I’ll be letting her go shortly thereafter.”

I nod slowly. “I’ll talk to Dr. Roth about her participation in the program.”

His head notches back, shock evident in the widening of his eyes. “Thanks, Jack. That would be appreciated.”

Once Hugh exits my office, I look over at Kyrie. She’s on a video call. Probably with a donor by the full display of her brightly lit, sunshine smile.

With predatory focus, I watch how she smoothes her palms down her thighs, ironing out creases along her tight pencil skirt, then crosses her legs. How she throws her head back with a laugh.

And suddenly I’m marching out of my office and crossing the hallway.

I enter without knocking, earning a concerned glance from her as her pale-blue eyes seek mine.

“Absolutely,” she says to the person, not removing her gaze from me. She hits Mute on the keyboard. “What’s wrong?”

I say nothing as I walk to the corner and switch the film setting on the glass walls to opaque. The hazy-white partition instantly conceals her office, leaving us in a private cocoon.

A woman’s voice sounds through the speakers to snag her attention, and she looks at the monitor and unmutes the line. “Oh, sorry, Mrs. Vanden. My mail was just delivered. Where were we?”

Stealthily, I approach Kyrie’s desk and slip off my blazer. I drape the garment on the back of the leather chair, kicking the legs to move it out of the way. Then I proceed to roll up my shirt sleeves.

Kyrie does her best to give her undivided attention to Mrs. Vanden, but her gaze slides up to me before tracking back to the woman on the screen. I can’t help the devilish smile that curls my lips as I kneel in front of her desk and crawl beneath.

“Jack—” she hisses.

“Do your job, Kyrie.” I circle a hand around her ankle and deftly uncross her legs.

“That’s right,” she says, a perceived tremble to her voice. “We’ve accomplished so much while I’ve been at West Paine.”

As I hover over her lap, I snake my fingers underneath the tight hem of her skirt and inch the fabric up to the flare of her beautiful hips, my breath hot over her skin as I breathe in the scent of her expensive jasmine body lotion.

Her knees remain locked as she answers one of Mrs. Vanden’s needless questions, and I nip the tender skin above one knee. She gifts me a breathy flinch, and I take full advantage of having Kyrie preoccupied.

With another light bite to the side of her thigh, I wedge a hand between her knees. She fights me for a useless second until the struggle gains the concern of the woman on the screen.

“Dr. Roth, is everything all right?”

“Of course. These web calls—”

I force her thighs apart.

“—have spotty reception. So very sorry.” Kyrie clears her throat, covertly covering my groan of approval as I push in between her soft thighs. “As I was saying before, our Bass fields is the third largest research body farm in the country.”

Hunger sears my fading restraint at the sight of her perfect pussy sheathed by the flimsy material of her thong. I’m a man possessed as I bury my face between the apex of her inner thighs and pinch the fabric between my teeth, then lick the coarse seam, tracing the outline of her sweet clit.

I’m rewarded with the feel of her soaked panties, the warmth stirring insatiable desire as her thighs clamp against my temples, which has me ravenously lavishing her clit through those fucking wet panties like a starved beast.

I’m unconcerned with the primal groans tearing free as I make it my mission to hear her throaty little moans. Kyrie relinquishes her braced hold on my head to drive the heel of her pump into my thigh.

I grunt against her soft lips, the pain a delicious tease. In response, I bracket a hand around her ass. My other secures the elastic edge of her panties and, using my teeth, I tear through the fabric.

“Jack—” Her hands dig into my hair, fingers curling and nails scraping my scalp.

“Jack?” the woman questions. “Oh, Dr. Sorensen. I’ve heard murmurings among the committee that he’ll be a seat for a STEM initiative at West Paine. That would be such a great treat.”

A tinkling laugh falls from Kyrie’s parted mouth. “Unfortunately, I can almost assure you that Dr. Sorensen won’t be heading up any initiatives.”

“Well, that’s too bad. His presence would mean a great deal to the committee.”

Her slick pussy exposed to me, I suck her clit into my mouth.