Vicious Secret: A Dark College Romance

Chapter 12

Afew moments earlier…

The tranquilityof the garden is a front. The secrets that people have whispered here cling to the leaves of the oaks and willows, and the wind has snatched the grunts and moans of people engaging in sexual gratification. This secluded area is nothing more than a place to hook up between classes.

I lean against the trunk of a nearby tree and cross my arms with impatience. Whatever logic led me to meeting Brenda clearly wasn’t sound. However, the urgency in her voice, along with her past relationship with Eric Gage, was enough to convince me.

Just as I’m about to leave, she steps out from the shadows, the library shielding her from the sun. Brenda’s dark hair is loose, framing her face and resting on her shoulders. As always, she’s dressed well, embodying sophistication and elegance despite her humble background. I assume she’s here on a scholarship. Not that I care enough to confirm.

“X,” she says in greeting. Her eyes glint with something carnal when she runs her gaze over me. “Thank you for meeting me.”

“What do you want?”

She stiffens slightly, her smile thinning but still bright. “I was hoping we could get to know each other a little bit better.” When I quirk a brow, she pouts, her expression turning coy. “I know things, and I’ll tell you what they are, but first you have to promise me something.”

I blow out a breath of frustration as my impatience morphs into irritation. “If you think you can bribe me, you’ve snorted way too much cocaine.”

She gasps with quiet outrage and her eyes widen. I scrutinize her thoroughly, taking in the dark circles underneath her eyes and the gauntness of her cheekbones that can’t be completely hidden by makeup.

“I know that you used to be with Eric,” I say. “I also know he’s a fucking asshole, so that couldn’t have ended well for you. Tell me what you’re really here for, Brenda.”

She reaches for the buttons on her shirt and slowly undoes the first one. “I don’t want to talk about Eric. I’m here to talk about us.”

Brenda takes a step closer and licks her lips, releasing the second button. The swells of her breasts come into view, and paired with her inviting smile, she makes an alluring picture. Or she would if I wasn’t obsessed with a green-eyed, beautifully violent woman.

I hold up my hand. Brenda’s reaction is immediate, a mixture of surprise and disappointment. She freezes, her fingers lingering on a button, her gaze locked on mine.

“I’m not fucking you,” I say.

“We can take it slow, if that’s what you want.” Her lips curl. “Although I didn’t think you were the type to wait.”

Well, fuck, that makes two of us. Yet I have been waiting. Three fucking years to be exact.

I haven’t been with another girl since the day I met Delilah. I value control, but I swear she’s taken over my mind and body to the point I can’t get off unless I’m thinking about her. Not that it’s a problem. I think about that girl constantly.

Which means I fuck myself all the time because of her. If I make it through the day without groaning Delilah’s name, it’s a fucking miracle.

Seeing her on campus has been the worst and best thing in my life. Having her near soothes something chaotic inside me, but then there’s the issue that I’m hard.

All. The. Fucking. Time.

It’s difficult to concentrate on my classes or my combat training when my dick is urging me to find her. Soon… After I get through the Trials and become a full-fledged member, a crow of the Obsidian Order, Delilah will be mine. Not just in my thoughts and fantasies, but she’ll share my last name.

Mrs. Delilah Donovan.

Fuck. Me.

“Um, X?” Brenda says, her voice dragging me out of my head. She drops her gaze to my groin and lifts it, her brows raised. “You say you’re not interested, but that says otherwise.”

“That isn’t for you.”

She scrunches her face in confusion. “Okay, sure.”

“If you have information, tell me now.”

Brenda narrows her gaze, and her nostrils flare. She buttons her shirt, her movements jittery. I scrutinize her, taking in subtle cues in her behavior and appearance that I initially overlooked because she’s not important to me.

“You’re going through withdrawal,” I say. “That’s what this is about.”

She transforms right before my eyes as her mask falls away. Instead of surrounding herself with a seductive air, the atmosphere shifts to something desperate, a deep craving etched into her features. Her playful smile disappears, and her body language, once soft and welcoming, turns hard.

“I’m not like you rich kids,” she says, her words venomous. “I can’t snap my fingers and get whatever I want. I need money.”

“No, you need to go to rehab.”

She blows out a breath. “I don’t have enough money for drugs, so how am I supposed to afford that?”

“I’ll pay for it. Being with Gage fucked you, but you don’t have to stay messed up.”

“You won’t fuck me, but you’ll pay for rehab?” She squints at me, suspicion churning in her gaze. “Why would you help me?”

“You got caught up in a bad situation that spiraled out of control.”

“If anyone finds out, I’ll lose my scholarship.”

I shrug. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispers.

Her confession reveals the depth of her struggle. I pity her. Gage runs a drug empire, so he’s familiar with narcotics. He just doesn’t care that they ruin people. He certainly doesn’t give a shit about this girl and how it’s wrecking her life.

“Make a choice,” I say. “I’ll pay for it whether you give me information on Gage or not.”

There’s a moment of silence between us, filled with unspoken words and hidden motives. Her gaze darks back and forth, her tumultuous thoughts flitting across her face, betraying the tension simmering under her skin.

“Eric took a phone call when he thought I was asleep,” she says slowly. “I don’t know if it’ll be useful to you or not, but he did mention your last name.”

I listen attentively as Brenda divulges the details of Gage’s recent setbacks, her words painting a picture of vulnerability within his empire. The insight into his organization will allow me to tip the scales in my favor, especially now that I know he’s seeking to negotiate arms deals with my competitors to protect his supply chain. The Order likes everything to stay “in the family,” and the council will be pissed when they find out.

I relish the thought.

“Anything else?” I ask her.

Brenda shakes her head. “That’s all I heard.”

“Choose the facility you want to go to, and I’ll cover the costs,” I say.

“Okay.” She eyes me warily, her expression guarded. “Are you sure you don’t want to hook up? I’d do it for free.” When I shake my head, she runs her gaze over me and gasps. “You’re hung up on someone. That’s it, isn’t it?”

I don’t respond.

She smiles at me, and for the first time, it’s sincere, without any ulterior motives or deception. “She’s a lucky girl.”

Delilah is more than lucky, she’s my obsession. Every recruit entered a vow of celibacy for their senior year, but my oath was made way before then, to a girl who doesn’t even know my name.

Well, not yet.

When Delilah learns it, she’ll be screaming it.