It’s late—past midnight—and most students are probably asleep.
I park in Koa’s usual stall. My hands won’t stop shaking.
Atticus parks across, not being suspicious.
I exhale, building my nerve. I can do this. I’m going to just leave this car here, go up to my dorm, and let these two hang here for backup.
I leave the keys inside the car and take a deep breath. I open the door.
The second my feet hit the pavement, I’m slammed against the car.
Koa.
He came out of nowhere—fury and desperation radiating off him in waves. His hand wraps around my throat, pressing firmly. His face is inches from mine.
“Do you know what you’ve fucking done?” he seethes in my ear.
I look down at him, trying to find my voice.
He tightens his grip just slightly. Leans in until his lips brush my ear. “You’re going to pay for this.”
I push against his chest. “I’m returning your car. So be grateful.”
He laughs. Actually laughs. And when he pulls back, he’s smiling—that beautiful, devastating smile that makes my stomach dip even now. Even when I should hate him.
“There’s that word again,” he murmurs. “Grateful.”
Then he kisses me.
Hard. Desperate. Like he’s trying to brand me.
And for a second—just a second—I forget everything. Forget that I stole his car. Forget about the drugs. Forget what Atticus and Revan and what I just did.
It’s just me and Koa and this kiss that tastes like blood and rage. He’s going to make me pay, but by the looks of it, I might bepaying in a lot of foreplay because his dick is hard against me. If I knew it would turn into this, I wouldn’t have brought back up.
A dark shadow falls over us, and I tremble as I look up.
Atticus and Revan are standing behind Koa, wearing black masks that cover half their faces. Shit. I shiver.
The next thing I know, Koa’s being ripped off me.
Atticus grabs him by the collar and throws him to the ground like he weighs nothing. Koa hits the pavement hard, rolling to absorb the impact.
He looks up at them andlaughs.
Blood drips from his split lip where Atticus must have already hit him. He spits it onto the concrete and keeps laughing.
“Reapers?” he says, mocking. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Right now’s kind of a bad time.”
He stands slowly, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Koa’s not afraid. Not even a little. What the hell is going on?
“Let me handle my business,” Koa says, still grinning. “And then we can handle this… on the ice.”
“Or,” Revan says, voice dripping with amusement, “we can handle it right now.”
He punches Koa in the stomach.
Koa doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even step back.
