Chapter 16

I still can’t believe I had sex with Kaiden. I don’t regret it, not really. I mean, how could I when it was so damn good? But if I wanted to have sex I probably should have found literally any partner outside of The Holy Trinity that I could.

Oh well, there’s nothing I can do about that now except ensure it doesn’t happen again.

I did thaw a little towards him though when I found the morning after medication waiting for me on my bed after my shower. I haven’t taken it though. I’m not convinced I can trust him. Hell, history has proven that I can’t trust him. I just don’t think, given recent events and revelations, that I should take this medication. How do I know it really is what it says on the box? Although fuck knows why Kaiden would want to mess around with my birth control. He doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who’s in a hurry to knock a girl up.

I umm and ahh for so long, debating what to do. Ultimately I decide it was my own damn fault for forgetting the condom and for trusting him to pull out, so fixing this mistake will also be down to me.

I grab my bag and my useless phone out of habit more than anything, pocket my keycard and take off towards the campus medical centre. On the way my mobile buzzes with an incoming message. It’s only going to be from one of The Trinity, but I still find myself unlocking my phone to read it.

It’s from Axel but it’s in the group chat.

Axel: What are you doing?

What’s it to him? I ignore him.

Axel: I know you’ve read my message. Don’t ignore me.

Ugh. I keep my reply brief: busy.

Nothing happens for a moment and then another message comes through.

Axel: Why are you heading towards the medical centre? Are you hurt?

Motherfucker, he’s tracking me. Before I can even consider how to chew him out for this, my phone buzzes again. I grit my teeth and seriously consider launching the damn thing in the lake.

Kaiden: Don’t go there! It’s not safe!

Jeez, what an arsehole. They’re both as bad as each other. I think I can handle going to see a doctor for the morning after pill.

I fire back an angry retort.

The Holy Trinity may control a lot of things on campus, but my body will never be one of them.

I don’t care if it’s a dead giveaway of what I’m going to the doctors for, or if Axel realises that I know about his alleged birth control shot. I need to send a message that just because I’ve been branded as The Doe and I have to take part in their twisted, fucked up little battle for power, I don’t have to submit to them as Odile Kemp. They can brand me and track me but they can’t control me.

Once I’m armed with a morning after pill I can trust after a visit to the world’s creepiest doctor and stroppiest pharmacist – and thinking maybe Kaiden had a point about it being unsafe – I head to the gym to work out. Running clears my head and after the events of last night, I could definitely use some clarity.

Despite wanting to escape from the Trinity, I find them consuming my thoughts with every footfall, no matter how fast I run or how hard I push my limits, they’re right with me, haunting me every step of the way.

I run until my legs are liquid, completely overdoing it until I’m on the brink of collapse. I don’t even manage a cool down routine, reaching my limit and smashing my hand against the emergency stop button.

Panting for breath, I drop to my knees the second the machine halts. It jars, and I’m catapulted into the past and assaulted by demons I don’t want to face today.

“Are you okay, miss?”

I jerk away from the stranger’s touch and blink. I’m on my back, on the floor of the gym, and a pair of concerned deep brown eyes are staring down at me softly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, but you collapsed and didn’t move for quite some time.” There’s an accent there, maybe Hispanic, and his voice is as warm as his gaze.

“I-I’m fine. J-just…overdid it, I guess.” He nods knowingly at me and holds out a large hand for me. Reluctantly I take it, and he helps me to a sitting position. I’m grateful he doesn’t try to get me on my feet.

Instead he surprises me by dropping down on the floor beside me and passing me his water bottle. I drink deeply.

“Thank you,” I say when I’m done, but when I try to hand it back, he waves me away. I take another drink and use the moment to study him. He has the broadest shoulders of anyone I’ve ever seen. He could easily be a bouncer or a bodybuilder or something judging by the way his Trinity U T-shirt stretches over his muscles, which ripple with every movement he makes.

“Keep it. It’s only a university one anyway. They give them away for free.”

“Thanks…” I probe.

“Hector.” He grins, a gorgeous infectious smile that lights up his handsome tanned face, and holds out his palm again. He has really strong-looking hands. I think I might be obsessed with them. I take his hand, thinking he’s maybe going to pull me up this time, but he shakes my hand instead.

“I’m Odile.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Odile. You sure have some running legs on you. Do you compete?”

“I used to. Not anymore.”

“That’s a real shame. The sports teams here are always looking for new blood.”

“Sorry, I only run for me and my demons,” I say with a laugh.

“Well, you sure put them in their place today. If you ever want to do more than just running, give me a shout and I’ll be happy to help.” I blink at him, not understanding. “I work here.”

“You’re a professor?” My eyebrows hit my hairline. There’s no way. He’s far too good…young looking. I swear I need to check my chin for drool but can’t figure out a way to do it discreetly. He laughs and it’s a deep rumble that I feel right to my core. Unexpectedly perfect actually. Everything about his face and demeanour is so friendly and inviting, but his body and that laugh are all menace.

“Thanks for that, I knew I needed to up my skincare routine. But no. I’m a personal trainer. I can show you some of the other equipment, maybe the weights.”

“Sounds good but I don’t have it in me today.”

“No,” he chuckles darkly. “Definitely not today. But I look forward to working with you soon.”

He climbs to his feet and walks away, leaving me where I’m sitting.

I feel lighter than I have in ages and I don’t think it’s from the run. Then it hits me. Hector is the first person on this campus who’s been nice to me. He acknowledged me as Odile, not The Doe or the Trinity’s property, and he was kind without being sleazy.

The thought that I might actually be able to have a friend or an ally while I’m here lifts me as I head back to my room for a shower. Though I will admit, I wouldn’t mind being more than a friend to a guy like Hector. There’s no denying he’s absolutely gorgeous. I’m stopped as I’m entering my dorm by Rob, one of my flat mates. I’ll admit, I haven’t made the effort to get to know any of them, but that’s mostly because when I walk into the kitchen, the others tend to leave. Rob, who has the room next to mine, bars my way and grins down at me lasciviously.

“Hey, Doe.”

“It’s Odile to you,” I snap.

“Whatever. What’s got you all hot and sweaty? Didn’t get enough action last night, so you’ve been off looking for more?” I glare at him, folding my arms and tapping my foot as I wait for him to move out of my way. He comes closer, his rank, stale cigarette breath making me heave. “All those histrionics last night…so over the top.”

“Move out of my way,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

“I think you need someone to show you how it’s really done. If you were getting fucked properly, you wouldn’t need to fake it so theatrically.”

Tired of Rob’s bullshit, I elbow him in the gut and barge past him to get to my dorm. He follows but I’m able to get into my room and slam the door on his slimy face. Jeez, the guy’s a narcissist for sure.

If I didn’t need a shower already from my work out, I would after two minutes in his company. Ditching my bag on the bed, I read the instructions for the tablets I need to take, and then go to freshen up.

I’m almost finished with my shower when I hear my phone ringing. Dripping wet, I cross my bedroom and answer the call without checking the caller display.

“Hello?”

“You sound breathless, what were you doing?” Kaiden’s teasing drawl comes down the line.

“I was in the shower,” I snap as the cold air from my open window bites at my exposed skin.

“Were you thinking of me?”

I should have let the call go to voicemail. For a moment I forgot that it could only be one of the Trinity calling me and in a moment of madness I had thought…well, it doesn’t matter because it’s Kaiden on the line.

I sigh. “What do you want, Kelly?”

“Ouch, surnames now? So impersonal, Kemp.”

“And yet you’ve still not answered my question.”

“We’re going out tonight.”

“And I care because…?”

“Because we are going out tonight. The Doe is going out tonight. It’s time for the first challenge.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“So you can get ready.”

“To go out?”

“Yes. But like out, out. Just out. Outside. At night. In autumn. When you might want to blend in with your dark and leafy surroundings.”

I have no idea what he’s on about.

“Kaiden–”

“Remember when we used to play in the woods back home?”

“Yeah…?”

“Good times.”

The line goes dead and I shake my head. The boy’s crazy.

I need to study. But first, clothes.

* * *

My phone buzzesand I see it’s a private message from Kaiden.

We’re coming, be ready x

Him and his kiss can fuck off. I am not ready for whatever bullshit tonight and the rest of this stupid contest will bring. I should probably be grateful for the head’s up, but I’m not. All of the anger that had started to simmer down over the last couple of weeks rears back up to the surface and I’m raging once again.

I pull on my trainers and hoodie, grab my backpack and pocket my phone just as there’s a soft knock at my door.

Zie.

Even after all this time I still recognise the way each of them raps on a door. Which is incredibly sad and pathetic of me. I consider climbing out of the window to escape them, but something tells me I wouldn’t get very far.

Swinging the door open, I take in the three men standing before me. They’re dressed head to toe in black - which isn’t that unusual I guess - but it’s the sight of all three of them in sweats and trainers that has me laughing.

“Oh, are we going for a run? Is that the challenge? Because I think I can still beat you.”

I may have only been able to run circles around Zie to begin with, but I was on both the athletics and the cross country teams at school. As the boys grew up and found other pastimes to amuse themselves with, I ran and swam and worked hard to beat them in every small way that I could.

And I spent the last year getting back into shape, both mentally and physically.

“Laugh it up, Doe. While you can,” Axel threatens, stepping forward. He reaches out with some dark material in his hands and a sadistic grin on his face that makes my teasing laughter fall short.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I growl as a dark pillowcase is pulled over my head.

“Sorry, babygirl, it has to be like this.” Kaiden captures my hands, before I can rip it off.

“I should gut you right now.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Axel snaps. “Behave or we’ll have to restrain you.” That does make me still.

“I don’t trust you fuckers,” I spit, my fear manifesting as anger.

“Good. You shouldn’t.”

“You’re going to walk me into a wall or some shit,” I complain.

“Kaiden.” I’m hoisted into the air and slammed over Kaiden’s shoulder, the air leaving me in a woosh.

“That’s not what I meant!” I gasp.

“Tough luck, princess. You can’t have it both ways.” That’s the first time Axel’s called me princess in forever, and it makes my stomach flutter, even if he did say it in his hard as nails ‘don’t fuck with me’ tone.

They drag me across campus and I kick and scream the entire way. Pointless of course, who would go against the mighty Holy Trinity to help me?

I’m bundled into the back of a car and once the engine starts I realise I’m in Axel’s Jeep Wrangler. I love this car. I only got to ride in it a few times before they left but sitting back in the full leather bucket seats feels familiar and safe. Kaiden – I can tell from his cypress and leather scent – leans over me to clip in my seatbelt and I sigh.

“Can I take this stupid blindfold off now?”

“Nope. It has to stay on for the whole ride.”

“Great.”

Kaiden chuckles at my sarcasm and Axel turns on the radio, drowning out any complaints I may have made.

“Get comfy, little doe. It’s going to be a long ride.”