Shame (Ruin #3) (23 page)

“No.” I put my hand on his. “No, that’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” More like, I’d have Gabe take care of it. I was going to give it to him — all the threats, all the notes. I was sick of dealing with it. All of it. I was finally happy, and I deserved to be happy. Tristan had taught me that.

Jack gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Then, at least let me buy you a coffee while we go over the project. I promise we don’t have to get all crazy with our plans, but let’s get out of here, because it’s kind of creeping me out.”

I nodded my head a few times before getting up. When I did, Jack put a protective arm around me and led me to the door.

“I would say to lock it but—” He shrugged. “—a lot of good it’s been doing you.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“Just saying.”

By the time we made it down to the coffee shop, I was in a better mood, probably because Jack had somehow managed to turn my fear into hysterics with his crazy stories and antics. I felt guilty all over again for being so suspicious. Especially after he’d bought me another coffee and made me eat a pastry.

“So…” said Jack, pulling out his notebook. “…we’re supposed to find case studies. The prof, you know the one you’ve been riding in that car with…”

I rolled my eyes.

“…he gave us about a billion different links to stories. We just have to click on the emotion and
boom
, pick out five.”

“Do you have your computer?” I asked.

“No.” He shrugged. “I left it at my place, but I can always stop by tonight and go over them with you. It will seriously only take us like ten minutes or so.”

“Okay.” I took a sip of coffee. “That’s fine, but make it around five, because I think I may have plans.”

Jack grinned. “Would these plans start with a P?”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” He saluted me. “Five it is. Now run along to class. We both know how the professor gives good grades to those who are early.”

“Right.” I laughed along with him and grabbed my stuff.

I took the usual route to class, stopping at my mailbox since I had around twenty minutes before I needed to be there. I braced myself for impact and shuddered when I had one piece of mail.

It wasn’t addressed to Lisa.

It was addressed to Melanie Faye.

I swallowed the fear in my throat and closed my eyes. Tristan had said to take control. With a grimace, I opened the envelope and pulled out a slip of paper. All it said was.
Ding-ding… your time is up.

With a curse, I pulled out my phone and texted Gabe. I grabbed the other notes out of my backpack, stuffed all of them in a large manila envelope, and left it at the post for him to pick up.

The minute the student worker took it from my hands, I felt lighter. I was done. I was so done. For the first time in weeks I felt a smile grow on my face as I thought about going to class. I wasn’t Melanie Faye anymore. I was Lisa. Lisa was strong. Lisa was independent. Lisa didn’t get scared when threatened. She didn’t back down.

Lisa drove fast.

Lisa liked cheeseburgers.

Lisa liked Tristan.

And Lisa… was here to stay.

CHAPTER FORTY

The minute I came to Seattle, I told Gabe I’d changed my name… well, I hadn’t really changed it. My name had always been Lisa, but at a young age, my agency had told my parents to give me a stage name, something about protecting my identity and all that, so they did. And I was so grateful they had done that for me, because now I could go back to being normal Lisa, not Mel, the girl with the dark past and sinful secrets. —
Lisa

Tristan

I
HATED HOW
close Jack hovered to her. Then again, if I wasn’t teaching the damn class, I’d probably be doing the same thing. The quiz went by slowly. The clock ticked in the background, and the journal in my bag may as well have been screaming at me.

I’d finished it.

And I was more resolute in my decision than ever that they were the ramblings of a seriously insane individual. I just wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse.

Better because that meant that Lisa was innocent.

Worse, because by omitting my true identity, I was allowing her to live another lie. But if it was to protect her? Then I would keep lying — I had to.

“Pencils down.” I stood. “Pass your papers to the left and leave them on the farthest desk. Grades will be posted this Friday. Dismissed.”

Students filed out.

Jack lingered.

I gave him a pointed stare. Smirking, he lifted his hands in surrender and walked out, leaving just me and Lisa.

“That wasn’t obvious at all,” she said in a reassured voice. “Really, I think it went right over his head.”

I shrugged. “It’s Jack.”

“True.”

“How was your meeting?”

“How was yours?”

“You first.”

She slumped in her seat. “Well, I did get another threat, but,” she said quickly, “you’d be proud to know that I handed all pieces of evidence over to Gabe, and I made a big decision today.”

“What’s that?” I slowly made my way to her desk and sat on the top.

At her grin, my heart almost stopped. Damn, she was beautiful.

“He doesn’t have the right to control me anymore. So, whoever’s sending me that crap is going to burn in hell or prison, whatever happens soonest. Gabe will turn it over to the police. I’ll make a statement, even though it’s the last thing I want to do, and things will go back to being boring.”

I put a hand to my chest. “Ouch! Are you calling me boring?”

“I really, really like boring.”

“Because that makes it better.”

Lisa stood and leaned in just as a throat cleared from the door way. Jack stood there, holding up his notebook. “Lisa? Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Blake, but I think I accidently stole her notebook, same color and all.”

Lisa blushed and quickly grabbed a notebook from her desk and ran it over to him.

“Thanks.” He took it from her hands and sent me a curious look. “See you tonight, then?”

I clenched the desk tightly.

“Sure,” Lisa squeaked. “Tonight.”

Jack closed the door behind him.

I waited for Lisa to say something.

When she didn’t, I walked past her, locked the door, crossed my arms, and asked, “Tonight?”

Lisa cross her arms mimicking me. “Jealous?”

“Let’s call it mild curiosity.”

“Or insane jealousy.”

“A twinge of jealousy. Can hardly even define it as jealousy if it’s a twinge, right?”

“Does that make you feel better?”

“Immensely.”

“Homework.” Lisa gripped my hand. “He’s stopping by for a few minutes to go over some homework from this really sexy professor.”

“Okay, now I’m jealous. You better be talking about me.”

“And if I’m not?”

“Then I’m clearly not wearing the right clothes to show off that tight ass you’re always talking about.”

Lisa burst out laughing and reached up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my chin. “I think my other professor has gout.”

“Sexy.”

Lisa kissed my mouth, her tongue slowly dipping between my lips, touching mine with languid smoothness.

I groaned and pushed her against the door, pinning her arms above her head.

“And after?”

“Wh-what?” Out of breath, she panted beneath my assault as I trailed kisses down her neck.

“After you meet with him?”

“I have a private tutoring session with you?”

“Damn right you do.” I kissed her harder. All the passion I felt inside was going to explode if I didn’t do something about it. I wanted her so bad it hurt. It hurt to control myself, and I hated that I had to. Hated that she needed me to.

“Mmm...” She rimmed her lips with her tongue when I pulled away. “That felt good.”

“Go to class.” My voice cracked. “Before I throw you across my desk and take advantage of you.”

She winked. “At least I’d earn an
A
.”

“You’d earn way more than an
A
.” Visions of her body underneath mine plagued my thoughts. Cursing softly, I turned away. “Yeah, you really need to go. I’ll see you tonight?”

“Six?”

I still didn’t turn back around since I was trying to hide a very physical and obvious reaction to my little image of her on my desk naked. “Yup.”

“Thanks, Dr. Blake.” Her voice was low, sultry.

I cursed again as her laughter floated out of the room.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Finally things were normal my freshman year… I’d met Kiersten and Wes, and things felt… happy. So happy that I should have known the other chips would fall. Soon Gabe’s secret was out… and then, mine was too. —
Lisa

Lisa

F
OR THE SECOND
day in a row, I skipped back to my dorm. Not surprising, I found both Wes and Gabe waiting for me again when I got to my room.

“Wow!” I shook my head. “Should I just let you guys move in? And where are Kiersten and Saylor? Do they know how much you check up on me? Because I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t approve of all the babysitting.” I was tempted to text Kiersten or Saylor but knew both of them were super stressed since they’d taken on so many credits to graduate early.

Gabe gave me that look, the one that said he was seriously pissed, while Wes just paced. It seemed, most of the time, Gabe was ready to attack, and Wes was there to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.

“Thirty,” Gabe said, tossing the threats onto the table. “How the hell do you have thirty threats without me knowing?”

Feeling slightly guilty, I sat down next to him and stared at all the different pieces of paper; they varied in size and color, not one of them the same. The angry black block letters were always present, though. “You just got married, Gabe. I’m not going to slam you with all this after you just got over Princess’s death and moving in with Saylor and — it’s just a lot!”

“And me?” came Wes’s stern voice. “Why not me?”

I rolled my eyes. “Because I think dealing with cancer and playing for a professional football team should be enough stress to last you a lifetime, not to mention you have a wife too.”

Neither seemed convinced.

In fact, it was like the more I talked the angrier their expressions became.

“Sorry?” I finally offered.

“Damn right, you’re sorry.” Gabe groaned into his hands. “How can I protect you if I don’t know these things?”

“It’s not your job.”

“It is,” Gabe said loudly. “It is my job. I’m your family, Lisa. Me and Wes, we’re not going anywhere, and if there’s one thing I learned last year, it’s that you can’t just carry everything yourself and hope it doesn’t kill you. It will kill you. I think you know I know this. Now, we have a plan.”

“We?”

“Me and Wes.”

“And me?”

“You get no vote because you’ve been like an errant child.” Gabe shook his head. “But I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m listening.”

Gabe put an arm around me and sighed. “First things first. Pack up your crap. You’re moving off campus.”

“To where? Witness protection?”

“Sort of…” Wes and Gabe shared a look before Gabe swore and pulled his arm away.

“Let it just be known that I’m not a fan of this part of the plan, but dipshit over there thinks it’s a great idea because of the security. But I swear, Lisa, if he touches you without you as much as begging him to touch you, I’ll break every single finger from his hand.”

Wes rolled his eyes. “What he means is… if he’s anything less than a gentleman, tell us, and we’ll move you right away but because of who his father is…” He nodded. “His security is probably better than mine and Gabe’s combined.”

“He?”

“Tristan,” they said in unison.

I smiled.

Gabe groaned. “Stop smiling.”

I smiled harder.

“Don’t make me regret this, Lisa. I’m serious!” He pointed his finger at me and stood. “Just pack up enough stuff to stay for the week, and next weekend we’ll help you move. I can’t today because I’m flying back down to Portland with Saylor for a wedding, and Wes has practice.”

“Okay.” I stood. “Did you talk to the police?”

“Going there next. Your safety is first. The police tracking this bastard down is second. Just be careful, carry your Mace, and stick close to Tristan.”

I smiled again.

At my third or maybe fourth smile, Gabe barked, “And stop looking so damn happy about it.”

“Love you, Gabe.” I ducked into his arms and sighed as he wrapped them tightly around my body.

“Love you too, Lisa. Just be careful, okay? Not just in general, but with your heart. I couldn’t handle it if it broke.”

“Promise.” I kissed his cheek and went over to give Wes a hug too. Both guys left a few hours later, after going over more of the plans they were going to put into place around campus, and by the time they left, I was exhausted.

I set my alarm so I’d wake up in time to meet with Jack and fell into a dreamless sleep.

“Don’t move,” a voice said. “Keep your eyes closed. I like you like that.”

Terrified, I didn’t move. My heart rammed against my chest. Someone was in my room! Someone was with me in my dorm.

“It’s almost time, Mel.” The voice was muffled, like the guy was talking through layers of clothing. “Almost time… shh… so pretty lying there, so innocent, when we both know you aren’t. I’ll be back. You can count on that. Scream, and I’ll only hurt you. Call the police, and you’ll just look crazy. Now keep your eyes closed like a good girl so I can leave.”

I squeezed my eyes tighter.

Terrified that if I opened them, the guy would attack me.

When I heard the door shut, I jolted from the couch and ran after the guy. When I opened the door, it was Jack waiting on the other side, raising his hand to knock. “Whoa!” He gripped my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“A guy—” I choked out the word. “—a guy came into my room, and he — he said things, and… did you see him?” I tried to peer around him, but Jack’s expression was furrowed, his eyebrows drawn in.