PROLOGUE
The slap of his feet on the pavement and the whoosh of air moving in and out of his lungs were all that Steven was aware of as he pushed through the last half a mile of his morning jog. The sun had just come up behind him, instantly warming his shoulders, but his breath still came out in white puffs of air, and he knew it would still be hours before the temperature got above freezing. The campus was still beautiful even in the winter, and when he rounded the bend and saw the lake shimmering in the sunlight, he slowed his pace just a little to give himself a second to enjoy the moment.
He'd never been much of a runner, but since he’d taken the position as Dean of the college, his stress level had been through the roof, and exercise seemed to help. It was the one time of the day no one could call, message, email or otherwise bother him, and he used every second of it to recharge. Spotting the bench where he always took a short rest, he slowed his pace even more, then realized with a pang of disappointment that someone was sitting right where he usually sat.
Annoyed that he’d have to find another place to watch the water, he kept running, then became curious about who would be out this early in the morning. Normally, he had the campusto himself, especially since the weather had gotten colder, but it was impossible to tell who might be sitting in his spot, other than that it was a man. He briefly considered changing his route since there were lots of other benches around the lake. However, curiosity won out in the end, and he kept going.
Regret slammed into him only a few minutes later when the man looked up at him, then reached up and pulled off his hat, but it was too late to go the other way. “You look like a rabbit caught in a trap,” Marcus Reynolds called, laughing. “That was way more fun than I thought it would be.”
“You couldn’t have just made an appointment?” he asked, stopping in front of the bench. “I get this one hour a day to myself, it’s a small thing, but I need this.”
Marcus waved his complaint away. “I’m not here on college business,” he said, pointing to the seat next to him. “We can’t have this discussion in your office.”
He sighed, but sat down next to Marcus, then took the cup of coffee the other man offered him. “Okay, but make it quick, it’s freezing out here,” he said, wrapping his hands around the cup. “I’m assuming this is about Chet Carmichael. He was blowing up my phone all day yesterday trying to convince me that Malcolm was some kind of a criminal for marrying Rose. I guess the cops wouldn’t listen to him. I’m not sure what he thought I was going to do.”
“He overplayed his hand and paid the price; he’s lost just about everything, including his reputation with the clan,” Marcus said, shrugging his shoulders. “He was in contention for the alpha spot after old man Marbury dies, but after Rose and Walker humiliated him, he’s barely holding onto his place on the elders’ council.”
“Good, maybe they’ll leave us alone now. This is getting exhausting,” he said. “I’d really love to go back to teaching, that’s what I’m good at, not babysitting fraternity boys.”
Marcus snorted, “That much is clear,” he said. “But you seem to get lucky every time.”
“You know this would be a lot easier if they knew who I really am,” he said, then held up his hand. “Never mind, I know what you’re going to say. The council wants it kept secret for some stupid reason.”
“Look, Steven, we only have a few more months to go before they graduate, then you’ll be free to live your life however you please,” Marcus said. “The Marbury clan is falling apart, their numbers have dropped significantly. Before too long they won’t be a threat to us anymore, but until then it’s your job to keep those boys safe.”
“And I take it very seriously, even if you don’t think it looks that way,” he said, getting to his feet. “They’ll all graduate on time. I won’t be the reason that your plan is going to fail.”
CHAPTER 1
***WALKER***
Oblivious to the snow gently falling from the slate grey clouds above his head, Walker threw open the doors to the gymnasium, then paused for a second, letting the familiar smell wash over him. Stepping inside, he let the doors close behind him, then headed down the long hallway following the sound of court shoes squeaking on the freshly waxed floor.
He could hear the team before he reached the door and a smile spread across his face as he listened to them good-naturedly ribbing each other. “Marty, you must have gained twenty pounds since last season,” Colin, the other point guard, called. “I told you sitting on your butt all fall was going to catch up with you.”
“At least I’m passing all my classes,” Marty called out. “You’ve been doing so much extra credit lately, we’re all starting to worry that you’re turning into a nerd.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault I have such a busy social life that I don’t have time to study,” Colin shot back. “In fact, I’ve got a date after practice. What are you doing tonight?”
He couldn’t hear Marty’s response as he dribbled away, but Colin burst out laughing, then followed him over to the other end of the gym, shaking his head. Making his way over to thebench where they all left their stuff during practice, he realized just how happy he was that basketball season was starting. Dropping his bag, he grabbed a ball and gave it a couple of experimental bounces, enjoying the small thrill that still raced through him when he got one in his hands.
Satisfied, he set the ball aside and shrugged out of his coat, then grabbed his basketball shoes out of his bag and changed into them, eager to get out on the court. It wasn’t until he picked up the ball again and began a slow dribbling walk around the outside of the court to warm up that he noticed there was a small audience sitting in the stands. There were a few men, but most of them were women, which didn’t surprise him because it happened all the time. The only difference was that some of them looked much too young to be there.
Running a little faster to catch up with Marty, he fell in step next to him, still watching the girls in the stands. “Are they letting high school girls in here now?” he finally asked. “Those two up at the top look like they’re about sixteen.”
Marty followed his gaze, then shook his head, an amused smile on his face. “Those are freshmen. They’re probably eighteen or nineteen,” he said. “They look young to you because you’re getting old.”
He started to get annoyed, then realized that his friend was right. He was twenty-two, just about to graduate, about as close to being an adult as you could get. The thought sent shivers down his spine, and he rejected it instantly. He wasn’t ready to grow up; there was still too much fun to have, still too many women to date. Looking up at the two freshmen again, he grinned at them and waved, not all that surprised when they waved back.
Marty was wrong; he wasn’t old, he was just a little more mature, that was all. He could still score with the women, and he was going to prove it to himself and his teammate right then.They’d reached the end of the gym, but instead of turning the corner like Marty, he started walking backward, still dribbling the ball, then threw in a couple of tricks before bowing to the girls in the stands when they began to clap.
Feeling sure of himself, he began an internal debate trying to decide which one of them he’d ask on a date first, the blonde or the brunette, but before he could make up his mind, disaster struck. “Walker, watch out behind you,” Marty called just as his feet got tangled up with a ball that had rolled into his path.
There was no stopping his momentum, and he went down hard. His teeth slammed together, the ball he’d been dribbling bounced up in the air, then came down on top of his head, and he felt a strange twinge in his ankle. He lay on the gym floor for a second in an undignified heap, then tried to jump back to his feet, but this time, there was a sharp stab of pain in his ankle, and he went down again.
This time he stayed right where he was, all too aware of the laughter coming from the top of the bleachers, his face flaming with embarrassment. Marty got to him first. “Are you okay?” he asked, squatting down next to him. “I tried to warn you.”
“Yeah, thanks,” he said, his ankle beginning to throb. “I shouldn’t have been showing off, but I’ll be okay, just give me a few minutes to scrape my dignity off the floor.”
