Ryker slammed his hand over Daniel’s annoying mouth, and I took that as my cue. Turning on my heel, I spun away from them.
Anton was there. He must have been standing right behind me. How long had he been there?
“Oh. Um. Hi,” I managed, caught off guard to see him there. As usual, he remained cool and implacable, giving me a simple nod of acknowledgement before his gaze slid overthe top of my head to the place where my brother and his friends were standing. The corner of his lips tugged up in the barest hint of amusement, and before I could process that shocking display of emotion—for him—his fingers were wrapping around my arm, and he was gently pulling me into his side. I did my best not to stiffen at the unexpected contact.
“Nova. I’m looking forward to seeing you at Thorpe Manor for dinner tonight.”
“We’ll be there too.”
Jay’s voice was…different. Steely. Challenging, almost.
“I’m sure you will,” Anton drawled. Leaning down to press a kiss to my cheek, he released me. “Until then. Thorpe. Hoyton. Attwood. See you at training.”
“See ya there, Volksy.” Daniel broke the tense silence. “Try to save my shots this time, yeah?”
“Fuck off,” Anton told him, his gaze warming just a fraction. He strode off down the hallway to the sound of Daniel’s ribbing, and I leaned back against the wall with a groan, closing my eyes. Being a woman in a man’s world was exhausting.
“Nova.”
My eyes flew open. The hallway had emptied out, and my brother and Daniel were nowhere to be seen. I had a sudden flash of another empty hallway, another time, back when I was sixteen…
“Move. You’re in my way.”
My lip curled as I took in the sight of Jayesh Attwood standing in the centre of the school corridor, raven hair falling over his eyes and his dark gaze trained on me. “No, you’re in my way.Youmove.”
He stepped forwards, his chest brushing against my school shirt. “I said, move.”
The hallway was empty, so there was no one else to witness our stand-off. Even if there had been an audience, I’d still hold my ground. “And I said, no. Don’t push me, Attwood. Or do you want my brother to hear about this?”
He scoffed. “Your brother is my best friend.”
“Yes, and he’s my twin. Family comes first. You should know that. It’s why you keep quiet about your dad’s little sideline, isn’t it?”
“A sideline that benefits your family.”
“Mmm. My family. The Thorpe Syndicate. Should I bring up our future alliance with the Volkovs, or is our name enough of a reminder?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “The Thorpe ice princess. You think you’re so?—”
“Nova?”
We both turned at the sound of the new, timid voice. My best friend, Aleksi, was standing behind me, a pile of textbooks clutched in his hands. He shifted on his feet, biting down on his lip as he stared at the floor.
The fact that he’d even addressed me in public when our friendship was basically a secret spoke volumes, and I immediately moved to shield him from Jay’s glare. “Sorry. I lost track of time. Did Professor Stewart send you to find me?” We shared an art class, and it was the excuse we used if anyone caught us talking.
He nodded, still staring at the floor, and I pasted on the smile I’d perfected. False. Empty. Jay responded with a sneer, and my smile widened.
“It’s been a pleasure, but I have to go.” I went to brush past him, but his fingers wrapped around my wrist, dragging me into him. His touch was a hot brand as he dipped his head to my ear.
“This isn’t over. Your little ghost won’t always be around.”
“Your threats don’t scare me,” I hissed, yanking my arm out of his grip.
Asshole.
Forcing the memory from my mind, I licked my suddenly dry lips, Jay’s eyes tracking the movement. “What do you want?”
“You’re really going through with this farce of an engagement? I thought you were better than that.”
