Page 4 of The Villain We Tempt

“Same.” I nod and grin to myself as I take another sip of the shitty college party beer.

It’s almost time.

Time for me to quietly disappear and do what I came here to do tonight.

Lucia clears her throat. “Um, Untouchables, twelve o’clock.”

A shiver ripples down my spine as I turn. The three of them walk into the party, instantly grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

In a schoolfullof mafia royalty, “The Untouchables” are on another level altogether. Think veritablegodswalking amongst us mere mortals.

They’re the top dogs of Para Bellum, heirs to some of the most powerful mafia families in the country and star players on the Privateers, the college’s undefeated football team.

They also have the entire campus either eating out of their hand or outright terrified of them.

Achilles Drakos, golden boy of campus that he is, is the one with the whole school in his palm. He’s gorgeous, charismatic, thecaptain of the football team, the president of Para Bellum,andtop of his class.

Drago Krylov, meanwhile, gives more of a scary vibe. He’s a jock like the other three, but he’s also a bit of a walking nightmare between his dark, broody looks, huge, hulking frame and loud motorcycle…not to mention his close connections with the Bratva through his father’s empire.

Then there are the Kildare brothers, Lochlan and Ronan. Both are clearly trouble or bad decisions waiting to happen, not to mentiontotaljocks. Ronan, I honestly don’t know well at all. His older brother Lochlan, future king of the Kildare family, TAs one of my psych classes, but all he mostly does is sit in the back probably collecting a free A since Professor McGrath has drunk the Untouchables Kool-Aid along with the rest of the school.

Currently, it looks like Achilles is missing from the group. Even masked, it’s clear who both Ronan and Drago are from the tattoos on their arms. Lochlan, the entitled jerk, isn’t evenwearinghis mask.

My eyes narrow on the tall, blond, blue-eyed, criminally attractive Irish mafia heir. I don't know much about him except that when he’s not fucking off in the back of Professor McGrath’s Psychology of Deception and Performance class and actually performs his TA duties, he’s mostly a power-tripping dickhead.

I mean agorgeousdickhead, but still. The man's ego isinsane.

Just the same, I feel my cheeks stain with color as the three of them waltz through the party, which obviously parts for them like the Red Sea.

“Sohot,” Lucia groans.

Wren glances at her curiously. “Which one?”

“Yes.”

I cackle as Lucia grins.

“Okay, but specifically Drago.Hnngg,” she sighs.

Arianna’s face sours. “Seriously? He’s a walking nightmare. Also, I heard he’s got a pierced…” Her face heats. “You know.”

Wren snickers. “Ari, you can saydick.”

Arianna’s face turns an even darker shade of red.

Yeah, no, she can’t.

Wren raises her shoulders. “They’re hot, I guess, but…” She shrugs again. “I dunno. I think I’m over boys.”

I give her a sympathetic look. “Seriously, fuck Bryce.”

“Well, actually, the goal would benotto fuck Bryce ever again,” she says curtly. “Notdifficult, trust me.”

She turns and steps a few feet away to snag another drink off the tray of a passing waitstaff. Ari glances at me nervously and clears her throat.

“Isn’t the girl who Bryce cheated on her with?—”

“In Para Bellum?” Lucia hisses. “Yup. Carly Presioso. If you see her, hide all the sharp objects from our girl.”