King of Corium (Corium University Trilogy 1)

No. I tell myself and try not to think about anything else bad while I sit with my eyes closed, soaking up the sun. I’ve already made it this far, and I’m no quitter. After a while, beads of sweat start to form on my forehead, and I know it’s time to return to my dorm as the sun starts to set on the horizon.

I can do this. Things are hard here, but they could be worse. My father—though he didn’t really explain what he meant by it—provided me with leverage. I have no idea what it means, but if I have to use it, I will. The only thing that matters to me is my own sanity. I need to keep myself above water because as soon as I show even the slightest bit of weakness, I’ll draw the students of Corium like sharks to blood in the water.

23

QUINTON

“Look, I did as much digging as I could, but I have to be honest with you,” Sillas says, and I can already tell where this is going.

“If you have nothing for me, then just tell me.” I look him dead in the eyes. His face is emotionless, his eyes bleeding into mine.

“I tried, but whoever covered this up went all out. I can’t find any information on her. It’s almost like the person you’re asking me to find doesn’t exist.” When he says whoever covered this up, he means my father.

My hand involuntarily forms a fist. Again, the answers I seek are just out of my grasp. I wish my father wasn’t such an asshole and would tell me the truth about what happened to her, but I get the feeling even if he did, I wouldn’t like the answer. Knowing the man he is today, I can’t imagine he was any kinder before I came along.

“So that’s it, there’s nothing more you can do?”

Sillas glances down the corridor, which is mostly empty, before looking back at me. “Just because I couldn’t find anything doesn’t mean it can’t be found. It just means my reach isn’t as far. There’s someone else, someone better who can help you, though.”

Great, now we’re bringing other people into it.

“I don’t want to involve anyone else,” I growl. I’m tempted to walk away and find another way. I mean, what good is he if he can’t help me?

“Look, she’s the best of the best, and you don’t have to go far at all because she’s a teacher here.”

I lift a brow. “You’ve got my attention. Tell me more.”

“The librarian. If you want answers, she is the person to go to.”

Shit. That’s kind of the last person I want to go to, but if it gets me the answers I want, then I’ll do it. I run a hand through my hair, contemplating how I’m going to do this. Her impression of me is already skewed because of that one night in the corridor.

I wonder if Aspen told her anything. She probably didn’t. Aspen is many things, but she isn’t stupid, and she wouldn’t dare bring more attention to herself. But even if she didn’t tell her, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t already made her own assumptions about me.

“I’m going to go talk to her now,” I announce, shoving off the wall.

“All right, but just so you know, I don’t know what her price will be, or if she’ll even do anything. I just know if you want to find something that doesn’t seem to exist, she can find it for you.”

I nod, not bothering to tell him that I’ll pay whatever her price is. Even if she says she doesn’t want to help me, I’ll find a way to get her to fall in line.

Everyone has a weakness, even if they don’t act like it.

“Tell Ren I went to work out. I don’t want him following me.”

“Sure,” Sillas says, and I give him a head nod as I walk away and down the corridor.

Ren’s been acting strange, and part of me wonders if he’s reporting back to my father about my activities here. I don’t think he would. Ren’s not like that, and he doesn’t have anything to do with my father. I think about all of this as I walk to the library, and as soon as I reach the spot where Brittney found Aspen and me that night, my thoughts change.

My cock grows hard at the reminder of how afraid and weak Aspen looked. I need to see her like that again. I need to have her at my mercy, willing to do anything I tell her to do. I crave her complete submission and thrive off the pleasure it gives me. I’m like an addict when it comes to controlling Aspen, and I never want to stop.

Passing the spot where I had her trapped against the wall, I continue walking until I reach the entrance to the library. I stop in my tracks, surprised by how open and airy the space feels. I won’t lie, I expected something dark—a dungeon with books that smell like dust and mildew. Not this bright room with huge windows and rows upon rows of books.