II
Tori
S urprisingly, Syn is the first to look away. “Suit yourself.”
Whatever this weird vibe is from Syn, I don’t have enough energy to figure it out now. I find the drawstrings on the sweatpants and pull them tight to secure them. Then, trying my best to ignore the pain, I walk stiffly out of Royal’s room.
The door to ‘my’ room is closed but opens easily when I walk in. One of the guys told me that the whole house had been renovated the winter JP was killed. Given that was a few years ago now, the house probably has regular maintenance because there’s little evidence of wear and tear from the house being lived in by a bunch of college guys.
As far as I know, I’m the only person who has stayed in this room during the semester, at least. In the less-than two weeks I’ve been in here, there’s little evidence of even my presence. I’ve not gotten many belongings with me, and it’s easier to keep it clean and tidy than to deal with Syn.
The bedroom is big enough that the large four-poster bed doesn’t dominate the space, even though it’s the main feature. The walls are golden yellow and cream, and with the light coming in from the windows, which stretch almost from ceiling to floor, the room seems to glow. The effect should make me feel warm, but instead, a shiver runs down my spine.
Footsteps behind me make the hardwood floors creak under someone’s weight. Even though I know with absolute certainty they belong to either Syn, Royal, or Gemini, all of a sudden, I’ve gone back in time, and it’s like I’m reliving everything in fast forward.
Being attacked—right here in this room—fighting for my life and being dragged up to the attic. Being hung and left to die up there…
My hand curls into a fist like I’ve no control over it.
From my side, Syn’s voice breaks my thoughts. “What do you remember?”
Turning, I swing at him.
My aim is off, and my blow lands on his annoyingly chiseled jaw instead of his nose. Worse, my injured arm doesn’t give me enough power to hit him anywhere near as hard as I’d like, but it’s still enough to make him stumble backwards.
“What the fuck?” he yells.
Gemini steps between us. “Chill, Synnie. She obviously remembers what happened and thinks you’re not you, but the one who attacked her.” His voice is calm, but he’s grinning like an idiot.
Clutching my throbbing hand against me, I arch an eyebrow at Gemini. “Do I?”
His eyes widen, and then Gemini bursts out laughing.
With an annoyed grunt, Syn shoves Gemini aside and moves in front of me. His hazel eyes are narrowed as he glares at me. “Who did this?”
There’s something about the way he’s glaring at me that, for half a moment, my heart is pounding in my chest. Not because he scares me. It’s because my messed-up brain thinks he’s concerned.
Concerned about me.
And then reality kicks in.
“I don’t think your NDA covers attempted murder,” I tell him. “If you want me to stay silent, you need to finish the job you started.” The effort of speaking feels like I’m dragging razor blades up and down my throat, and I’m fighting the urge to cough.
Syn cocks his head, brows burrowed in… confusion. “You actually think I did this?”
Do I think he’s capable of this?
Yes.
Do I think he was the one who physically did it?
No.
Instead of being able to tell him this, I lose my battle against the cough I’ve been trying to hold back.
Instantly, Royal’s at my side, offering me the cup of warm honey water he must have brought with him. “Tori, he was with us. Syn didn’t do this.”
“Doesn’t mean he didn’t tell Declan to do it.” I wheeze between coughs then I take the drink and sip it, hoping I still look vaguely intimidating as I try to glare at Syn over the top of the cup.
“Declan?” Syn repeats. “Salaway?”
Unable to speak, I just nod my head.
Syn snaps his attention to Gemini. “Salaway was at the meeting.”
“Turned up late though.”
“What dorm is he in?”
Gemini pulls out his phone and quickly taps at the screen. “Rainier.”
Syn turns on his heel and storms out of the room with Gemini hot on his tail.
“Stay here,” Royal tells me before he runs after them.
Like hell I’m doing that. I’m not giving them any opportunity to cover this up.
I leave the cup on the side before I also follow after them. They haven’t gotten far, just to the main foyer where they’re all in the process of pulling on their coats.
“Go back upstairs, Victoria,” Syn tells me as he opens the front door.
He and Gemini walk out, but Royal pauses.
“Syn’s right. You should go back to bed and rest.” He closes the door behind him before I can reach it.
I yank the door open and step out onto the porch. “I’m coming with you,” I yell after them. None of the three guys turn. Then again, I’d been aiming for a shout, but what has come out is more of a croak.
When I was attacked, it was in the middle of a blizzard. It’s no longer snowing, and I’m still not sure how much time has passed since, but it’s been enough for someone to start clearing the paths.
Not wanting them to get too far ahead, I run after them. “Wait for me.”
Although Syn is in the lead, he’s the first to turn. His gaze drops from my face to my feet. With a clenched jaw, he marches back to me, pausing only long enough to scoop me up in his arms and carry me back to the porch.
Too stunned to speak, I stare at him with my mouth hanging open, even as he sets me back down on the ground.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I told you…” I wince at the pain in my throat then give up trying to speak normally and drop my volume to a whisper. “I’m coming with you.”
“You plan on walking all the way to the dorms in bare feet?” Syn purposely drops his gaze to my feet once more.
“It’s not like you were going to wait for me to go and put some shoes on.”
Syn’s gaze travels back to my face where he stares directly into my eyes. “Why would I wait? I told you to stay put. There’s no need for you to come.”
“So you can cover this up? Not this time, Synclair.”
Stepping closer, the gap between us almost disappears. “Nothing is going to get covered up. Now, do as you’re told, and get back inside.”
In my current state, I’m not sure how threatening I look, but I fold my arms as I glower at him. “Not a chance. I don’t trust you.”
“This isn’t a game.”
“Which is exactly why I’m coming with you.”
Syn glares back at me, and I’m almost certain he’s grinding his teeth. Then, he steps around me, types in the code to the door, and pushes it open. “Inside, Victoria.”
I shake my head, refusing to budge.
“Get inside and get some shoes on your damn feet,” he tells me through gritted teeth.
This feels like a trap, so I don’t move.
With an exasperated sigh, Syn rakes a hand through his hair. “For the love of God... Get inside, get some shoes and a damn coat. We will wait.”
I can’t help but look over my shoulder every other step as I walk into the house, but as I go to the closet in the hallway and pull out a pair of boots that don’t belong to me—I’m certain that they’re Gemini’s—and slip them on, the only movement that Syn makes is to shift his weight from one foot to the other.
When I return to him moments later, he arches an eyebrow. “You seem surprised.”
All I can do is shrug. “If roles were reversed, at what point would you trust me?” I don’t wait for an answer, instead walking towards Gemini and Royal, who are still standing at the end of the short path.
Rainier House is one of the Elite’s exclusive male dorms, not too far from Denali House. Whoever cleared the snow clearly did so with Synclair Keyingham in mind. The paths towards the dining hall, and even the parking lot have been cleared, but the path between Denali House and the dorms have not. Thankfully, most of the route leads us between buildings, so the snow isn’t too deep.
The dorms that the Elite live in are on the opposite side of campus than the main dorms, which I initially moved into. I’ve never been in the Elite dorms and have only seen them from the outside as I’d explored the campus, but I’ve heard that the four-story buildings are more like apartments than dorms.
“What day is it?” I ask as Gemini types in the door code to the dorm.
“Sunday,” Royal tells me. “Why?”
As we get closer, there are more footprints in the snow. Although it is a weekend, and usually, most students either go home or to New York City, it was Syn’s birthday, so instead, people stayed for the party. That was Friday night. Which means my initiation video was released on Saturday, and I was attacked the same day.
I don’t answer. Instead, I follow Syn and Gemini inside Rainier dorm. I’m not sure what I was expecting for a dorm, but it wasn’t this. The main entrance area is like a hotel lobby, complete with high ceilings, marble floors, and a lot of plants and seats. At the far end is an elevator, with an open staircase beside it curving up and around the elevator.
The high ceiling stretches to the top of the building, revealing each floor above. Even from here, I can see that each floor only has one door. Whoever designed the interior chose to completely ignore the traditional red brick exterior of the building.
Gemini takes the lead, going straight for the elevator. The four of us fit in, though I somehow end up in the back corner with the three guys in front of me, like I’m a celebrity, and they’re my security detail.
Although the doors are glass, the walls are polished metal, and once more, I’m confronted with my reflection. The bruise under my eye is starting to swell a little.
We only go up one floor. While I doubt that was for my benefit, I’m still grateful I didn’t have to take the stairs. Every step I’ve taken since leaving Royal’s bed has only highlighted how sore I feel.
Once again, Gemini is the first person to reach the only door on this floor. Like outside, there’s another keypad, and after a quick glance at his phone, he types in the code. At this point, I’m neither surprised, nor do I care that they seem to have access to all these codes.
Declan probably thinks he’s gotten away with murder, and I don’t want him to have the chance to get rid of any evidence.
The door opens straight into a living room area. Peter and George, two other freshmen Elite, are playing a video game on the couch, and despite someone entering their apartment without being let in, neither of them look away from the TV.
“Which room is Salaway’s?” Syn demands.
Peter glances over his shoulder, and in the process of doing a double take, throws his controller in the middle of the room as he leaps to his feet. “That one.”
“What the—shit, Synclair? Is everything alright?” George joins Peter on his feet, but Syn doesn’t pay any attention as he marches across the room to the door Peter is pointing at.
Without giving any warning, Syn pushes the door open and walks in.
“Ah, shit,” Gemini mutters from right behind him.
From the lack of response from Declan at having his room barged into, I assume he’s not there. Pushing my way past Royal, whose broad back is almost entirely blocking the bedroom door, I squeeze into the room, ready to start searching.
But Declan is in his bedroom. He’s at the large desk in front of the window, his body slumped over, asleep.
I take a step closer, but Syn sticks his arm out in front of me.
That’s when I realize Declan’s not sleeping.
A red pool surrounds his head and feet. One hand is dangling limply. Below it is a sharp knife.
I’ve never seen a dead body before, except on television. This doesn’t feel like I’m watching a show, and I have no doubt that Declan Salaway is dead. But I also don’t feel shocked, sickened, or even sad by what I’m staring at.
“Go back to the house,” Syn tells me. “We’ll take care of this.”
“Like hell I’m letting you cover this up,” I say as I turn to him, knocking his hand away.
“Cover this up?”
“If you don’t call the cops, I will.”
Syn looks from me to Declan, then back to me. “You think I’m going to cover this up?” When I fold my arms and arch an eyebrow at him, he lets out a long sigh. “I just didn’t want you to have to stay around this any longer than you need to.” He pulls out his phone, taps on it a few times before turning the screen to me.
Calling… 911
As the call connects, he brings the phone to his ear. There’s a moment’s pause.
“911, what’s your emergency?”