Vicious Secret: A Dark College Romance

Chapter 16

I’ve lost my freaking mind.

I start up at the intricate wrought-iron gate stretched between two large brick posts with ivy crawling up their weathered sides. The posts are topped with ornate, black, iron lamps that pierce the shadows with their light. Behind the gate is the castle.

Large trees stand tall like sentries, their branches shielding parts of the building under a leafy canopy. The structure itself is a behemoth of brick and mortar. There are a number of windows lit up inside, signs of life within something so ancient.

In the gentle breeze, the gate emits a soft groan like a warning. I blow out a breath and fight the urge to glance over my shoulder for the millionth time since we started this “adventure.” When I shift my stance, the gravel underneath my shoes elicits a crunching noise that has Raven’s gaze zeroing in on me.

“Isn’t this exciting?” she whisper-shouts.

I nod. “About as exciting as the prospect of pap smear.”

“What about you, June?” Raven asks. “Are you having regrets too?”

The woman shakes her head. “Nope. I’m already trying to figure out how to scale the wall.”

“Won’t it be difficult in that skirt?”

“Skirts are good for straddling walls and men.” She winks at me, but her humor is quickly replaced with a look of determination. “We can’t see shit from here. The only option is to go forward.”

Raven tilts back her head. “You mean upward. It’s not too high though.”

“I know this whole thing started because of me, but I feel like I should be the voice of reason,” I say. “Shouldn’t we be concerned with cameras and lights with motion sensors? Not to mention security and possibly dogs?”

“This is a fraternity, not fucking Alcatraz,” Ravens says with an eye-roll. “Besides, I know a girl who blows a guy who knows a guy that was able to hack the cameras and make sure our entrance goes unnoticed. The game is afoot, Watson.”

I think about Ben and how much he means to me. At one point my foster brother was willing to give up his scholarship to keep me safe. I can do no less. Something in my gut churns at his continued silence. This goes beyond paranoia and self-consciousness.

Ben is in danger.

“Listen,” Raven says, pulling me from my musings, “If a security team spots us, we’ll just say that we were dared to come here by some boys. They’ll probably take pity on us. Right, June?”

“Probably.” She shrugs. “A little flirtation goes a long way.”

“That’s the spirit. Let”s do this shit!” Raven turns around and threads her fingers. “I’m the tallest, so you guys have to go first. Get your ass up there, June. Delilah, you’re next.”

With the grace of a ballet dancer, June steps on Raven’s clasped hands and leaps up to catch the lowest branch of the nearest oak. The hem of her trench coat flutters behind her like a pair of wings. She pulls herself smoothly onto the wall and grins down at us.

My heart kicks into overdrive watching her standing up there. Too late for second guesses or common sense now. Raven turns to look at me.

“It’s time to engage those happy chemicals or the panic ones. Either works.”

“I don’t think that’s going to help…”

She laces her fingers to provide a foothold and then practically hurls my ass over the wall the second my shoe makes contact with her palms. I wildly scramble to grab onto the branch, with June assisting by yanking on my arm. Once I’m standing on the wall, I look down at Raven with a shit-eating grin.

She returns it. “Onward and upward!”

Like a squirrel with glue on its paws, Raven launches herself at the branch, her height giving her an advantage. June and I steady her once she reaches the platform and she giggles.

“That was awesome. I’ve never felt so alive.” She does a quick sweep on the area and waves at us. “Follow me. Up ahead there’s a tree we can scale down.”

“‘Scale down’ and hacking security cameras…” I mutter. “It’s like you’re an undercover agent.”

Raven glances at me over her shoulder. “Maybe I am.”

“I think you guys should shut up,” June whispers.

My roommate flips her off. Within seconds, she’s shimming along a branch and then drops down onto the grass with a muffled curse. Before I can ask her if she’s okay, June takes off after her, landing like a ninja beside Raven.

Raven plants her hands on her hips. “Come on, Delilah. Don’t be a pussy.”

“I’m not,” I grit out. “I’m just trying not to break my neck.”

I take a deep breath and inch forward along the thick branch. My palms turn slick when I wobble precariously, but I manage to lower myself to a safe height. The only thing left to do is jump.

“Fuck it.”

My tennis shoes hit the grass, and I grunt at the impact. Sweet relief floods my system, making me a little giddy.

“Who’s the pussy now?” I ask Raven.

“Not my Watson. Now, let’s go.”

I glance up at the formidable structure of the castle, a monolith of strength and masculinity. As we get closer, the detailed stonework and peaked roofs come into view. Ivy clings possessively to the sides of the building in tangled vines. It’s eerie and beautiful.

My footsteps falter at my brief distraction, and Raven glances at me over her shoulder. “I’ll buy you the audio tour later, nerd. Focus.”

With June behind me, we follow my deranged roommate to a darkened window on the far east side of the property. I plaster myself against the brick wall and frantically scan the area. There are still no signs of alarm or any indication we’ve been spotted.

Raven grips the edge of the window with a grunt, pushing her shoulder against the flat surface. She blows out a breath of frustration. It fogs up the glass she’s been unsuccessfully trying to raise for several seconds.

“Ugh, this thing won’t budge,” Raven says. Several profane but creative words flow from her after that.

I shift from one foot to the other. I’m not sure what my friend’s plan was supposed to be. Did she really think a window would just magically open for us? I guess I’ll have to question her methods beforehand next time.

Oh, my fuck. Do I really think I’ll do this again?

“The window is either painted or nailed shut,” Raven says. “We need something to pry it open. Any ideas, Watson?”

I open my mouth to inform her that she should’ve thought of that before we attempted to commit a crime, but June steps between us. She reaches into her coat and holds out a slim metal tool. My eyes widen when the moonlight catches it.

“Is that a mini-crowbar?” I ask.

June nods. “How else did you think we were going to get inside? Witchcraft?”

I give Raven a pointed look. “Someone did.” After turning back to look at June, I scrunch my face. “Where was that thing hiding? I never saw the outline in the material of your clothing.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Raven lets out a cackle and swipes the object from June’s hand. Twirling the metal rod, my roommate wedges it under the widow seam with a confidence I find disturbing. For a rich girl, she’s familiar with shady shit.

Or maybe that’s why.

After a few seconds of strained prying, the pane gives way with a loud crack, the sound like a gunshot in the quiet. Raven straightens with a manic grin while I stand there with my heart beating so hard my chest starts to ache.

“Huzzah!” she whisper-shouts. “We’re in.”

“There’s no way someone didn’t hear that,” I say.

June nods, her gaze wide as it zips from side to side. “We better hurry. Raven, move your ass.”

My roommate hands the crowbar back to June and retrieves her phone from her pocket. After turning on the flashlight feature, she inspects the dark opening.

“Damn. It’s a long drop, and there’s nothing to climb down on.” She hoists herself onto the window ledge, wiggles a little and leans forward. “Like, how committed are we, guys?”

“Committed enough to risk a misdemeanor.” The deep masculine voice has all of us gasping. “Or maybe you’re just taking the scenic route?”