North Woods University

by Beck, J. L.

  Darkness glitters his eyes, there is no remorse, not a single shred of compassion. If I didn’t know it before, I am certain now that my father is nothing more than a heartless monster.

  “She’s nothing, and you will be nothing if you don’t learn to follow my orders. Do as you’re told, Willow. Don’t ask questions. Obey me, and you and your disappointment of a sister will be just fine.”

  Swallowing around the lump of fear that’s lodged in my throat, I nod. There isn’t any point in speaking anyway. Not to him, not to a person who doesn’t care about anything besides himself. I was so naive to think that by coming here I would be safe. I should have known that his corruption and power would be able to reach me anywhere… I should’ve known better.

  “Make a mockery out of me a second time, and I’ll make sure you never see or hear from your sister again.” He turns, letting the threat linger in the air between us as I stand there. I’m in a sea of people but couldn’t feel any more alone.

  * * *

  Chapter Two

  Parker

  Revenge. It consumes me. It’s the pillar of life. The hate for Willow and her sister has become my newest obsession and will be my biggest downfall. It’s been festering inside of me for years, eating away at me like a cancer, but today it’s reached an all-new level. Seeing her for the first time in two years. It’s like an indescribable high.

  I didn’t believe my father when he told me she would be coming here. As sick and twisted as it is part of me hoped it wasn’t true, while the other craved for it to be. Craved to have her near, so I could punish her for what she did. I curl my fingers into my hands, the thought of being close enough to touch her has me on edge.

  Watching her the last couple of days has been both torture and exciting. My fingers itch to touch her. To mark her. I want to run my hands across her porcelain skin just to see if it’s as soft and smooth as it looks. I want to inhale her sweet scent into my lungs and let it drag me under. No. I snarl to myself.

  I can’t get distracted by her beauty. I need to concentrate on what I really want…really need. I remind myself that her beauty is only an illusion, hiding the ugly person inside. Everything about Willow is a facade, she’s faker than most of the girls here at Blackthorn.

  Trying my best to blend in and not raise any attention, I stay in the background. Hiding my face in the few shadowy corners, this large room has to offer. I’m not used to this, hiding in plain sight. Normally, I would be the center of attention, the spotlight on me, but not today. I don’t think most people here even know who I am, not yet anyway.

  As I watch from across the room, my eyes move from Willow to her father, William Bradford. He’s talking to another parent, doesn’t care about anything but money and power. I’ll bet anything his daughter being here has very little to do with getting a good education and everything to do with getting back in the good graces of the elite families. I still wonder how he got her enrolled in the first place. Why did my father let her attend?

  “Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?” Warren, one of my best friends, says, as he nudges me in the arm.

  “Nothing,” I grit out, but my response doesn’t match my behavior. There’s loads wrong with me, and Warren can see that from a mile away.

  “Is that her?” he asks, tipping the champagne flute in his hand toward her.

  All I do is grunt because she’s not worthy of any more of my attention, let alone both of ours. Warren follows my line of vision, and we both stare at her as she scowls at all the other families as they pass by. Does she think she is better than everybody here? Probably.

  “She’s pretty, in a Snow White kind of way.” He isn’t wrong. Black hair, ivory skin, and ruby red lips. She does look like Snow White, and I guess that makes me her Huntsman. The only difference is, our story won’t end like a fairytale.

  “Don’t be fooled by her beauty, it’s just a trick, an illusion to hide all the ugly on the inside. She might be pretty, but she’s like a deadly poison.”

  “All women are like poison,” he mumbles, his face scrunching up as he stares at her more intently. Gritting my teeth, I stop myself from slugging him in the face. I have to remind myself that he is not the enemy here, she is.

  My obsession with her has ruled my mind for so long. It’s hard for me to shove the territorial thoughts away, to separate me wanting to have her and wanting to destroy her. She’s not mine, and she never will be.

  “What’s the plan?”

  “Revenge. I will make her life a living hell while she is here. I’m going to make her feel the same pain she caused my family.” And then some.

  “You mean to tell me you aren’t going to sample that fine piece of ass before you destroy her? Or maybe that’s how you get your revenge? What if she’s a virgin? Wouldn’t that be the perfect way to make her pay? To claim the one and only thing she has to give her new husband?”

  My throat tightens, and I swallow thickly at the thought. For years I’ve wondered what it would be like to dive between her thighs and taste her. To drink from her until there was nothing left. Would I feast, ravishing her, or would I sip like a fine wine?

  “This isn’t the fifteen hundreds. She is eighteen, I highly doubt she is still a virgin or saving herself for marriage.”

  Warren cocks his head to the side, and out of the corner of my eye, I see his gaze raking over her body. Across the room, unaware of all the attention, she stands with her arms crossed over her chest. The swell of her breasts is peeking out of that innocent-looking pink blouse, and I wonder if she knows that she is pushing up her tits standing like that.

  My eyes move on their own, traveling over her heart-shaped face, and those sparkling green eyes, that hold a million and one secrets. I burn to crack her open, to snap her in two, and see what comes out.

  “Maybe, or maybe not? You never know, and with as cold and uptight as she looks, I wouldn’t be surprised. She seems like she needs to be thoroughly fucked.”

  “Shut up,” I growl, tugging the hood of my sweater further down over my face. “I doubt it, and even if she is, I don’t care. It changes nothing.” I have a different idea on how to break her.

  Warren smirks. “Well, if you don’t care, I think I’ll just waltz on over there and introduce myself. Test the waters a little? Get my dick wet? You know I’m all about leaving a lasting impression.” The fucker winks, and I curl my hand into a tight fist instinctively. Best friend or not, I would punch him in the face without thought.

  Asshole. I bite my tongue, feeling compelled to tell him, no, but I don’t. Willow is free game to any fuckface at this school, Warren included.

  “Be my guest, but I don’t want to hear you bitching when you catch something. You don’t know who has been between her legs.”

  “I’ll look at it before I stick my dick in it. Make sure there is no rash,” he snickers. “Or at least, not a nasty looking one.”

  “Good luck with that.” He’s probably going to be the one to give her something. I make a habit of not fucking girls after Warren has been with them, which narrows down the list of available pussy dramatically. “Let me know how experienced she was when you are done.”

  “Doesn’t matter. After I’ve been there, all the others will be a forgotten memory.” Flipping me his middle finger, he walks away and heads for her like a cat prowling across the African savanna. She’ll never stand a chance against Warren. He’s a natural predator, even worse than me. Curiously, I watch as he greets her. Like most women, she smiles as he introduces himself.

  Everything inside of me says to follow him over there, to drag him away, but I can’t. I don’t want to give myself away yet. The element of surprise is going to be my biggest asset here. Willow will never see me coming, and that’s what I need. I can’t wait to see her face fill with fear when she realizes she’s walked head-first into her own nightmare.

  As I’m standing there, watching; Willow smiles at something Warren says, a wave of jealousy slams into me. It’s powerful
enough to take me out at the knees, but I suck in a deep breath and push it down, burying it deep inside my gut.

  Fucking asshole.

  Shaking my head, I tell myself that I’m not going to let Warren ruin this for me. Not with his antics, charm, or snide comments. And Willow, she’s not worth being jealous over. I can have any girl I want here at Blackthorn. She’s nothing special. Nothing at all.

  Lost in thought for a brief moment, I miss the rest of the interaction between Warren and Willow, and when I look back up, I find Willow cowering beneath her father’s icy gaze. I don’t know why, but in that moment, I want to walk over there and kick her father’s ass. I want to tell him that he doesn’t belong here, that the only person that can hurt her is me, but I don’t. Instead, I tamp down the feeling, reminiscing about all the wrongs the Bradfords’ have done to my family.

  “Breaking her is going to be so easy. She’s delicate, like glass, when I kissed her hand, I swear she shivered.” I can see the wheels in Warren’s head turning. “I will definitely help you break her. It’ll be fun, give me something to do.” He wiggles his eyebrows, “And I do mean literally. She’s prettier than I expected. I might give her a ride or two.”

  Snapping, I growl, “Her beauty has nothing to do with this.”

  Warren snickers, “Liar. It has everything to do with it. Her beauty is a weakness for you.”

  Taking a step toward Warren, I bump my chest into his. We’re the same height, same body type. In a fight, we would be pretty much equal, that is, if he’d ever fight. I doubt he’s ever fought in his life. I might come from a filthy rich family, but I’ve gotten my hands dirty more than once. Warren is nothing more than a pretty boy with a sick and twisted mind. He’s a fly, a gnat. I don’t know why, but I feel the need to remind him that she’s mine. That all of this has to do with my revenge on her.

  Gritting my teeth, I stare down my best friend. “She’s mine to break. Mine to hurt. Do you understand that, or do I need to explain it to you in detail?” My fists clench and unclench, rage flickering through my veins like an out of control forest fire.

  Warren blinks, and for a moment, it looks like he’s going to fight me on it, but instead, he gives me a chin nod and takes a step back. That’s right, you know you don’t stand a chance. A sickening satisfaction fills my gut. Not wanting to make a scene, I back down. I have better things to do for the rest of the day.

  Tonight, I’ll make my presence known.

  Tonight, I’ll remind her of all the wrong her family has done.

  Hating You

  Preview of Cruel Obsession

  A Mafia Romance

  Chapter One

  Dove

  Paranoia skates down my spine as I walk a little bit faster down the sidewalk. The cold night air fills my lungs, and my heartbeat thuds loudly in my ears. All I can see and feel is that creeper from the party coming up to me and grabbing my wrist. His fingers biting into my flesh. The smell of alcohol on his breath as he spoke into my face.

  “Dance with me…” He didn’t ask, he demanded, and there was no way I was going anywhere with him, so I kicked him in the nuts and left the party. But now I can’t help but feel like he’s following me.

  Reaching the end of the sidewalk, I chance looking over my shoulder. My gaze falls on nothing but darkness. The light pole above my head does very little to illuminate the street, and when I look back again before crossing the street, I find someone walking toward me.

  Panic bubbles up inside of me, and this time, I start running. The air rips through my hair, and my lungs burn as fear implants itself deep in my gut.

  Run. Don’t look back. Just keep running.

  Cutting down a side street, I hope to throw the guy off, but as I continue running, I can still hear his footfalls behind me. This has to be a nightmare, something I’ll wake up from any second now.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I realize it’s anything but a dream. My eyes catch on the plaid pattern of the man’s shirt. Instantly, I know this is the creep from the party. Shit. Instinct tells me to run, but deep in my gut, I know what I should do.

  My hands shake as I try and pull my phone out to dial 9-1-1, but my fingers slip over the sleek device, and I keep putting the wrong passcode in. Panting, I make it underneath an illuminating streetlamp and force shallow breaths into my lungs.

  A grunting sound meets my ears, and when I look over my shoulder again, the man is gone. Just gone, vanished like he wasn’t there at all.

  Dazed, I stare at the exact spot he was in, fearing he’ll reappear any second, but he doesn’t. A strange calmness washes over me. It makes zero sense, but I don’t dwell on it long enough to digest it. Instead, I shove my phone back into my pocket and run the rest of the way home.

  By the time I reach my apartment, the exertion is evident, I’m gasping, and a sheen of sweat has formed against my forehead. I fumble with my keys, almost dropping them before finally getting the damn door open. Once inside, I slam the door closed and lock it before turning and sagging against the door.

  A moment later, Max is by my side. The eleven-year-old cat I rescued from being euthanized last year has been my most trusted friend. I sink my fingers into his long fur and let his low purring calm me.

  You’re okay, everything is okay… I repeat to myself.

  It’s been years since I’d felt fear like that, not since I was a little girl living in foster care. My skin crawls, and I suppress the thought.

  All that matters is that I’m safe. That I’m in my apartment and nothing happened to me.

  Everything is going to be okay…

  * * *

  Chapter Two

  Zane

  Slamming my fist into the fucker’s face, I watch with glee as agony overtakes his features. He should’ve known he would die, especially after touching what was mine.

  An image of my beautiful Dove fighting to get away from him. Her big, blue eyes brimmed with fear, her plump bottom lip trembling. Clenching my fist, I let the anger from that memory sink deep into my bones.

  “What were you planning to do when you got her alone? Huh? Why were you following her?” I growl, my patience withering away with every passing second. Part of me doesn’t want to know what he had planned, but the other, bigger part does. I want to hear the words, want them to fuel my anger even more.

  “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” the bastard sneers, playing stupid.

  I cock my head to the side and give him a bemused expression. “You must think I’m a fucking idiot, huh? That I didn’t see her tell you no. That she didn’t push you away? Or that I didn’t watch her run out of the house and down the street? That I didn’t see you follow a short while later.”

  If it wasn’t for me, he would’ve hurt her, but I was there, just as I’ve always been. And just like all the others who have tried to hurt Dove, he too will die at my hands.

  “You’re fucking crazy!” he spits. Blood drips down his lip from the punch I landed against it, and all I can do is stare at it. I can’t stop the cruel smile that splits across my face. My blood sings with joy, and the dark beast inside me cheers with elation at the sight of his blood.

  Grabbing him by the hair, I tip his head back, reveling in the scream that pierces the air. Ahhh, there is nothing like when they scream or beg for me to let them go. The hope that shows in their faces before all is lost. Before I snuff the light out of their eyes with my hands.

  “Crazy? You haven’t seen anything yet,” I sneer.

  Clenching my fist a little tighter, I pull back my arm and land another punch, this time, my knuckles meet the bridge of his nose and the satisfying crunch of bone cracking fills my ears.

  The monster inside me is terrifying, real, and it consumes me. I don’t stop as his screams continue to echo through the warehouse. They all cry and beg, but at the end of the day, it’s their own fault. Had they made a better choice, they wouldn’t be here.

  By the time I’m done, his face is unrecognizable, and
he’s slumped over in the chair I’ve tied him to. Turning, I grab a knife and lift his chin, or what’s left of it. Then I slice him from ear to ear. I feel nothing as I do this, no that’s not true. I feel something. Joy, happiness, relief. His death makes the weight on my chest a little lighter.

  Dove is safer now that I’ve extinguished him. Safer now that another worthless person is gone from her life. Another person wanting to hurt her that won’t ever get the chance.

  I was put on this Earth to protect her, to ensure her safety as long as I lived.

  I might never have her in the way I want, but at least I can always make certain no one hurts her. She will forever be mine, even if she doesn’t know it.

  Walking away from the body, I head to the sink and wash the blood from my hands. I spend way too long watching the reddened water swirl down the drain. When it finally runs clear, I scrub my hands with soap, rinse, and dry them. Pulling out my cell, I text Rob to tell him to get the cleanup crew together.

  Most people would probably feel guilt or at least some type of emotion after doing what I just did, but I don’t feel anything.

  Not that I can’t feel at all, because I can, I just chose not to. Feeling all the time would make it hard for me to kill people for the mob, on top of protecting Dove.

  My phone chimes and I see Rob’s name flash across the screen, letting me know that he’s gotten my message. When he arrives, I walk out to my car like nothing ever happened. I consider just driving home, but at the last second turn onto the street to Dove’s place.

  She lives in a relatively safe area, but that didn’t stop me from putting cameras and motion sensors in her house. I would go to any length to ensure her complete safety. Even in the safest neighborhood in the country, no one knows what happens behind closed doors.