That broke the tension. The group let out a collective exhale, and for the first time that night, a small flicker of hope pulsed between us.
We spent another half hour planning; figuring out how to communicate, what to start digging into first, who we might be able to trust. Nothing concrete, but it was a start.
When we finally left, the five of us walked back to campus together, keeping close. At the edge of the northeast quad, we said our goodbyes and split off toward our separate dorms.
By the time I reached the main path toward the Athena building, the campus had mostly emptied out. Shadows twisted across the cobblestones with every gust of wind, elongating andshrinking like living things as dried leaves skittered past my feet. Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled, low and resonant.
I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets and sucked in a deep breath, wishing my pulse would stop jumping at every sound. I knew it was probably just nerves, or adrenaline still burning from the earlier conversation, but still… I couldn’t shake that familiar old feeling of being watched. That prickling awareness between my shoulder blades. The way the air suddenly felt heavier than before.
I slowed my steps and glanced over my shoulder.
Nothing. Just empty paths and pools of lamplight.
Then, a low rumble of laughter carried across the other side of the courtyard. I turned back around to see two guys standing near a fountain. One was shorter and stocky, with sandy-blond hair. The other was taller and dark-haired, with his hands tucked casually into the pockets of a black jacket.
With a start, I realized it was Julian Valcourt. He wasn’t looking at me, though. Didn’t even seem to know I was there.
Keep walking,I told myself.Don't stare. Don't give him any reason to notice you.
I turned back toward the path and forced my legs to move, one foot in front of the other. My heart was hammering now, and I hated how much power this guy—this completestranger,really—had over me without even trying. Just the sight of him was enough to set every nerve in my body on edge.
I made it another ten steps before that inexplicable, magnetic pull made me glance back over my shoulder.
Julian’s head had turned.
He was staring straight at me now, his expression unreadable in the lamplight. The other guy was still talking, gesturing with one hand, but Julian clearly wasn't listening to him anymore. His entire focus had shifted to me.
Our eyes locked.
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. The distance between us somehow felt impossibly vast and suffocatingly small at the same time. I couldn't tell if he was surprised to see me, or if he'd known I was there all along and had just been waiting for me to look.
Then, slowly, his mouth curved into that same crooked smile I'd seen on my first day here. The one that felt less like amusement and more like a dark promise.
I tore my gaze away and turned back toward my dorm, walking faster now, nearly jogging. I didn't look back again. Didn't dare. But I could feel Julian’s eyes on me the entire way.
Even after I'd pushed through the doors of the Athena building and let them swing shut behind me, even as I climbed the stairs to my floor and fumbled with my key, I could still feel it. That dark presence. Those eyes on me.
Julian Valcourt knew exactly who I was… and he was watching.
6
Julian
My screen flickered to life,casting a pale glow over the dark room. Violet’s room was reflected in miniature on my monitor; every detail sharp, intimate, and mine to observe.
Her dark hair was damp at the ends, curling slightly where the heat of her skin met the cold air. She must’ve showered when she returned from tonight’s partying. I gritted my teeth, wishing that I’d installed a camera in her bathroom. The thought of her standing there, steam rising around her, water sliding down the curve of her spine, disappearing beneath—
I cut the thought off with a sharp exhale.
Christ.Focus.
The mission came first. It always came first. Protecting the Club was paramount, and Violet Calloway was a threat that needed to be monitored, controlled, and neutralized if necessary. Not fantasized about like some obsessed teenager.
But then she moved across the room, and my discipline wavered like smoke. She had that innocent, distracted air about her again; the kind that made men underestimate her. Made them forget that softness could hide teeth.
I'd watched enough of her over the past week to know better. She was careful. Smart. Observant. Dangerous in ways she didn't even realize yet.
She bent to open her mini fridge, and I caught a flash of smooth thigh beneath her pajama shorts. My jaw locked tight.
