30. Kirill
Chapter 30
Kirill
I return the weights and use a small towel to wipe the sweat away from the back of my neck. My muscles are burning, and I swing my arms and pull my shoulder blades together, trying to ease the tightness.
Should I be worried about what Dom’s told me?
Maybe the body isn’t even connected to the college. I admit, that would be surprising, but it’s still possible.
Even if the body is connected to the college, it doesn’t mean it’s got anything to do with us four. There are plenty of people in this place who are just asking for trouble. I think of Insane Zane returning and wonder if the body has something to do with him. It wouldn’t be the first time the discovery of a dead person has been linked to him. When that girl ‘fell’ from the tower last year, everyone looked in his direction.
I leave the gym and move at a fast jog through the university. Dom said the place is on lockdown, but there’s no sign of fear or panic in anyone I pass. Everyone is acting normally. I assume it’s only the security guards who’ve been told about the body. Nataniele wouldn’t want to start a riot.
I try Mackenzie’s cell phone, but it goes straight through to voicemail. She often puts her phone on ‘do not disturb’ when she’s doing yoga flows. She needs to focus. I try not to let it worry me that she’s not answering, but after what we’ve both recently been through, it’s hard not to let those tendrils of fear wind into my heart.
I reach her room and bang on the door. “Mackenzie? You in there?”
No response comes, so I knock again. She might still be practicing and is now cursing my interruption. I’m not getting any sense of there being life behind the door, though. Doesn’t Domenic have a key? Maybe I ought to go ask him for it. I don’t want to disturb him and his dad when they’re coordinating things, but I need to get in her room.
One of the other members of South House walks down the hallway toward me.
“Hey, have you seen Mackenzie?” I ask her.
The girl frowns. “She was looking for her mom. I told her I saw Lucia heading to the kitchen, so she went off that way.”
“Was she with Valentino?”
“No, she was alone.”
“When was this?” I check, wanting all the details.
“Just now. Like literally five minutes ago.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I force myself to take a breath. Five minutes ago, she was fine. Nothing bad has happened to her—she’s just gone to find her mom.
I keep trying to convince myself that this is no big deal, but every nerve ending is jangling on high alert. I won’t rest until I have her with me and know she’s safe.
My thoughts turn to the other Devils. Dom is with his dad, so I know he’ll be protected, but where the fuck is Tino? Dom said he couldn’t get hold of him either.
I turn from the door and follow the route Mackenzie has just taken, but I veer off when I get to the stairs. The back way is quicker, and if she set off a couple of minutes ago, she’ll be at the kitchen soon.