Chapter 6
Six
Zee
“Who the fuck is this?”
The crisp air doesn’t cool that heat on my neck, my eyes scanning my surroundings.
“You know who, Angel."
A tremble surges through me.
He’s real.
His voice sounds as close as it did last night, sinking into my bones.
“All this foreplay and you won’t even give me a name?” I steady my voice, my gaze settling on the forest again. “Don’t be a puss—”
“Read your texts.”
My gut twists.
Lowering my shaky hand, I bring my screen into view.
Tapping to my texts, there’s one unread.
The knot in my gut tightens.
It’s a video.
Of me.
The world tilts as my eyes fix on the still image.
I'm on the sofa, naked, my hands between my legs. Sugar Skull sits on the armchair next to me, his broad back to the camera.
He’s watching me.
When I play the video, my hand comes to my mouth.
I watch as my body writhes and moves, my head falling back.
I look like I'm enjoying myself, like I didn’t care that he was there at all.
Something shifts in my stomach.
It wasn’t one random person trying to steal Drey’s drugs.
This man targeted me.
He watched me.
And now he’s fucking with me.
Heat spreads over my frozen body.
He's threatening me.
The call ends.
I tap on the last call, but it doesn’t go through. My text doesn’t either.
My grip tightens on my phone.
It's my move.
If he sends this to the cops, I can’t argue the evidence. What would I say? He made me touch myself like this? He made me let him watch? Even I know that's not true, and it's written all over my face in the video.
A sharp tingle fires between my legs as my breath shallows.
Is he coming for me?
“Zee?”
I jump.
Spinning around, Kon appears in my view, his brows low as he exits the building. “You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Great, he’s looking at you like you’re fucked up.
He’s looking at you like you’re a weirdo.
I can’t tell him what just happened.
I’ll look insane.
“Zee?” Kon waves a hand in front of my face.
“I-I’m sorry, I—”
“May I?” Kon hovers his hand inches from my chest.
When I nod, he lowers his hand to my skin and applies a little pressure.
“Take a deep breath in.” He inhales with me, my mind shifting to Kon’s warm hand on my skin. “Now exhale.”
We exhale together, his eyes finding mine before we do it a few more times.
“This is embarrassing." A nervous laugh escapes me, one I hate. “I promise you didn’t hire a psycho.”
“You gonna tell me what happened?” he asks.
“I’m just … a little overwhelmed.”
“Yeah, this place can do that.” He laughs, his firm hand landing on my back. “Do you need a ride home? We can stop and get you a snack along the way. I’m off campus, but you’re on the edge, right?”
My heart stutters.
Is he asking me out?
My eyes fall to the helmet in his hand. “You mean on your bike?”
He follows my gaze to his helmet, laughing again. “Don’t worry. I have another. Safety first.” He winks.
My shoulders drop.
Classic, Zee.
Not only is he your boss and a prof at the school you’re about to enroll in, but he also rides a bike. Kon has bad news written all over him, and I promised myself I wouldn’t go for that.
“Is everything okay?”
Another voice comes from nearby.
Atlas.
He looks over the rim of his glasses, those round, dark eyes shining under the sun. He carries two large boxes in his arms. If they’re heavy, it doesn't show.
I definitely don’t want two of my bosses seeing me like this.
“Yeah, so fine.” I finally find more words as I straighten up, Kon’s hand falling from my back.
“You don’t look so great.” Atlas’s head drops to the side. “Try ginger and an indica.” He continues walking towards the small parking lot.
“Wait,” I call.
Walking home alone right now, even in the sunlight, sounds like a lot after that call. While Kon seems fun, Atlas is … safer.
Atlas stops, his shoulders dropping like I’m already a nuisance.
“Can I take you up on this offer another time?" Turning to Kon, I wince. "I’m pretty stressed out, and if I'm honest, I don’t trust myself around you right now.”
For the first time, Kon's cheeks redden before he smiles. “I’ll respect that.” Then he calls over his shoulder.
“Atlas, can you please drive our future employee of the month home? She’s a little shaken up.
” I see the hesitation in Atlas, his steps slowing.
Then he tilts his head, beckoning me. “I’ll catch you later, flower. ”
“Flower?”
“Your name, it’s a flower, right?”
“It’s Zee.”
“Whatever it is, it works for me.” Kon walks towards the forest across the street.
My body stiffens again. “Y-you park in the forest?”
“I don’t trust a Ducati in the parking lot with these kids.” He pulls his bike from a nearby tree, and I can’t help but bite my lip when I watch him get on it. That fitted leather jacket, the way he straddles the metal.
I let out a long exhale.
Did I fuck that up?
My mind wanders to what a night out with Kon would be like. Something tells me he knows how to treat a girl, even for a night.
Hoooonk!
A long honk comes from the parking lot beside the building. From an old-looking, boxy, black car. Atlas waves his arm out, calling me over as Kon revs away.
I definitely made the wrong choice.
Atlas’s car looks like he stole it from an old Frenchman. Straight-edged and formal. Like a hearse. Or a coffin.
Once I’m in, he doesn’t say anything, and I’m not sure if I should comment on the deep red leather interior or the massive steering wheel. He doesn’t give me a chance to, turning on some music as he leaves the lot.
For an old car, it’s as clean as the Insectarium and his office. The dash is dustless, and there isn’t even a single fry rolling around on the floor. A gold coin hangs from the dash, reflecting the sun. It’s of an eye, vines coming from each side.
I reach for it.
“Don’t touch anything.” Atlas finally speaks.
I slink back into my seat, a melody catching my ear. I blink. “Wait, is this VEIL?”
Atlas’s head whips to me. “You know her?”
“Know her? I’ve snuck into every show she’s ever played in the city.”
A smile creeps across Atlas’s face, and… he’s cute when he smiles. “What do you like about her?”
“You kiddin’ me? Her stuff is dark, moody, poetic. I can relate. She’s a femme in a male-dominated space, and she’s killing it.”
“She suits you,” Atlas says, and I can’t deny it. I’m surprised he likes her, too. I figured he’d be more of a classical fan. Or soft rock. “She’s having a secret show in Montreal in a couple of weeks. For her new EP.”
“Fuck off.”
Atlas’s head tilts.
My cheeks heat as Atlas chuckles again. "I mean, that's pretty cool." Hearing his laughter makes me laugh, too. It’s low, from his chest. “We should see her!”
Atlas rolls the car to a stop sign before he turns his head to me, his smile gone. “Zee, I can't be off campus with students."
Shit.
You idiot.
Of course, that’s an inappropriate thing to ask.
Why would you put yourself in that position?
Now he thinks you have a crush on him.
The words come quickly out of my mouth. “I don’t have a crush on you or anything…”
His brow creases.
You. Idiot.
Closing my eyes, I hope I can disappear right into my seat.
He clears his throat. “Have you seen the campus?”
I shake my head.
“You should get familiar. I'll ask you to get some supplies during your shift from different labs. Wouldn’t want you getting lost.”
Settling into the warmth of his car, Atlas takes me on a small tour of the campus.
This place spans acres. Different buildings, some historical, covered in ivy.
Others are modern glass structures gleaming in the sun.
Atlas stays quiet as my eyes wander the array of fountains and gardens, glancing at me as if he’s trying to figure out if I’ll last.
When he stops in front of Sir Smith’s, my shoulders rise. I turn to Atlas, and he looks lost in thought, his eyes on the building.
Shit. Does he know?
Is that why we've stopped here?
I can’t take his silence any longer.
“You tryna go for a drink?” I ask, finding his gaze. “‘Cause you just said you can’t be seen with students.”
“Sorry, this was…” His attention drifts to me. “It’s the last place I saw Professor Blackwood.”
A jolt hits my chest at the mention of my father. “What was he like?”
“Awkwardly charismatic.” Atlas rolls the car forward. “You remind me of him.”
My cheeks burn as Atlas drives on. He makes my father sound almost human. Like he wasn’t some asshole who abandoned us. I want to ask more. I want to dig a little deeper, but my throat closes in. It’s hard to speak again the whole way back to the house.
Despite that, this drive wasn’t as bad as I thought. Atlas, while standoffish and straightforward, seems warm. Kind.
Lola was right.
He comes to a stop at the front of the house on the far end of campus.
"Welcome to Eastmount." He reaches over me, warmth radiating off him as he opens the passenger door. “Between you and me, you're better than here."
His words linger in the air as I climb out of his car. Before I can say anything else, he closes the door and drives away.
My eyes linger on the trunk of his car. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Eastmount is far better than where I’ve come from.
Once inside, my back falls against the door, silence overtaking me.
So does warmth.
My head snaps up.
Is that … heat?
Moving to the thermostat near the entrance, the little lines on the screen tell me it’s working. I haven’t felt this warm in here since… well, since him.
My eyes shift to the sofa in the living room, my hands coming to my arms. The heat from my body was undeniable. All because of his words.
My masked invader.
Sugar Skull.
Reaching into my tote, I find my phone and the video he sent.
The camera angle looks low, almost at the level of the sofa.
My eyes move to the bookshelf built into the living room wall. Then I move towards it.
One by one, I start pulling books off the shelves, shaking each one for a clue. After the tenth book slams to the floor, I stand back, scanning the rows of books.
“Be smart about this, Zee,” I mutter. “What here doesn’t belong?”
My eyes land on a book that’s taller than the rest, its leather spine shinier than the others.
A big ass Bible.
My head tilts as my eyes focus on a tiny red light blinking at the bottom of the spine.
Bingo.
Grabbing it off the shelf, I flip it open, shaking it, waiting for a camera to fall out. When it doesn’t, I run my finger under the binding, my body stiffening when it touches something long and cold.
A wire.
Pulling on it stretches the wire, revealing a camera as small as my nail.
I throw it to the ground.
With the heel of my sneaker, I summon all my weight and step on it. Then again. And again, until I hear it crunch.
Picking it up, I march to the window, my heart pounding as I open it. As I toss it to the ground, questions flood my mind.
How long has he been watching me?
Was I the target or was Drey?
Did he know my father?
My entire body shakes at my next thought.
Will he be back?