6. Thea
6
Thea
M y first week at Abernethy College flew by. While classes had officially begun, and our professors were already piling on work, I’d settled in better than expected.
There was something freeing about knowing Torrance couldn’t wake me up in the middle of the night for a ‘training’ session. I’d slept better in the last few days than I ever had in my entire life. My bed was comfortable, and I loved looking out of my window and seeing the mountains looming over the college every morning.
It had even stopped raining. Sadly, that wasn’t quite the boon I expected. The weak late summer sun heralded the appearance of swarms of midges, and I was having a fun time fighting them off. Luckily, I’d packed a lemon-scented spray to discourage the fuckers from treating me as an all-you-can-eat buffet. It worked most of the time.
One thing I hadn’t thought to pack much of was warm clothing. While I had a couple of sweaters and some jeans, I needed way more cold-weather-appropriate clothing. It looked like a shopping trip was in order this weekend. I just hoped the nearby town had a few decent stores that sold clothing in my size. The alternative was shopping online, and I hated that because I was an odd size: petite, but busty.
But that was a problem for tomorrow’s Thea. Tonight was the party Landon had told me about. I’d never been to a party before, but if I was to complete my father’s mission, I needed to get close to Cassian Forsyth.
And since I hadn’t run across him so far, this was my only option.
I scanned the meager contents of my small closet. Absolutely nothing in there screamed sexy party girl. How on earth was I going to capture the attention of a guy like Cassian if I dressed like a wallflower? I had a feeling my usual jeans and a hoody wouldn’t cut it.
Ugh.
But since jeans were all I had, and there wasn’t time to put in an express order at some online fashion store, I’d have to make the best of it.
I spent ages curling my hair with the help of a YouTube tutorial and then applied some makeup. Again, thanks YouTube . When I looked in the mirror, I almost didn’t recognize myself. Blood and gore were my usual aesthetic, not winged eyeliner and siren-red lips.
But at least I didn’t look like a five-year-old after raiding her mom’s makeup bag.
That was a win, right?
Now all I needed to do was pick something to wear.
With so few options, I went with a pair of skinny jeans that hugged my ass. A red lace push-up bra and a cropped tee completed the look, which I accessorized with my favorite leather jacket and boots.
To be on the safe side, I tucked a small but vicious switchblade into my boot. The college was supposedly safe, but I wasn’t taking any chances. If some asshole tried to rape me, he’d learn the hard way not to touch me. Pretty sure there were plenty of remote locations around here to dispose of a body.
Not that I wanted to test that theory, but I’d learned from bitter experience that it was safer to account for every possibility. If anything could go wrong, it invariably would.
I could hear the party before I reached the top of the north tower. Small lights illuminated the stairwell, and there were narrow windows set in the thick rock walls at intervals.
This far north, the days were longer than I was used to, so it was still light outside.
I followed the sounds of music and laughter until I reached a door. Just as I was about to open it, a girl fell through, nearly knocking me back down the stairs.
“Oops,” she giggled in a cut-glass accent. “Sorry!”
I ignored her while she stumbled past me on ridiculous heels. A guy soon appeared, obviously looking for her.
“Carla! Wait!” He shot past, brushing against me. Eww.
The thud of bass hurt my ears, so loud I could barely hear myself think, but I pushed through the throngs of students lining the small landing. Light and heat spilled out of a door to my left and I followed the stench of weed and alcohol.
The apartment was much larger than mine. Given it was right at the top of the tower, with amazing views and a small roof terrace, it didn’t surprise me that Cassian Forsyth lived here.
Two of the doors leading off the living room and kitchen were closed, but the other three were wide open, revealing spacious bedrooms.
A muscular arm slid around my waist, and I froze. My hand instinctively moved down my leg toward my blade, but the moment my attacker spoke, I straightened.
“Hot stuff! You came!”
“I did,” I agreed, scanning the room’s occupants and doing my level best to ignore the way Landon felt pressed up against me. Pretty boy smelled good. He really was a snack. A very hard, muscular snack I’d have loved to sink my teeth into.
If I was a normal girl with a normal life, this party would have been amazing. Everyone here was gorgeous. The girls all wore next to nothing - strappy dresses, tiny miniskirts, sparkly tops and fuck-me heels. Most of the guys also seemed to have adopted the ‘less is more’ dress code, which meant I felt extremely overdressed.
It was obvious the party had been raging for a while. Students were draped over each other, furiously making out in corners. Some danced to the music, their bodies glued together in a way that suggested they were exchanging bodily fluids.
It was like Sodom and Gomorrah on steroids.
I began to understand why my father hadn’t wanted me to socialize with my peers. He must have known there was no way I’d still be a virgin if he let me be a normal teenager.
“You look delicious, hot stuff. Let me get you a drink,” Landon whispered in my ear, leading me into the kitchen. Bottles lined the counter, along with a large bucket of ice. Landon plucked a small bottle of beer from the refrigerator, popped the cap, and handed it to me.
I took a sip and grimaced.
“You don’t like beer?” He laughed. “We have plenty of other booze. What’s your preferred poison?” I glanced at the selection. Drinking was a terrible idea. It dulled my reactions, but fuck it, I needed one night off from the shit that was my life. And it wasn’t as if I was going to find out anything this evening. Not with so many people in such a small space.
The best I could hope for was an introduction to Cassian, so I could legitimately get closer to him over the next few weeks.
I still had no clue what my father needed, but he’d made it clear I was to become Cassian’s new friend. It was laughable. How he expected me to befriend a guy who had a zillion rich and well-connected friends was baffling. I guess he assumed my looks would be enough.
That was in doubt now that I’d seen how many girls there were in Cassian’s social circle, all of whom were well-spoken, vivacious, and stunning. But Father knew best, and he was holding my sister’s safety over my head, so what choice did I have?
If I had to whore myself out to Cassian in return for access to his deepest, darkest secrets, then so be it.
“Vodka?” I didn’t much like vodka either, but I had a high tolerance to it, so could easily neck a few shots and not get wasted.
“Your wish is my command, m’lady.” Landon picked up a bottle of Grey Goose and poured a generous splash over ice into a plastic cup. Then he swapped it for my bottle of beer. “Cheers!”
The cold, citrusy liquid slid down my throat, and I relaxed.
“Didn’t think you’d come,” Landon commented as he leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me.
I shrugged, refusing to meet his eye. Making small talk was painful. I never knew what to say and ended up feeling awkward as hell. A thick silence stretched between us, filled with the sounds of laughter, sex noises, and thumping music.
Landon leaned in and murmured in my ear, “When you feel more relaxed, come and find me. I’ll show you my dance moves.” I shivered as he pressed his lips to my neck. At a distance, he was sexy as hell. Up close, he sucked all the oxygen from my lungs.
I watched as he walked off and merged with the mass of people dancing to Diplo. The boy wasn’t lying; he had moves. Knowing full well my eyes were on him, he stripped off his pale blue tee and flung it at the nearest sofa, causing a couple making out to yelp with surprise.
Landon was lean but cut, with broad shoulders, sculpted arms, and deliciously ripped abs. He even had the sexy V I’d seen on models.
My mouth watered at the thought of tracing that V with my tongue, so I took another long gulp of vodka to cool my overheated body.
It didn’t work. From Landon’s languid smirk, he knew exactly what effect he was having on me. I scowled at him and turned away. The guy was a born flirt. He probably flirted with everyone. I wasn’t special. No doubt he saw me as a challenge because I was a new here. Fresh meat , so to speak.
The poor guy had no clue who he was flirting with.
Just as I was about to step away from the counter and venture further into the apartment, a large guy strolled into the kitchen. He paused when he saw me.
Unlike Landon, who smelled of black pepper and spice, this idiot stunk of spilled beer and sweat. My nose wrinkled with distaste and I moved to step back, but he blocked me in with two brawny arms.
He probably assumed he had me trapped, and if I was a normal college girl, he would have. The guy was far taller than me. Intimidatingly so. Ridiculously large muscles bulged out of his green polo shirt. It was obvious he spent a lot of time lifting weights in the gym, but I could handle pricks like him. Torrance had taught me well.
“What have we here?” he leered, leaning in.
“Fuck off before I break your arm,” I warned in a low voice so only he could hear.
He jerked back with surprise, obviously not expecting a petite thing like me to be so vicious. I loved it when guys underestimated me.
“I was only being friendly!”
There was a commotion behind him and before I could tell the meathead exactly what I thought of his friendly overture, someone ripped him away from me with a furious yell.
“Get your fucking slimy hands off her, Dirk,” Landon growled before punching him. The guy’s nose exploded, and I grinned, enjoying the show.
Landon wasn’t just a pretty face. Dirk didn’t even bother fighting back, which was pretty pathetic.
“The fuck?” A large tatted guy with bulging shoulders shoved past the people watching Landon turn Dirk into ground beef. He grabbed Landon and yanked him backward. Everyone observing the carnage flinched and immediately moved away from the newcomer. From their flighty reactions, he was someone they feared.
The music abruptly died. The only sound came from Dirk, who lay sniffling on the floor, holding his nose.
“Lan! What the ever-loving fuck are you doing? You’ll get expelled if you kill him!”
Okay … killing a fellow student only resulted in expulsion? Interesting. It was good to know I had plenty of leeway if someone pissed me off.
“He touched her,” Landon snarled, trying to shove his friend away, but the tatted guy was bigger and stronger. With arms like that, he probably bench-pressed trucks for fun.
“I don’t care if he touched your fucking dick. You can’t kill him in our apartment! Jesus Christ. At least wait until you’re up on the moor when you off him. It’s easier to get rid of a body up there.”
My smile widened. This guy was my kind of people. The asshole on the floor groaned. Psycho guy whistled loudly, the piercing sound cutting right through the murmuring from people stood nearby, watching like this was some twisted reality show.
A lanky guy wearing a pink shirt materialized. He blanched at the state of the idiot lying on the floor, moaning.
“Tristan, take Dirk to medical. He’s had an accident.”
“Wh…what did he…do?”
“No idea, but he’s banned from all future parties.”
Landon muttered obscenities while the psycho guy lifted Dirk like he weighed nothing and tossed him out into the hallway. I heard a few more groans as Tristan followed, and then the door swung shut.
Both Landon and his friend turned to me. Landon scanned me from head to toe. “Did he hurt you?”
The music kicked off again, but at a lower volume this time. I chuckled with amusement, then shook my head. “No.” He was two seconds away from having his arm broken, but I didn’t bother telling Landon that. It was better to pretend I was some weak, defenseless female.
“Good.” Landon stepped closer while his friend watched our interaction curiously. “I’m sorry he touched you.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” I looked down at his bloody fists. “You should probably sort those out. You’re bleeding everywhere.”
Landon shrugged. “I’ll be OK.”
His psycho friend tilted his head to one side, now laser-focused on me.
“Who’s your little cyka ?” he asked Landon.
I turned and scowled at the fucker, well aware that cyka meant bitch in Russian.
“ Na khui ,” I hissed, giving him my middle finger. Fuck you.
His black eyes widened in surprise, then he grinned. “ Ty govorish' po-russki ?” You speak Russian?
“ Nemnogo .” A little.
He stared at me for a few more moments, briefly checking me out, then dismissed me with a shrug.
He turned back to Landon. “Get cleaned up before Cassian finds out you almost killed Dirk.”
Landon rolled his eyes. “He’ll be alright. He lost the last remaining brain cell, that’s all.”
“Sure, whatever. Your funeral. You know Cass doesn’t want any trouble. He can’t afford to piss off his father again.”
Interesting. Cassian was apparently the leader of their little bro pack. It kinda made sense, given what I knew about him. His Russian friend was an enigma, though.
If I had to guess, the guy had mafia connections. Blood and mayhem clearly didn’t faze him, and my research on this place suggested many students had criminally connected families, me being one of them.
Not that anyone knew who I was. Father had given me a new fake identity and Ricci was a common surname.
“Fuck off, Kyril. Thea is my guest, so Dirk deserved to get his ass kicked when he touched her without permission.”
Kyril shook his head and wandered off, melting back into the group of people swaying to the heavy bass beat of the music.
“Where’s the bathroom?”
Landon raised a blond eyebrow. “Bathroom?”
My eyes rolled. “So I can dress your hands.”
“You want to take care of me, hot stuff?” He looked positively gleeful at the idea.
“No. I just want to make sure you don’t bleed all over the floor,” I deadpanned.
“Oh.” His smile slipped, and I felt bad for 1.8 seconds. “It’s the door on the right.”
I headed that way, with Landon trailing after me. A few people watched us curiously, but most were far too wasted to care what we were doing now that the fight drama was over.
We passed through an empty bedroom with sports kit tossed all over the floor. The adjoined bathroom was spacious with a black marble tiled floor, a walk-in shower, and a white vanity unit.
Landon flicked a wall switch and the ceiling spotlights winked on.
“Gonna have your wicked way with me?” he smirked.
“Sit down.” I rolled my eyes while pointing to a chair next to the vanity. He did as he was told, pouting like a little bitch.
A quick search of the cabinets revealed a small medical kit and clean towels. I quickly and expertly cleaned and dressed his split knuckles. He’d be OK once the skin healed. It was nothing too serious.
Unlike poor Dirk.