Page 42 of Black Ledger

I glared at him. I hated how well he could read me. “No, it’s not.”

“You haven’t gotten any better at lying.”

So now I felt like a fraud, too.

I huffed and shot to my feet when class was dismissed. Chad and Severin had acted like preening peacocks for the entire class, and I’d had enough. I wanted to get away from both of them.

I stormed out, but Severin was on my heels because he was my new shadow. Everywhere I went, he went.

I whipped around, stopping him in his tracks. “Stop following me. Stop stalking me. And stop coming to classes you are definitely not enrolled in.”

“No.” He didn’t deny any of it. It was just a fierce and resolute no.

“Yes.” I stomped my foot and stepped into his space. “Leave me alone.”

“No.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because you can’t be trusted alone.”

I crossed my arms. “I’ve been surviving here just fine without you for two years.”

He said nothing to that. He only squared his shoulders and stared down at me.

I huffed again, done with him. I turned on my heel and walked off. Let him follow if he wanted. I would no longer acknowledge his existence.

He caught up and grabbed my bicep, forcing me to stop and face him.

“You don’t see how they all stare at you,” he said through clenched teeth. “Like they want to devour you.”

“Who?” My brows crinkled.

“All of the boys on this campus.”

I blinked twice. “Wait, you follow me to every class because boys stare at me?”

He gave one sharp dip of his chin. “You’re sheltered, Xeniya. You don’t know what college-aged boys are like or what they could do to girls like you.”

“A girl like me, who carries multiple weapons on her body at once?” I asked dryly. “You’re not my brother. You don’t need to be overprotective. Ilya is here. He can do that all on his own.”

Severin crossed his arms, and now we were angry mirrors, but he still said nothing.

“Why do you even care?” I asked, staring into his darkening eyes. “Why? You’re not following Nika or Katya around. Why me?”

“Because Ilya is following Nika and I am sure Kaz has his sister’s protection covered.”

“So that’s all this is? Protection?” I shook my head. “You’re my bodyguard?”

“Yes.”

“Why not have one of your bodyguards do it? Why do it yourself?” I asked.

But he didn’t respond. He just started walking toward my lab class, and when I didn’t move to follow, he said over his shoulder, “You’re going to be late.”

I was going to be late, but that was not his fucking problem. But with a groan, I followed because I was a good, perfectionistic student.

When we got to my lab, Severin stopped and placed his hand against the doorframe, blocking me from entering. “I have an important Bratva meeting tomorrow at an archery range. I want you there. I left you an outfit on your bed.”