Page 272 of Vexatious Queen

He looked down, and so did I. Sure enough, there was a large tent in the front of his trackpants.

“Beat your best time,” I said, nipping his bottom lip, “and I’ll skip the day.”

“Really?”

He looked shocked.

I rubbed up against him, and he groaned.

“Really.”

With a smirk, I picked up my backpack and stepped away. I expected him to grab me and yank me back, but instead he swore, and the locker door thumped closed.

My phone buzzed, and I snickered while I pulled it out. I thought it was Nash sending me a dick pic, because who the hell else was texting me at this time, but instead the caller ID said Unknown.

I was going to ignore it, but my heart raced as I stared at the first three words. I tapped on the text, and my blood chilled. I looked behind me down the long, dark hallway, searching the shadows. There was no one there, but I still couldn’t shake the worry as I entered the brightly lit pool area.

Unknown: I didn’t think you had it in you. I’m impressed. You are far more cunning than I gave you credit for.

R: Who the hell is this?

My shoes squeaked slightly as I walked around the edge.

Unknown: Certainly, more cunning than your cunt of a mother.

Anger flooded my system. One face came to mind, but I asked the question again anyway.

R: Tell me who you are right now, or I’ll block you.

Unknown: Like you don’t know.

R: Christov.

Unknown: I will get you back for what you did to my son. I regret not letting Alina smother you when you were born. Everything would’ve been so much easier if you’d just died in Canada last summer like you were supposed to. Instead those asshole you’re fucking, screwed it up.

I gasped as my chest tightened like vice was twisting everything inside of me. He was the one that had sent the men. He killed Nadia.

I hated that his words still found something soft inside me. Tiny, fractured memories surfaced and danced around in my mind. I was small, and thought he was my father even if only for a short time. That sliver of grief was infuriating and oh-so-dangerous.

R: It’s a shame you didn’t die when my mother shot you. Sabastian would’ve been far better off. I bet he regrets having you as his father now.

Unknown: You bitch. I will kill you.

The words were still glowing on my screen when something shifted. The hair on the back of my neck bristled. There was no sound, but I looked up and caught movement behind me in the reflection of the darkened window.

My stomach dropped before my brain could name the threat.

I spun.

Instinct took over, and my body reacted before fear could paralyze me. I swung my backpack hard, the weight of it dragging momentum through my arms. It connected with a solid crack, and a knife went flying from Mr. Sharpe’s hand. It sliced through the air before disappearing into the pool with a splash.

For half a second, neither of us moved.

My breath came shallow as his gaze dropped to the rippling water, then slowly lifted to me.

He didn’t resemble a teacher. Or a man. He looked feral.

His eyes were bloodshot and wild, pupils blown wide. His lip curled back from his teeth in something closer to a snarl than a human expression.