I was starting to think that the threat might have died down, since it’s been a few days since someone tried to kill me, but of course not. The moment I got up this morning to get a coffee and noticed an envelope had been pushed under my door, I knew it was just wishful thinking.
Inside was an invitation to tonight’s party at the club just off campus, which will probably have full attendance from the students—plus, there was a threat to blow the place if I don’t show up.
My head pounds in rhythm with the music as I step inside the club. A quick scan of the room confirms what I knew already, basically every student from Blackwater is here. After speaking to Dare, I decided to skip the black pants and sweater I’d usually wear when walking into this type of situation and actually decided to dress up for this shit show of a party.
One look around the room and I know I blend in. I’m wearing a tight-fitting little black dress, donned with my leather jacket and a black mask that covers half my face. There’s an array of differently dressed people tonight, all wearing masks. It’s the week before Halloween, yet this place decided to throw a party tonight. A masked party of all things, like the party goers won’t get enough of that next week.
I stick to the corners of the room, my eyes scanning for anyone who looks out of place. Feeling eyes on me, I look up to the balcony that overhangs the dance floor where I’m standing—only it’s not whoever left me the note that’s staring down at me.
Of course, it isn’t.
Cole stands wearing all black, a mask discarded in his hand. His sharp jaw tics as he swirls his drink around in his other hand, eyeing me curiously with his head tipped to the side, probably wondering what I’m doing here, since this is no doubt the last place he expected to see me.
I can sense the moment he’s about to move towards the stairs to approach me, and I subtly shake my head. He needs to stay far, far away from me tonight.
“Don’t,” I mouth to him, and his brows wrinkle in confusion.
I huff. Of course, the pretty boy is used to doing whateverhe likes, and the glare I send him should be warning enough to stay where he is.
Though, it’s not like he has a habit of listening to a thing I say.
I decide not to risk it, slipping between a group of people and out of his eye line. No need for him to get any more mixed up in my shit than he already has been.
I get as far as the corridor for the bathrooms by the time I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I grunt in irritation, about to turn around and ream him out for following me when a bag is placed over my head and two people grab me from each side, marching me away from the blaring music and into the stillness of the night.
This could be fun.
EIGHTEEN
COLE
What the fuck is she doing here? This is the last place I’d have expected Lana to turn up. Firstly, because she’s been MIA since our fight, and secondly, because she seems allergic to human interaction, and this place will probably kill her.
And don’t even get me started on what she’s wearing. She’s ditched her usual clothing and switched it out for a sexy-as-hell dress donned with her usual leather jacket. That mask she’s wearing did nothing to hide her from me. I knew it was her the second I laid my eyes on her.
Most people would probably hold a grudge over what went down in the church, but not me.
No—if anything, it’s only made me want to uncover her secrets even more.
I dart down the stairs, intent on following her to figure out what she’s doing here, ignoring the guys as they call out to me. Fuck them, they’re not important right now. But as I reach the bottom of the stairs to the main floor, I watch as two guysaround my size throw something over her head and grab her from both sides.
What the fuck?
What has this girl gotten herself into?
Either I’ve just watched her being kidnapped, or she met them here and has some sort of kink.
Honestly, the latter wouldn’t surprise me, but I push my way through the crowd regardless, since I have a gut feeling that it’s the former. I’m a minute or so behind them as I finally reach the door that leads outside from the bathroom hallway, the students milling around the club couldn’t seem to move the fuck out of my way.
I don’t swing the door open like I’d prefer and much like I did when I followed her out the back of the coffee shop. Instead, I crack the door slowly and peer out of the gap. What I see has my heart stopping dead in my chest.
Lana’s eyes are spitting fire as she glares up at the guy holding a gun to her forehead, while the second guy has her arms held behind her back, rendering her powerless to stop what’s to come.
This is what I wanted, right? To get rid of her?
I thought so too.
Only the thought of her being shot and killed out here has my heart restarting and adrenaline flowing through my veins as I finally throw the door open, alerting them to my presence.
