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Well, it’s happened again. That damn striker of the pinball machine knocking me back into line, my feet firmly planted on the path of the straight and narrow.
Terror holds me in place for so many reasons, I don’t know which way to turn. And to make it worse, I’m almost happy not to have my car anymore because it gives me an excuse to hide, to limit my movement to my dorm and the library without Ames or anyone else attempting to convince me to go back out in the world again.
My father was right.
The world is out to get me.
For reasons that have nothing to do with me and everything to do with him.
No wonder he was always warning me. After what the governor explained, there’s a damn good reason my father wanted me scared of my own shadow for fear I would be too reckless and get myself killed.
Because of him.
Because of the business he chose to own before I was even born.
It’s too bad he never bothered explaining just how deep this shit runs before sending me off to college.
Two days have passed since I was rescued from the auto shop where Shane tried to trap me. Two days when I’ve jumped at every sound outside my dorm and have kept a careful eye on every person who walked through the library doors while I was studying.
I’ve refused to go to the school cafeteria for food and have used what little I have left in my bank account to have food delivered to my dorm with instructions that they drop the bag and walk away before I’ll even open the door.
It sucks to be this way, but like my dad, the governor only gave me enough information to scare the shit out of me, but not enough that I feel I have any idea what to do now that I’m somehow involved in this.
And for what reason?
I don’t know anything.
I had nothing to do with my father’s business and still have no clue where to even find him.
Governor Callahan insisted my father is alive and well, but beyond that he was tight-lipped, only telling me to avoid nine guys who are members of some group called the Inferno. He showed me pictures of them, and I recognized Shane and the twins.
The governor also warned me about his daughter, Ivy.
Apparently, the Inferno got ahold of her a few weeks ago and she hasn’t spoken to him since. The governor has been trying to find her but hasn’t had any luck. And if a man as powerful as him can’t even rescue his own daughter from those guys, what the hell would happen if they got ahold of me?
I’d be trapped without any help at all.
That’s what would happen.
There’s no way I’m risking it.
It’s Monday morning, though, which means I need to crawl out from under the security of my blankets and head to class. Despite wanting to hide in my room for the rest of my life, I still have responsibilities. My grades being the most important.
Thankfully, my parents were intelligent enough to start a college fund for me when I was born, but there’s very little wiggle room for failed classes and second chances. If I want to finish my doctorate and become a college professor, I have to get this right the first time.
Crawling out of bed, I hurry through a shower and getting dressed, my hair a wet mess and my clothes wrinkled as I grab my bag and rush out of the dorm to the university campus.
Thankfully, it’s not a far stretch, and I time it just right to walk into the classroom just as the lecture begins.
Taking one of the empty seats, I quickly scan the room to ensure I don’t see anyone who’s not familiar, settling in only when I’m satisfied I’m safe.
I have another class following this one, but after that, I’m done for the day and will spend the rest of my time in the library. I feel safe there the most because cameras surround the interior and exterior. If something happens to me, at least they’ll have a record of who took me.
I know it’s not much and wouldn’t show where I end up, but it’s a start that the police could use in finding me.
Governor Callahan also explained that the men I should be worried about own a law firm downtown and won’t openly attack me where anybody can see.
Therefore, in my thinking at least, as long as I stay in public where people can see, I should be safe enough.
