AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She crossed her arms and jutted out her chin, looking way more like a petulant teenager than she could ever know. “He’s gotten meaner every day. He doesn’t do it in public anymore, but he cornered me in a fucking janitor’s closet and set my clothes on fire! He spilled industrial-grade paint in my dorm room. He’s got a clan of people—men and women—who all want to fuck him, and now they all hate me. I just don’t want some half-assed, unqualified administrator fighting my battles for me.”
“That’s a naive thing to say,” I shot back, barely containing my boiling anger. “You’re one person. One itty-bitty pink-haired person who they think doesn’t belong. You’re not going to last another week.”
“Just don’t file a report about him—”
“Already did it.”
Her face suddenly matched her hair. “What? Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” The grin was unavoidable. Was I evil? Maybe I was evil.
Ember spluttered and grunted, furious. And then she slapped a hand over her forehead. “It’s official. He’s going to kill me.”
“Why are teenagers so dramatic?”
“I’m not dramatic, I’m realistic. You’re the one who saw how dangerous he is.”
I planted my feet on the ground. Stability always helped get the scheming brain going. “Do you think Cole is the killer?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” she admitted.
“But why would the killer be so overt with his methods?” I wondered aloud. “Has he been bullying any of the other victims?”
Ember played nervously with her hair. “I don’t think so. He’s friends with Sydni, or so I hear. They’re in the same year together.”
Weird.
“Okay, lady. I agree to leave you to your devices on two conditions.”
She glared.
I ignored it. “One. You report immediately if his antics ramp up to the point where you’re at your limit. You seem to have a few shreds of confidence left but come to me when they’re crushed.”
She drawled, “Wow. Thanks for the encouragement.”
“Two! You keep your ears open and see if you can find any info on the attacks. Anything weird or suspicious, I want to know.”
Her brows knitted together. “Are you trying to find the killer?”
“I’m a student advocate, which means I’ll do everything in my power to stop the next attack if I can. There isn’t not going to be a murder, do you understand me?”
She had the decency to sober up her irritation a little. “Right. I can do that. But no more reports, okay?”
“Fine by me. What else?”
She picked up her bag and stood, tossing her hair back. “That’s it, Gray.”
“One more thing.” I got to my feet too. “My name is Isra Valence as far as you’re concerned, and if you slip up at all, I’ll file a million reports about Cole and deliver all the administrative justice he deserves.”
With a stare flatter than Azra’s failed birthday cake, she turned and made to leave without another word…
… and nearly smacked her forehead into Razai’s chest.
Her head tilted back, back, back to look up at the ridiculously tall man, her eyes going wide. “You!”
“Me!” he agreed cheerfully.
Ember whipped her head to me. “He’s the stalker.”
