“If anyone finds out, I’ll lose my scholarship.”

I shrug. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispers.

Her confession reveals the depth of her struggle. I pity her. Gage runs a drug empire, so he’s familiar with narcotics. He just doesn’t care that they ruin people. He certainly doesn’t give a shit about this girl and how it’s wrecking her life.

“Make a choice,” I say. “I’ll pay for it whether you give me information on Gage or not.”

There’s a moment of silence between us, filled with unspoken words and hidden motives. Her gaze darks back and forth, her tumultuous thoughts flitting across her face, betraying the tension simmering under her skin.

“Eric took a phone call when he thought I was asleep,” she says slowly. “I don’t know if it’ll be useful to you or not, but he did mention your last name.”

I listen attentively as Brenda divulges the details of Gage’s recent setbacks, her words painting a picture of vulnerability within his empire. The insight into his organization will allow me to tip the scales in my favor, especially now that I know he’s seeking to negotiate arms deals with my competitors to protect his supply chain. The Order likes everything to stay “in the family,” and the council will be pissed when they find out.

I relish the thought.

“Anything else?” I ask her.

Brenda shakes her head. “That’s all I heard.”

“Choose the facility you want to go to, and I’ll cover the costs,” I say.

“Okay.” She eyes me warily, her expression guarded. “Are you sure you don’t want to hook up? I’d do it for free.” When I shake my head, she runs her gaze over me and gasps. “You’re hung up on someone. That’s it, isn’t it?”

I don’t respond.

She smiles at me, and for the first time, it’s sincere, without any ulterior motives or deception. “She’s a lucky girl.”

Delilah is more than lucky, she’s my obsession. Every recruit entered a vow of celibacy for their senior year, but my oath was made way before then, to a girl who doesn’t even know my name.

Well, not yet.

When Delilah learns it, she’ll be screaming it.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 13DELILAH

It’s time to fuck the carpe out of this diem.

At least I think that’s how the saying goes.

I grab my cell phone and put it on silent, but not before checking it for new notifications. My excitement for my first day of college dwindles at Ben’s lack of communication. I texted him yesterday several times about my new friends, the beauty of the campus, and how much I was looking forward to seeing him.

And… nothing.

We haven’t talked on the phone since I told him the details of my pending arrival on orientation day. At this point, either my foster brother is erasing me from his life, or something’s wrong.

The former is too painful to even consider. That leaves me with a sense of foreboding.

I need to find him. Someone in this university has to know Ben, and hopefully, they’ll tell me where he’s been hanging out. It’s his senior year. There’s no way he’d not attend his classes and graduate.

Unless he’s no longer the boy I grew up with.

A tide of memories floods my brain, making my heart squeeze in on itself. I slap a hand to my chest and pull in lungfuls of air to help me breathe. My mind fills with inside jokes and whispered secret dreams, the things that kept me from giving up in hopes of something better.

Ben, the one person who made me feel loved and valued, isn’t here on the first day of a major achievement in my life.

Pushing the debilitating thoughts of him aside, I open my refurbished laptop on my desk in the lecture hall, praying the piece of shit doesn’t die on me like it did the last time I tried to use it. After opening up a blank document, I sit there and wait for Professor Ames to show. The blinking cursor on my screen reflects my anticipation and my racing pulse.

I’m going to get an A in this class or die trying. I’ve come too far to let someone derail my goals because of a god complex.

Raven’s warning drifts through my mind as the imposing figure of Professor Ames walks through the door. He snatches the attention of everyone present, instantly killing all sounds of conversation. If a mouse farted, we’d all hear it.

His three-piece suit speaks of money, and it’s made from materials that I can’t name, let alone afford. Faint pinstripes are brightened by the lights, the shine overhead gleaming off his polished, leather dress shoes. But his gaze is where his true superiority lies.

In its depths is an understanding of how the world works. Might makes right. And in this day and age, money is everything. Power cannot be obtained and held without it.

I position my fingers on the keyboard and wait. My pulse ratchets up as he opens his mouth to speak.

“This is the Fundamentals of Chemistry. I am Professor Archibald Ames the Third. You will address me as Professor Ames, and nothing else.”

He clasps his hands behind his back and starts to walk, my eyes glued to his every move.

“Let’s establish some expectations before diving into the intricacies of chemical bonding. If your cell phone disrupts my lecture, escort yourself from the premises and straight to your academic advisor, who will drop you from my class. I don’t tolerate irresponsibility. You are all legal adults, so act like it, or get out.”

I grab my cell phone again, and check that it’s on silent. Again. This man does not fuck around.

“Secondly,” he continues, “I don’t care what your reason is for taking my class. However, you will respect the subject matter, as well as my dedication to it. If you think you can turn in a paper that’s been drafted within twenty-four hours, your grade will reflect your effort. You’ve been warned, so let’s proceed.”

Holy shit. Maybe getting a “B” isn’t the worst thing after all.

I gather my things at the end of the lecture, my brain throbbing after all trying to comprehend everything Professor Ames went over. The other students don’t try to hide their relieved expressions as they exit the room and continue on with their day. I predict a long line at the coffee shop in the next five minutes.

Not wanting to fight the crowd, I wait to leave until only a few people are left. Professor Ames gathers papers and places them into his leather briefcase. I drop my head to avoid his gaze as I shuffle past.

He shuts his briefcase, the movement drawing my attention to his hands. A hint of gold winks at me under the bright lights. I halt mid-step, and my gaze darts to the ring on his middle finger.

It’s exactly the same as Ben’s, except with the letter “A” right above the anchor.

My heart thunders in my chest. Not only at the prospect of what this could mean, but also given the fact that my professor is staring at me like I’m a puppy who just shit on the floor.

He raises a sardonic brow. “Yes, Miss…?”

“Scott, sir. I mean, Professor Ames.”

“What can I do for you?”

I take a deep breath and take the plunge, hoping it doesn’t tank the grade I haven’t even gotten yet. “I have a question about your ring. It’s really nice. Is it from a fraternity or maybe a family heirloom?”

When he doesn’t respond—or blink—my pulse kicks up a notch. “It’s just that I’ve seen one like it, and I thought it was interesting. You know?”

The man locks his briefcase with a definitive click, his gaze narrowing. The look he gives me makes my insides shrivel and die. If I make it out of here intact, I’m going to yell at Raven for her understatement concerning his arctic personality.

“No, I don’t know, Miss Scott. To answer your question, the ring is both a family heirloom and representative of the Obsidian Order, a fraternity that’s been a part of this university since the first brick was laid centuries ago. Does that satisfy your curiosity, or would you like some more interesting facts that have nothing to do with chemistry?”