“You’re full of shit,” Carl said, glancing from Heath to Anya. “Do you see what kind of man he is? Calmly talking about killing.”
Heath shook out his smarting hand. “You know we ain’t gonna kill you, dickhead. So go ahead and call the cops.” He cut his gaze to Ryker. “You all need to go. Now.”
“No.” Anya paused, her gaze on Carl. “Carl, if you turn Heath in for assault and battery, I’ll call the dean of the college right now and give him a full account of you sleeping with a student. Then I’ll let him know about this stalking issue. You’ve stalked a woman, another professor, across the country. The college won’t let that slide. You know it.” Her voice quivered, but she held her ground.
Carl’s bloodshot eyes widened. “You’re joking.”
She shook her head. “I’m really not.”
Heath tried to make sense of the conversation. The little redhead was defending him? Why? Hadn’t she just seen the real him? She didn’t owe him anything, damn it.
Her ex gaped, and then his gaze hardened. “Go for it. I have witnesses as well, and I’ll say your statements are retaliation for my turning in your boyfriend here. I’ll have the dean convinced in a minute that you invited me here.”
Oh, the man needed another beating. Heath breathed out. “Ryker? Get Anya out of here, please.”
Ryker studied him and then turned toward Anya. “We need to go.”
She shook her head, her gaze remaining on Carl. “You know what? Something tells me that student wasn’t the first you’ve slept with.”
Carl flashed bloody teeth. “Of course she was.”
“No.” Anya arched a fine eyebrow. “You just went pale. That’s a sure sign.” She turned toward Heath but kept her distance. “Carl is already in trouble, but I could certainly add to it. In fact, maybe I should call the dean right now.”
“You have no right,” Carl snapped. “You said you cared about me. You’re so alone, you’ve forgotten what that means.”
Stupid psychologist. Anger ripped through Heath again, and he turned for Carl.
Ryker stepped toward him. “Knock it off. You beat him. Walk away before we all get caught up in a shit-storm.”
It was too late to worry about that.
Anya stood taller. “I mean it, Carl. We’re even—blood for blood right now. You call the police, and I’ll take you down.” Her eyes blazed a stunning green, and pink tinged her cheeks in the cold. The woman was magnificent, facing down a jerk. “I’ll lead the investigation into your past myself instead of staying out of it.” Her smile showed she thought he’d get nailed anyway.
“You’re committing extortion,” Carl snapped.
Anya nodded. “That’s a fair characterization.” She shivered in the cold air.
Heath shook blood off his hand. Then he moved toward her. They needed to get out of the alley.
Her eyes widened, and she took a step back.
He paused. She’d just backed away from him? He’d scared her.Hewas the thing in the darkness that instinct told her to run from. That quickly, she ripped out his heart.
CHAPTER
20
Anya’s knees wobbled. She hadn’t meant to back away. Yet when Heath had turned, so much anger had still crossed his expression that she’d just reacted. Plus, he’d been spraying blood a little. Anyone would back away from flinging blood. She was wearing her good coat. “I’m not afraid of you,” she whispered for them both, not caring who was around them.
The green in his eyes seemed to burn brighter. “I know.”
Yet he didn’t. She could tell from the tense line of his long body that he didn’t believe her. How she’d fix that, she had no clue. But for now, she still needed answers. “Carl? Last chance to tell me how you found me.”
“Or what?” Carl tilted his head to the side in the way he had during their relationship that had made her think he was so much smarter than he really was.
Not this time. She stepped to the side at only about five feet from Carl. Then she drew a small handgun from her purse and pointed it at his head. “Or I shoot you.”
He blinked.
