Brutal Protector: A Dark College Enemies-to-Lovers Romance (Westforde College Book 2)

by Serena Lyons

  “Shh!” Heavy footsteps hurtle down the stairs.

  “Morning ladies,” Callum’s wearing a crumpled t-shirt and jeans, but he looks gorgeous. I can’t believe we spent the night together. That I’m allowed to touch him. He grins like he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

  “Well you both have much bigger smiles this morning.” Gran raises an eyebrow. “Good night’s sleep or something else?”

  “Gran!” I yelp as Callum stifles a laugh.

  “I might have a grown-up granddaughter, but that doesn’t mean I’m a prude.” Gran smiles waving her arms like a judge’s gavel. “I grew up in the seventies you know, there was more free love then than there is today. I—”

  “Gran! Enough already.” My cheeks are already flaming. I sneak a glance at Callum who has a wide grin on his face.

  “Shh, Faith, the story was just getting good by the sounds of it. Go on, Gwen.”

  “Gran,” I warn waving a teaspoon in her direction.

  “Ahh you young people, thinking you’ve invented everything,” Gran chuckles. “But as Faith’s the one who’s going to be looking after me in my old age, I better follow her wishes.” She winks at me and I laugh at her expert teasing.

  “Spoilsport,” Callum sticks his tongue out at me and my smiles gets even wider. Right now, the peeling wallpaper and miniscule proportions of this kitchen doesn’t seem to matter in the slightest, I’m more content than ever. With the two people I love most in the world.

  Fuck. I drop the spoon with a clatter.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry, Gran we need to set off soon, it’s such a long drive and the motorway will clog up the later we leave it.”

  “No worries, it was lovely having you surprise me, and meeting Callum. He’s a keeper, pet.”

  “It’s not like that.” I glance up the stairs to check he’s not within earshot.

  “Hmm really, so those looks you keep giving each other are my imagination, are they?”

  “What looks?”

  “If it’s not like that, it doesn’t matter does it?” She raises any eyebrow.

  “Fine, be like that.” I say even though I want to know what she thinks more than anything. Could Callum like me back? I mean more than just fancy me? “Love you, Gran.”

  “One more thing, this Millie business, I still don’t like it.”

  “I’ll be safe, Gran,” I wrap my arms around her.

  “You’re all I have.” Her voice cracks. “Just remember that, make sure you’re safe, I couldn’t cope if anything happened to you.”

  I pull her closer, my stomach twisting. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

  “I’ll keep her safe, Mrs Davies.” Callum’s deep voice behind us startles me. I hadn’t heard him come down the stairs. We both turn to look at him. His forehead is furrowed and he’s staring intently at my Gran. “I won’t let anything happen to Faith, I promise. She’s too important.”

  She’s too important. My eyes find his and he’s staring at me like I’m precious.

  “Oh, be off with you both.” She pulls me in for a hug so tight that I’m sure I’ll be bruised tomorrow, then walks over to Callum. By his wince, she gives him a bone-breaking hug as well.

  “Drive safely,” she calls as we walk to the car.

  “God, she’s stronger than she looks,” Callum whispers to me as he opens the passenger door.

  “Cooking’s surprisingly physical.” I smile, no one’s ever opened a car door like I’m a member of royalty before. “She’d definitely beat me in arm-wrestling.”

  “Now that I’d pay to see.” Callum walks to the driver’s seat. “You’re lucky, she’s great.”

  “I know.” I lean my head against the window and blow a kiss at Gran as we accelerate away. “Who needs parents when you’ve got my Gran, eh?”

  “You know what my earliest memory of my Dad is?”

  [time passes?]

  “That’s funny,” I look at my messages.

  “What?”

  “Nina still hasn’t responded. It hasn’t even delivered to her.”

  “Maybe…” Callum’s hand tighten on the wheel. “Check my messages. I text her last night, and she hadn’t responded yet.” His voice is clipped and something curdles inside me.

  I grab his phone from its holder. “Pin?”

  He doesn’t hesitate. “Eight nine zero two.” I repeat the number in my head, then hate myself for it. I’m not spying on him anymore.

  I open what’s app and search for Nina’s name. The xxx in my stomach deepens. “You sent it last night?”

  “Yes,” he nods.

  My sickness grows. “It hasn’t delivered, there’s just one tick and you sent it at eight thirty last night.”

  “Fuck!” He slams the horn and I jump at the unexpected angriness of the sound.

  “Maybe she’s just having a, I don’t know, digital detox?” Even as I say the words, I know they’re bollocks. Not this weekend when she was desperate to find out anything more about what happened to Millie.

  “Yeah, right,” Callum accelerates.

  I sneak a glance at the speedo; one hundred miles. When is it the police stop you? “There’s got to be a rational explanation.” I can’t think of one though. “I know I’ll try her room.” I punch in the landline number for college, and then Nina’s extension. Please pick up.

  I let the phone ring out longer than I need to. Her room isn’t that big.

  Callum glances over at me, his eyes glassy with fear. “No answer?”

  “You concentrate on the road,” I try to force a smile into my voice, but it doesn’t work. “I’ll try someone else on our staircase.” Luckily the room extension numbers are sequential. I dial the number one up from Nina.

  “Hello?” A guy with a Scottish accent answers.

  I try to remember which one he is. I haven’t done a great job at making friends. “Toby?” The name finally bubbles up. “It’s Faith from the top floor, I’m looking for Nina, I’m er, with her brother, Callum.” I wish I’d thought about what I was going to say before he picked up.

  “Okaaaay,” he draws out the word, making it clear I sound crazy.

  “Hang on, I’m putting you on speaker.” I know adding Callum into the mix will speed things up, he’s still the god of our college. “Callum and I are looking for Nina, our messages haven’t been going through since last night and we’re worried. Have you seen her?”

  “Skinny Nina?”

  I wince at his words. This is why I haven’t made friends with the braying idiots who xxx college. “Yes, Nina who lives in the room next door to you. When did you last see her?”

  “Err maybe yesterday morning? It’s been a bit of a big weekend if I’m honest,” he laughs.

  If I was there, I’d strangle him. “Can you knock on her door and tell her to call us if she’s in? And if not, tell her to call us as soon as she gets back?”

  “I…”

  “It’s Toby, right?” Callum interjects. “Do as Faith said, or you’ll have me to answer to.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  “What if he got her?” Callum looks away from the road again to stare at me. “It’s all my fault, I wouldn’t let her come with us.”

  “You were doing what you thought was right, keeping her safe.” I reach over and rest my hand on his arm.

  He jerks his arm like I’ve scalded him. “No, I was being selfish.”

  “What do you me—”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He snaps. “Nothing does now, apart from where the hell Nina is.”

  I’m silent, he’s right about that.

  But he’s wrong about it being his fault. I’m the one who got him and Nina caught up in all this. I’m the one who insisted that we had to find the person who hurt Millie.

  And now I’ve just abandoned the only real friend I’ve made since Millie.

  39: Callum

  “This must be a record.” I laugh as the outskirts of Oxford come into view. The drive from Faith�
��s hometown to Oxford should take about four and a half hours, but the familiar spires on the horizon show we’ve made it in well under four.

  Then I remember why I’ve had my foot down the entire way; Nina is missing.

  “The amount of speeding tickets you get will be a record.” Faith’s voice is tight. She tried telling me to slow down a few times, her knuckles white as I sped down the country.

  “It’s only money.” I don’t fucking care about a poxy fine. I just want to get back and figure out where the hell Nina is.

  Faith stiffens in the passenger seat. Maybe that was unfair of me, from her Gran’s house it’s clear they don’t have much—any?—spare cash, but even if I was that poor, I’d spend any amount of money to help Nina.

  “So what’s our plan for finding her?”

  “Damned if I know.” I speed up. If she’s not in the house or her college room, then I’ve no idea where to go next. “House first?”

  “Hopefully she’s just been chilling out there.” Faith’s tight voice makes it clear she doesn’t believe that any more than I do.

  Ten minutes later, I pull up outside my front door. The house looks empty, there’re no lights on and I already know she’s not going to be inside. I run up the steps, open the door and scream, “Nina!”.

  My voice echoes through the clearly empty house. The only sound is Faith running up the steps to join me and closing the front door.

  I punch the wall. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “We’ll find her,” Faith moves closer to me and strokes my arm. “I promise she’s going to be okay.”

  I shrug away from her. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” I hate myself for even thinking Nina might not be okay.

  A rap on the front door makes us both fall silent. Faith’s big, brown eyes fix on mine filled with an optimism that I know must be reflected in mine.

  Nina. I run to the door and fling it open, only wondering why she wouldn’t use her key as my fingers close around the cold brass.

  “Cal, my man,” Rafe smiles up at me, Axel silent beside him. “We hoped you’d be back in town and thought we’d come say hi.” He steps up to move into the house.

  “Now isn’t a great time,” I say, but all the energy has gone from my body. Where the hell is Nina?

  “Cal, what’s with you? You’re—” He stops abruptly as he spots Faith. “Oh, her.” He looks at her like she’s beneath him.

  “Don’t be a dick.” My annoyance with Faith transfers to a new target. “Have you guys seen Nina this weekend? I can’t get a hold of her.”

  “Nah,” Axel shakes his head. “Sorry man.”

  “Rafe?”

  “No, you wouldn’t want your little sister doing what we were this weekend.” He smirks and for the second time in two minutes I want to punch him. Like I care about whatever parties or drugs they’ve been doing this weekend, none of that matters.

  “Fuck. I need to call my parents.”

  I dial their house phone.

  “Hello?” Dad answers.

  “Have you seen Nina? Is she with you guys?”

  “Well hello to you too my lovely firstborn.” Dad’s words always come out laconically these days. Another reason to stay off the drugs.

  “This is important. Is Nina there with you?”

  “No, we haven’t seen her since term started. She told us she wanted to start university on her on terms. You kids are—.”

  I cut him off. “I’ve got to go.” I don’t want to tell them she’s missing yet, Mum will get worried. She’s had anxiety problems for as long as I can remember. I’m pretty certain it’s down to Dad cheating on her with most of the women in the music industry, but regardless I always try to protect her from anything upsetting. “Bye.”

  I end the call before he can ramble on about anything else. Or start to wonder why I’m worried about Nina’s whereabouts.

  “What’s going on?” Axel asks. “Is Nina okay? You seem stressed.”

  “We’ve not heard from her all weekend. I’m worried something’s going on.”

  “All weekend? It’s only Sunday evening, you’ve been AWOL for much longer on a good bender.” Axel’s voice makes it clear he thinks I’m overreacting.

  “Nina’s not the type of girl to go raving for forty-eight hours and forget to get in touch. You of all people should know that.”

  Axel reddens and Faith’s eyes flit between us, curiosity burning bright. So she didn’t know about Axel breaking Nina’s heart at school.

  “Touché, but I’m sure she’s fine, she’s probably studying or having a device-free weekend. There’s no reason to be worried.”

  “Yes there is. We—.”

  “Cal!” Faith interrupts me. “I thought we were keeping this quiet?” Her voice is tight, it’s obvious she’s pissed that I’m opening up to Axel and Rafe without consulting her. Which would be fair enough, but it’s not her sister that’s missing.

  “These are my guys, I’d trust them with my life.” In the background I can see Axel staring at his phone with exaggerated fascination.

  “Well, I wouldn’t. I think it’s stupid getting them involved.” Faith glares at all three of us.

  “I don’t care, we need to find Nina, the more of us the better.” I turn away from Faith and move to the front room.

  “Callum—” She sounds angry now.

  “Enough.” I spin round and hold up my hands. “She’s my sister, I decide. I’m telling them everything.”

  “Sounds juicy.” Rafe raises an eyebrow and settles in on the couch looking like I’m about to tell him some scintillating gossip. I want to shake him for not being more serious, but why should he be? “We’re listening.”

  “Okay, it all goes back to Millie.”

  “Millie?” Axel says in a surprised tone.

  Faith crosses her arms and stomps to the front window. She must be hating this, but needs must.

  “Faith knows her from home and thinks her death wasn’t suicide. The three of us started looking into it, and then Faith got attacked by the tow path.” Faith’s pale skin and the thick smell of blood when I found her makes me shiver. What if Nina’s lying somewhere like that and nobody finds her this time? “We were away for the weekend trying to find out more, and now Nina’s disappeared. She’s not answering messages, her phone is switched off and nobody’s seen her since choir practice on Saturday morning.”

  “Why the hell did you leave her alone here?” Axel spits out.

  “I was trying to keep her away from danger.” My hands curl up into fists. Axel is right, I was stupid thinking Nina would be safer on her own. Stupid or selfish, was part of me just wanting to be alone with Faith?

  “Well that worked well.” He glowers at me.

  “Guys, come on, this isn’t helping us find Nina.” Rafe interjects. “What’s our plan?”

  “We need to check everywhere she might be and ask anyone who might have seen her. Then go to the police if that doesn’t work.” I go to my desk and grab a pen and paper.

  “Just going to the bathroom,” Faith murmurs and leaves the room.

  “Okay, let’s make a list then divide it up.” I lean on the piano, I’m too keyed up to sit down. “She’s obviously not here, but maybe someone should stay here in case she turns up.”

  “Have you tried her college room yet?” Axel asks.

  “Called it, but we haven’t been. We just got back from the north.” I write it down.

  “Put everywhere in college,” Rafe suggests. “The bar, the common room, the gym.”

  “The library too,” Axel’s lips turn into a half-smile. “You know what Nina’s like.” His voice is tender. I never got the full story of what happened between them, in my eyes they’d be the perfect couple; my best friend and my favourite sister. But Nina almost refuses to look at him these days; ‘he’s worse than Dad’ was all she’d tell me before saying ‘no, he hadn’t hurt her or cheated and we should still be friends, but she couldn’t trust him’.

  “I
have to go,” Faith comes back from the bathroom looking paler than before.

  “What do you mean you have to go?”

  “It’s an, er, a cheerleading thing.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder like she’s just performed a manoeuvre on stage. She’s not even come into the room, she’s half in the hallway, clearly desperate to leave.

  It takes me a beat to respond, white hot rage flooding my body. “You’re going to a cheerleading thing while my sister is missing?”

  She won’t meet my eyes. “Sorry, it’s important. I need to—”

  “A cheerleading thing?”

  She heads for the front door, and I follow her. “I know, the timing is—”

  I push past her and yank open the door. “Just go already. I can’t believe you. You’re the one who got us into this craziness, you persuaded us to help you and now you’re running off.”

  “I’m sorry,” her fingers trail on the doorframe. Her eyes are wide with guilt and it’s like she’s begging me not to think badly of her.

  Well, tough luck, actions matter most and she is acting like a selfish cow.

  “Just go already.” I look away as she steps out, then slam the door shut behind her.

  What the hell happened to the Faith from before? Did I just make her up? Does she not really exist?

  40: Faith

  I stumble out of Callum’s house, completely disorientated, like I’m drunk. I had to get out of there, the instructions made it pretty clear.

  When I checked my phone while Cal was talking to the boys, I saw a text message from an unknown number.

  Unknown: Nina’s your friend, right? Maybe not for long unless you help her out. But only you. Tell anyone and she’s gone forever.

  I nearly dropped my phone, but luckily Callum was so busy bringing Axel and Rafe up to speed, he didn’t notice anything. I rushed out of the room to think. I knew if I stayed there, Callum would quickly notice that something was wrong.

  Then the photo came: Nina’s thin arms bound with rope, her eyes blindfolded.

  Unknown: Don’t tell anyone, or else I’ll take her somewhere where you’ll never find her body.