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Her body shuddered as she wept. Head down, unable to meet my gaze. We stayed like that for a while until, with a groan, she pulled away. “You must think I’m weak.”
“God, no.” I answered. “You’re anything but weak, Kat. This is not a normal circumstance, and we are not normal people. We exist outside normal realms.”
“You can stay that again,” she agreed, and wiped her cheeks. The movement resurrected the image of her curled on the sofa. But she pulled away from me. “Better get ready, put on the game face.”
She was gone before I could answer, striding from my room to disappear into her own. I followed her lead, turning into the bathroom to shower and dress. By the time I came out, Kat was in the kitchen eating a bowl of granola.
“Want some?” She held out her spoon.
I just shook my head. One minute, we were talking about a murder that happened right here on the island and the next, we were sharing breakfast. Nothing about this life should be normal. But here we were.
Kat’s phone let out abeep, and mine did, a second later.
I grabbed it and glanced at the screen.
Security: Your escort is waiting in the foyer for your class.
“Escort, huh?” I muttered.
Kat emptied her bowl, rinsed it, and placed it in the sink before striding into her room once more. “Apparently we’re to be guarded 24/7.”
Twenty-four-seven…
Cold sank deep inside me as I listened to Kat brushing her teeth. It was all slipping through my fingers now, all falling away from me. I came to escape this life, not be drawn deeper inside. I closed my eyes and exhaled. But the truth was…that’s exactly what was happening. Footsteps made me open my eyes once more and force a fake smile. First Kat, then Finley. Friends…desire. She ran her finger across freshly glossed lips. “Ready when you are.”
I grabbed my phone and tucked a granola bar into my pocket before following her to the elevator. Our escorts were waiting downstairs, dressed in black suits and carrying weapons under their jackets. A careful nod and one of them fell in step.
“See you after class, okay?” Kat leaned in and kissed my cheek before she turned.
In an instant, she was back to her old self, head high, the mask firmly in place.
“Miss Eden.” My escort motioned toward the door.
I glanced at him and moved forward, making my way through the automatic doors and outside.
A helicopter roared by overhead, so close I could make out the man behind the controls. The machine angled down, scanning the grounds before it moved to the other side of the island. I lowered my gaze and kept walking, catching movement in the distance. One of the male students strode out…he wasn’t Mafia, not like Finley. But he held his head up and strode forward without hesitation.
As though this was all just so familiar.
My stomach felt filled with stones as I made my way toward building two, heading for class. I pushed through the double door, catching sight of more students…and their shadows. My neck tingled as I glanced behind, catching movement at my back.
He was so close…so damn close. Panic surged through me as I followed the others along the hallway, gravitating toward the sound of the class.
“I’ll be waiting outside, Miss Eden.”
I just gave a nod and slipped through the doorway.Money Laundering and its Pitfallswas scrawled across the whiteboard at the front of the class.
I flinched at the words and tried to breathe. They all looked my way…every single one of them. The lecturer watched me, his gaze scrutinizing. Heat burned in my face as I hurried to the first empty seat. But the murmurs were already starting as the roar of the helicopter sounded again overhead.
“They’re coming.”
I caught the snatch of conversation behind me and turned my head. Desperation fought the need to be invisible and I asked, “Who’s coming?”
A familiar female gaze met mine. I recognized her from Damon’s party. She scowled for a second, then her eyes widened as though she remembered me, too. “The Commission.All of them,”she said carefully.
My heart thundered. “Here?” The face of Dominic Salvatore filled my mind.
“The word is they’repissed,” she continued. “They're saying Baldeon’s killer is still here…and they’re going to find them.”
