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“So? Wear a coat. You seem like you could use a break.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong there, so I shrugged and nodded, and his answering smile made me think the cold might be worth it.
* * *
I hadn’t asked how, but somehow Devan had managed to rescue my coat when he’d gone to retrieve my phone and my parents’ letter, so after a couple of days drying out, it’d been as good as new. The shoes had been a lost cause though.
I pulled the coat tighter around myself as we walked together through the densely packed trees on the outskirts of campus. Technically the woods were off-limits to students aside from a few well-marked walking paths, but there was no one around to care.
“So, tell me what’s on your mind,” Devan prompted after we’d been out there a while. His voice was gentle, none of his usual teasing present, as though he knew whatever was bothering me was serious. His presence was helping tremendously though—I couldn’t help but feel safe with his towering form by my side. With his rugged features and his hair loose and swirling in the breeze, he looked like he belonged in the woods, some kind of half-feral forest giant that nothing short of a band of Vikings could get past. I walked close to his side, letting the heat of him protect me from the brisk autumn air.
He’d been right though, and the fresh air was helping to calm me down and clear out some of the cobwebs from my mind.
I no longer worried that Drew might actually try to hurt me. Not that I thought he hadn’t been serious, but murder seemed like a pretty big overreaction to the threat of getting kicked out of school. I figured as long as I stayed away from him, he’d stay away from me. I couldn’t help but wonder though…
“What do you know about Drew?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light.
Devan was quiet for a moment, the crunching of leaves underfoot the only sound breaking the cool October silence.
“Only the same stuff everyone knows,” he finally said, a non-answer if I’d ever heard one, but no less than I’d expected.
“And what exactly does everyone already know?” I pressed.
He slanted a glance down at me, his bright auburn hair almost the same color as the leaves that blanketed the forest floor. He was gorgeous, his face broad with strong features and piercing eyes, and I felt myself heat inside at his gaze. I quickly tamped the feeling down. It wasn’t the time; I had information to gather.
“Look,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I know, if you tell me why you want to know.”
I considered. “Fair enough. You first.”
He sighed, seeming to choose his words carefully. “Drew comes from an organized crime family. I’m guessing you already knew that?”
I nodded, and he peered out through the trees.
“Well, the short story is there’s a couple of large rival groups that have roots in some of the major cities. A few years back there was a dispute regarding territories or something like that, and Drew’s brother was murdered. I guess it kind of wrecked his family, tore them apart. It’s not an excuse, but it probably helps explain why he’s such a dick.”
“Yeah, I’d heard most of that,” I said. “Where’s he from, anyway?”
“Boston, I think. But they work out of Chicago, too, and a couple of other places.”
“How do you know all this?” I asked.
He glanced at me. “How do you know all this?”
“He told me most of it,” I admitted.
Devan stopped walking. “He told you? How the hell did that come up?”
I scuffed my feet against the leaf cover on the ground, looking down to avoid meeting his eyes. “He, uh, was trying to convince me why I should take his threats seriously.”
Devan’s voice was low, drawing my gaze up to his. “He threatened you?”
I cleared my throat, unsure how much detail I wanted to go into. “Yeah. I provoked him. I should have known better. Believe me, it won’t happen again.”
“What did he say to you?”
I sighed. Might as well give him the whole story. “I was threatening to report him for hurting his girlfriend, and for what he did to Garrett, and the knife from earlier in the semester. He basically told me if I said anything, I’d regret it.”
“He’s been hurting Julie?” Devan’s voice was sharp.
