Chapter 7 Alex
ALEX
“Tell me more about this Randall,” Dante said.
“He’s just a guy in my frat. He’s an idiot and drunk all the time.”
Dante narrowed his eyes, studying me. “He hurt you.”
“And that bothers you?”
“Fuck yes bothers me.”
I shivered. Dante sounded dangerous. He was sarcastic and could be cutting when he was in the classroom, but this was different. Was he really one of The Theriots? If my professor had mob connections, what would he do to Randall?
“Do you think he’ll hurt you again?” Dante asked.
“Maybe. He’s probably the one who drugged me today.”
Dante’s jaw tightened. “You think he’s behind this?”
“I don’t know who else it would be.”
“Tell me everything you remember about today.”
My memory of the whole day, except for those humiliating moments standing in Dante’s office, was fuzzy.
“I got back from getting stitched up, and I wrote the paper. I slept for a few hours, then came to campus, went to organic chem, and came to see you with the paper. After I left your office…” I wasn’t about to mention crying in the bathroom. “I went back to the house and started drinking.”
“Alex.”
“I know it was stupid, okay? I was hurt, and I’d hardly had any sleep, but I was just… I was mad at myself. I was mad at Randall. I don’t know.”
My eyes stung with tears again. What the fuck was wrong with me, and why was I spilling all of this to Dr. Theriot? I wanted him to think I was hot, not that I was a hot mess.
“Go on,” he urged.
I took a slow, steady breath, and then I did. “I finished off some Jell-O shots we had in our fridge. I’m guessing if I really was drugged, that’s how.”
“Would he have known you’d take them?” Dante asked.
“No, but it would have been one of my friends, if not me. I doubt he would care if they got fucked up.”
He nodded. “How did you end up here?”
I thought about it. There were still moments that were a complete blank, but some of what happened came back to me.
“I remember feeling weird. I kept telling myself I was just drunk, but I kept feeling stranger and stranger. That’s when I knew I’d been drugged.
I’d looked up your address when we first met, so I guess I found my way here, but I don’t remember anything else until you found me. ”
“Do you think Randall did it?”
When I met Dante’s gaze, my mouth went dry.
He didn’t look like a stern professor; he looked dangerous, like he could kill easily.
I was beginning to believe the mafia rumors were true.
Remington Theriot was rumored to be the most powerful man in the New Orleans crime world, and his father, known as Bébé, was a legend in South Louisiana.
But Theriot was a common name, so what were the chances he was related?
I swallowed, trying to produce some moisture so I could speak. “I… I think so.”
“He needs to be dealt with.”
Holy shit. What did that mean? “What are you going to do to him?”
“I’m going to scare the fuck out of him, or rather, a friend of mine is.”
“A friend?”
Dante ran a hand through his hair. “A family member.”
“You’re not going to, like, kill Randall, are you?”
He seemed to be considering that. “Does he deserve it?”
“I don’t want to be responsible for that.”
Dante nodded. “I respect that. Though if he comes after you again—if he hurts you—I will make sure he pays.”
Fuck. This was as good as any protector fantasy I’d ever had, except for the fact that we weren’t naked. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I hate bullies, and I want to keep you safe.”
“You do?”
“Yes. You obviously need protection, and I’m going to provide that for you.”
“What else will you provide for me?” I realized I shouldn’t have said those words out loud. Heat rushed to my cheeks.
“Alexander, I don’t think that’s a question either of us should answer.”
“But I—”
He shook his head. “I’m going to see that you’re protected, and you are going to take care of yourself. Whatever that means you need to do. You’re going to get sleep, you’re going to cut back on drinking, and you’re going to get your work done on time. Not just in my class but in all of them.”
Damn, that commanding voice of his was hot as hell. He liked being in control. I could tell how much he needed me to agree to his commands. It made me hot as fuck. My cock twitched in my pants, and I wanted to squirm. I wanted to touch him. Instead, I just said, “Yes, Professor.”
He glared at me. “You’re playing with fire, Alexander.”
“I’m used to danger.”
“Your life doesn’t need to be dangerous. You’re making bad choices.”
I stared at him. “You can call someone to make sure Randall’s never going to bother me again, but you’re lecturing me about making bad choices?”
“I’m making very good choices. I’m protecting someone who deserves it.”
Was that true? “How do you know I deserve it? How do you know I’m not just as evil as he is?”
“You chose to help a woman when you could’ve ignored the problem. You knew your interference would give Randall even more reason to hate you. That would be enough to sway me, but I’m good at reading people. I can tell you’re not evil.”
“What can you read about me, other than my lack of evilness?”
He shook his head. “That’s not important. You wrote a damn good paper, even working on it after having had your face sewn up?”
“Yeah.”
“I look forward to seeing what you can do when you’re in better shape.” I wondered if I’d be in better shape anytime soon. “Randall will not continue to harass you. I will see to that.”
“What if he thinks I’ve turned him in or—”
“No one will think you turned him in, and the university will have nothing to do with this. Have you eaten anything today?”
I knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. “No.”
“Jesus, no wonder you passed out in my yard. I’ll make you something to eat. After dinner, I’ll get you settled in the guest room.”
Was he serious? “You’re going to let me stay here?”
“Until I’ve had a chance to deal with Randall. I don’t want you back at the frat house. You need to be someplace where I can keep an eye on you.”
“He’s not going to kill me or anything.” Why was I trying to convince Dante of that when he was going to let me stay here? Having him go all growly and protective had scrambled my brain even more than whatever drug I’d been given.
“He already could have. He’s dangerous, and I won’t have you anywhere he can get to you again.”
“If I’m going to stay here, I’d rather stay with you.”
He raised his brows. “Don’t go there.”
I sighed. That was exactly where I wanted to go. “I’d be happy to repay you for all your help.”
“Then repay me by not causing me any more trouble.”
I smiled at him. “I am a lot of trouble. You could punish me for all of that.”
He closed his eyes, and I watched his chest rise and fall. He was trying so hard to deny what he wanted.
I sat up and laid a hand on his arm, but I jerked it back when he jumped.
“Alex.” There was so much in his utterance of my name—a plea to stop, desire for me to touch him more, and some kind of aching pain I couldn’t quite understand.
Without saying anything else, he stood and walked into his kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with a sandwich for me. “I’m going to make a real dinner, but this will do for now. Eat this and finish your electrolytes while I’m cooking.”
“You’re going to leave me in here all alone? I could do anything.”
He glared at me, the look so fierce it seemed to press me back against the sofa. I knew he wasn’t a man to cross, but I couldn’t help myself. “You’ll stay right there on the couch.”
I smiled. “Yes, Professor.”
He started to say something, then pressed his lips together, turned, and left the room.