Ruins of Temptation (Corium University Trilogy 4)

“You had no right to do that.”

“I think if she was locked up because of me, I’m the only one who did have the right.”

She’s too smart for her own damn good. “You know what, I can’t even see you right now. Go back to your room.” I’m afraid I’ll say something I can’t take back, and that’s the last thing I want to do. Especially when we’ve already come so far.

But goddamnit, I’ve never been so fucking furious in all my life. I truly cannot remember a time I’ve been this close to losing my shit.

She’s gone. She actually got away. All thanks to Aspen’s conscience, which she certainly could not have inherited from me. This isn’t the end of our discussion. We will definitely revisit this, and soon.

Right now, I have bigger problems like a fugitive on the run. That’s the only way I can think about her now. I need to find her. No way am I letting her go. Why does she get to be free after what she’s done?

How could I let her go free after what she did to me?

There’s only one person I can call, the only one who makes any sense in a situation like this.

“I have a problem,” I tell my brother, pacing my apartment now that I’m alone. Like a caged tiger, unable to do what comes naturally. In this case, that would mean tearing somebody’s fucking head off. Starting with the pilot who took her out of here in the first place. He had no such orders from me.

“Another one?” Nic asks with a short laugh. “What is it this time?”

“For starters, there’s an escapee on the loose. And I need to find her immediately.”

Heavy silence greets me, and every second of it is like a blade inching deeper into my chest. I can only imagine how he must be judging me. How disappointed he must be in his fuck-up of a brother. I couldn’t get this right. I haven’t changed at all.

“Let me guess. She snuck out, and now she’s somewhere in North Woods, most likely.”

I come to a stop, staring at my reflection on the TV screen. “You already knew before I called, you bastard.”

“What would ever give you that idea?”

“Don’t fuck with me. You aren’t the least bit surprised.”

“No. You’re right.” He sounds sympathetic, but that’s not what I need from him right now. I don’t need anybody’s sympathy, not ever. “I’m not surprised because I got word of a single student getting on the plane to North Woods. Alone. Unscheduled.”

“How the hell would you know that?”

“Do we really have time to go into this?”

“Right now? I didn’t think we did, but I’m starting to reconsider. Tell me,” I bark.

“Fine. We’ll do it your way.” He sighs, and I hate the sound. The exasperation in it. “Did you think I wouldn’t make it a point to keep a close eye on her? That I wouldn’t make sure my contacts knew to watch for a girl of her description with long, auburn hair?”

“What would make you do that?”

“For starters, the fact that you fucked her in your office, Lucas.”

It hits me with all the force of a cannonball, rocking me back on my heels. “How the hell—”

“Think about it.”

I don’t have to think for long, and now I don’t know who I’m more furious with. “My new secretary. Son of a bitch, I should have known. You had her spying on me all this time.”

“Keeping watch over you on my behalf,” he corrects. “And can you blame me? Now we both see I had every reason to be concerned. Don’t take it personally. We all have our weaknesses, don’t we?”

“You need to watch what you say.”

“Who says?” he counters. If it wasn’t for the laughter in his voice, I’d think he was just as pissed as I am. “It was clear from the beginning you were too wrapped up in her. The fact that you were unwilling to take my advice. Remember that? Remember when I told you how this could be avoided?”

“I don’t have time for you to dog-walk me past every fucking mistake I’ve ever made, all right? Can we do that later? I need to find this girl.”

“Do you, though? Do you really?” There’s no more laughter. His voice is softer now, low, heavy. “Or should you let her go? That might be for the best, you know. There’s no reason for her to stay there now. She’s far away, Aspen is safe, and now things can fall into some semblance of a normal pattern.”

The thing is, I know he’s right. The best thing in the world would be to move past this. Acknowledge the fact that she got away and let it go. She’s been nothing but a curse since the moment I set eyes on her.