Saxon’s Distortion by C.A. Rene

Saxon

This Head meeting has me wanting to see how far I can throw a knife and hit a target. Three is at the very end of the table, she insisted on being there, and directly across from Carmelo. A powerful move if you ask me. Carmelo finally has all the evidence in order and today is the day Black Slaughter takes down the mole.

Three, AKA, Isabel Juarez has been working for the Cartel for the last thirty years. A mole who was planted long ago with my Uncle Carm, Carmelo’s father. I bet she feels pretty safe, thirty years is a long time to be in an undercover role, and by this point, she’s probably thinking we’re a dumb fucking family.

I don’t know all the specifics about what she’s done, but she’s dangerous, and no matter how old the bitch is, she dies today. She’s had her eye on me this whole meeting.

“Sorry Carmelo,” her voice shakes with age, or dramatics, not sure. “Where is Ember Torres?”

“Greene.” I correct her and speak before Carmelo does, “she’s a Greene, and I was sent here in her place.”

“Three, Saxon Greene is Aunt Ember’s son and protege.” Carmelo’s hand lands on the table, “is there an issue?”

The exhaustion is heavy on his face, this is a big job Mom gave him. Not to mention he’s taking it in stride. His black hair is now slicked back over his head, his muscular body always covered in an expensive suit, and his face perfectly groomed. Carmelo has taken his role seriously and looks the part as Head of the Head Corp.

“No issue,” she murmurs, “but, I would like to know how territory Ten is doing.”

“I can do that,” I lean forward, “I’ve taken out a known drug house that has been supplying meth to high schoolers in both Whitsborough and Toronto. I am currently investigating two known sex-offending teachers, and I have a problem with a new serial rapist in Toronto. Drug distribution has dropped to thirteen percent—the lowest it's been in seventeen years—and trafficking has stopped altogether in Whitsborough.”

The table is quiet as they watch me, beady eyes taking in my dark attire, and lazy smirk. To this table of geriatrics, I am a young kid, and I’m okay with that, until they question my ability. There will be no hesitation to send them to their maker, they’ve lived a long enough life.

The meeting drones on about numbers and projections, nothing of importance to me. I continue to flick my blade in my hoodie pocket and grin every time Isabel’s eyes land on mine. Which is frequent. She must feel it, the Grim Reaper breathing down her neck, and telling her how little time she has left.

“This meeting is adjourned.” Carmelo announces and looks at me as he says, “Three, please stay behind.”

Her jaw sets but she’s brave as she nods her head in agreement. We watch everyone leave and then it’s just the three of us, sitting around a large table in an overly quiet room. No one speaks but her eyes stay trained on me, knowing why I’m here.

“Get on with it.” She says quietly.

“Why?” Carmelo asks.

“The Cartel doesn’t give much choice,” she runs a large, fat hand over her curly, grey hair. When she speaks her large jowls move against her neck. “I either do what they say and possibly die, or I refuse them and die.”

“I understand,” Carmelo says with a nod, “why didn’t you come to us?”

“The Torres’ or the Ramirez’s? I took my chance with the Cartel.” She answers truthfully but it pisses me off.

“Bet you regret that now, huh? Knowing a handful of Torres’ took out the Ramirez head. You put your eggs in the wrong fucking basket, Isabel.” She flinches when I say her real name and nods.

“I know. Promises were made to have me out by now, allowing me to live with my daughter and grandchildren in Mexico.” She’s speaking the truth, but mercy was never on the table.

“I hope you spoke to them recently,” Carmelo says as he leans on the table.

“Yes.” She swallows thickly, all her chins swaying with the motion. “I always do before coming here.”

“Do you realize you were never getting pulled out? They knew eventually you would be found out and they were okay with you dying for it. Either way, I’m here to do my job,” My chair scrapes as it’s pushed out from the table, “I didn’t wear my face makeup today because I wanted you to see just who you fucked with. You put my family in danger, multiple times, and we were almost killed for it.”

I walk around the table and stand behind her. “Yes, I did.” Brave to the fucking end. “I have already prayed for the forgiveness needed to get into-”

My knife stabbing into her fat neck cuts her off and I watch as she bleeds out, twitching as death enters her body.

“Maybe we could’ve helped her,” Carmelo stands, his eyes wide. “Maybe we didn’t have to kill her.”

“She had to die.” He’s soft and that’s why I’m the one behind the mask and he’s the one in front. He can’t handle how messy my job is and I can’t handle the emotions needed for his. I slide open my phone and call Trent, “clean up in the boardroom.”

“Fuck, this is going to be our whole lives, killing people, chasing bad people, killing more people.”

“Look,” I come back around and stand in front of him, “I don’t know what kind of life you thought you were getting into, but we don’t live in a perfect world. You’re acting like this isn’t what I was called here to do and it’s pissing me off.”

“It’s not that,” he shakes his head and presses his finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, “when she spoke about her daughter and grandchildren,” he takes a deep breath, “Cat is pregnant.”

“She knew it would pull on your heartstrings and maybe she thought it would work on me, too. But that’s not how it works, she knew when she chose her path and knew where it could lead her.” I pat his shoulder, “congrats on the kid.”

“Are you staying tonight?” He asks. “It would be nice to hang out with you.”

“I wasn’t going to,” I shrug and give him a wink, “but now that I know my kissing cousins put a baby in their girl? That can’t be missed.”

“You make it sound filthy,” he growls as Trent opens the door, “we’re not cousins.”

“Grandpa!” I shout and Trent cringes, but he can’t hide the smile taking over his face, “are you getting chromosome testing done? You know it’s incest, right?”

“I’ve thought about it,” he chuckles, and I laugh with him.

“Cat is not related to either me or Cameron.” Carmelo growls and Trent chuckles.

I walk out of the room, whistling Kissin’ Cousins by Elvis Presley and leave behind a grumbling Carmelo and a laughing Trent.

The hall is loud and boisterous, and Carmelo and Cameron are already sitting at the bar. I walk up and stand between them, slapping a hand to the bar.

“Fuck bitches, make babies!” I yell and the bartender laughs.

Carmelo groans and Cameron slings an arm over my shoulders, “you’re fucking right.”

“Where’s Cat?” I check around the hall.

“She’s coming.” Carmelo nods as beers appear in front of us, “she’s been gathering info on Jules.”

Jules was Catalina’s betrothed and heir to the Ramirez Cartel. When we took out Jules’ father Julio, we put Jules in his place with the guarantee the Cartel abides by the rules, or he’ll have the same fate.

“What’s been happening?”

“Nothing much, yet.” Carmelo breathes out, “but Jules had a meeting last week with a group of mercenaries.”

“Oh, he’s trying to build an army.” I take a swig of beer, “and have we bought them instead?”

“Yes,” Cameron laughs and squeezes my shoulders. “You know we did, so now those fuckers are working for us while he thinks they’re working for him.”

“So, why are you looking stressed?” I ask Carmelo.

“I needed Jules to work and to have him there and run shit for us. Now what happens? Who will take his place?”

“Trent could help you out with that.” I point out, “he was a top shark when he was there and working for the Cartel, if we have to take out Jules, then he’ll know who should be in his place.”

“But I was thinking it should be one of us.” He replies as he drinks from his beer.

“You won’t have a lick of respect.” I shake my head at his ignorance, “you’d need someone who is Mexican, knows the cartel culture, and respects their traditions. You can’t send in a Greene or a Torres because we’re not raised Mexican, it’s a slap in their face.”

“I didn’t think about that,” he admits and gives me a once over, “little cousin is smarter than us.” He grins over at Cameron.

“He always has been.” He nods.

“How’s Ivy? I tried calling her last week, but she was busy with cake tasting?” Carmelo raises a brow and my eyes roll.

“The wedding is in a month and they’re driving me nuts. Neil asked me to be the best man.”

“I can’t wait for the speech,” Cameron chuckles.

“I think they’re trying to have a baby, too.” I admit to them, and they both fall quiet. We know what happened to Ivy and her first pregnancy, so it’s depressing to hear she’s been trying without success.

“It’ll happen for them,” Cameron nods, always the positive one. “It’s the stress of a wedding that could be throwing them off.”

“Maybe,” I acquiesce.

“Can you imagine Aunt Ember as a grandma though?” Cameron snorts and we all laugh. “It’ll be like Jenna but angrier.”

“Jenna was awesome.” Carmelo chimes in, “she always brought the kids something from her travels.”

“Sharla is coming home, too, right? She’s going to help Ivy plan the wedding?” Cameron asks.

“Yeah, she’ll be here next week.” I nod. Sharla is my paternal grandmother and she’s been living in Italy for the past fifteen years. She hates Whitsborough and if it weren’t for us, she’d never step foot inside its borders.

“Saxon!” I pivot at the sound of Cat’s voice and immediately zone in on her stomach. She’s in a crop top and her abs are still defined and cut.

“Are you sure she’s pregnant?” I ask as she wraps her arms around my waist, resting her cheek on my chest.

“It’s only two months,” she shakes her head and her black curls bounce, reminding me of another golden head of curls. “They shouldn’t be telling anyone.”

“Congrats.” I tell her as she pulls away.

“Thank you,” she smiles, and I can see what my cousins see in her, she’s beautifully exotic.

“So, since you can’t have shots, we’ll take double for you.” I exclaim and slap my hand on the bar to get everyone’s attention. “Tonight, we’re here to celebrate three of the strongest people I know! Let’s get some shots!” The place erupts and the bartenders cheer, the compound is like our extended family and it’s nice being here, I get to lock up my responsibilities for a bit and just try to concentrate on the fun side of life.

It doesn’t stop my mind from gravitating toward Whitsborough and a certain university campus with a rapist on the loose.

Amelia

I stand at the entrance of the library and look at the newly installed camera. It faces the front door and maybe a bit of the entrance way. I take a quick walk down the side of the building and notice one more camera facing the back door. That’s it.

I don’t know how far down the front path the camera can reach but I don’t think it’s much and Cordelia would be correct in her observation. It will do nothing to catch the rapist, the trees provide too much cover, and the path is not illuminated enough. And that’s just the front. The back of the library is worse. There’s one light that turns on with motion near the door and then nothing else until you hit the parking lot, which has one light pole. One.

My heart picks up when I think of the fear I felt the night before, and when we were stopped by the security guard, I thought that was it. The campus is dead at night now and we were sitting ducks, begging to be caught. I can’t let her be here by herself each night, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything were to happen to her.

I make my way inside the library and take my usual seat, this time facing the woman whose nose is once again inside a book. She’s beautiful in a classical way. Her brown hair is twisted up into a chignon on the back of her head and a few wispy pieces float around her narrow face. She has a small nose, and it looks like it struggles to hold up her large glasses. Her mouth is pursed in concentration as she reads yet another romance novel.

I sit and this time making sure to face her, even though she doesn’t even notice I’m here. Instead, I notice a few things sending my blood pressure through the roof. Jack Taylor is in the library today and that in itself is a rare occurrence. No, that’s not true, he likes to come in when the place is crowded, and he watches the girls as they study. When Cordelia said his name to Saxon, there was some doubt but the more I thought about it, the truer it felt. Jack is never here to study, at least not a textbook, and today is no different.

He’s sitting in the back corner of the library, and he has a few textbooks sitting in front of him but none of them are open. His shaved head is a weird contrast to his bushy brows and thick eyelashes. He’s not tall but he’s built, and he could easily overpower a girl. Today his focus is on a group of girls sitting together at the computer desk, giggling, and keeping his attention on them. My eyes find Cordelia and she’s eyeing him over her book as well. Then those ice blue eyes move to me, and I’m graced with a small smile.

Opening my textbook, I move to the page I stopped at last night. I have an exam tomorrow morning and need to study. I lose myself in it and when I glance up again, it’s starting to get dark outside. A few people get up to leave but the girls continue to sit at the desk, giggling and holding Jack’s attention. He really does come off as a creep.

One hour later and the girls stand, putting their books away. They leave but one stays behind, studying hard with her nose in the textbook, Jack’s gaze is heavy on her and when he pulls out his phone, I realize this is it. He’s texting his partner and planning on jumping this girl when she leaves. My heart pounds, and my head begins to ache, he must be involved.

Fifteen minutes later, and the girl stands, pushing her books into her bag. The sun is just starting to set and she’s smart to leave now, I just don’t know if she’s clear of danger. She leaves and not a minute later, Jack is following behind her. I scramble up out of my seat and leave my open textbooks on the table. I follow him to the entrance, and Cory’s chair scrapes behind me.

“Amelia?”

I face her and hold up my finger, “one minute. I’ll be right back.”

She calls out to me again but I’m already out the door. The sun is nearly set and it’s that weird time before night, where the sky is still gripping onto the last remnants of light, but the darkness is settling in. It’s twilight and the insects begin buzzing but the birds are still chirping. It’s also creepy because the little bit of light left is casting the tree’s shadows across the path and I’m standing in the center of it as it sways around my own shadow.

I stand still and listen, opening my ears for a struggle. There’s nothing but the sounds of nature around me, yet something’s off, and I head down the side of the building. It’s darker here, the trees thicker, and it’s harder for the sun to penetrate through the dense foliage. I run my fingers along the brick as I head toward the back of the building, there’s still no sound.

“Aaaameeeeeliaaaaa.” The sound of my name being moaned softly from inside the treeline has me startling to a stop. “Won’t you come out to plaaaaay?”

“What the fuck?” The voice is male but it’s being exaggeratedly high pitched, and I can’t tell who it is. My stomach tightens with fear, and I try to squint my eyes to see past the dense trees. There’s a slight movement in the shadows, but I can’t tell anything beyond that. “Fuck you.” I call out and flinch when a hitch-pitched laugh coupled with the snap of twigs hits my ears.

The darkness is spreading around me quickly as the sun sets and soon, I won’t be able to see anything. I make my way back to the front entrance when a large rock skims past my face and hits the brick with enough force to crack it, sending shards of stone to the ground. A scream erupts from my throat, and I spin, making a run for the back of the library.

“Aaaaameeeeeeelia.” The voice sounds so close, and I begin to suck air into my lungs, fighting for breath. I hear footfalls behind me, as rapid as mine, and sense I’m being chased. I consider myself fit but running for your life makes your body react differently, and I feel like I’m about to pass out. I round the corner of the library just as a hand brushes along the curls at the nape of my neck, making me scream frantically.

I get to the back door and turn the handle, but it’s locked. I look to the corner of the building and no one’s there but there’s a high-pitched cackle, sending me into another frantic attack. I bang on the door all the while keeping my eye on the corner. If someone comes out from there, I should have enough time to run along the other side to the front.

My fist never leaves the door as I bang and when it opens, Cordelia is standing there with a frightened look. I push her in and look once more to the corner of the building and see a gloved hand wiggling its fingers in a taunting goodbye. I shove us both inside and slam the door behind me, then fall against the metal as I fight to catch my breath.

“Amelia,” Cordelia’s hands land on my face, “what was it? Was someone there?”

I nod, unable to form words, my chest still heaving, and my mouth still coated in fear.

“Did you see who it was? Why did you go out there?”

“Jack…” I manage to get out and she sucks in a sharp breath.

“Jack was chasing you?”

“No… I don’t know… I followed him.” I begin to catch my breath, but my heart will not slow down. “There was someone there.” My hand grips my chest.

“Jack?” Cordelia drops her hands and looks behind her to the library. “I knew you were following him. Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know if it was Jack.” I tell her just as a loud banging sounds on the door behind me. We both scream, and I shove off the metal, staring out through the glass pane at the face on the other side.

“Jesus,” Cordelia curses as she opens the door.

“Hello Miss Cordelia,” the security guard looks around her to me, “we saw you on the camera,” he points to the one over his head, “you looked like you were running from something. Is everything okay?”

“No,” the words fly from my mouth, “I was being chased around the side of the building, were you able to see that?”

“No,” he shakes his head and turns on his flashlight, “I will go take a look.” He disappears and Cordelia closes the door quickly.

“They’re long gone by now.” I retort and take another deep breath. “I don’t know if that was Jack.” My fingers press to my temple. “It didn’t seem like him.”

“Come,” Cordelia puts her arm around my shoulder, “if they’re still out there, the security guard will find them.”

Yeah, right.

Cordelia

Tonight, I’m closing the library early. It’s obvious the predator is still lurking around, and they know how to avoid being detected by the cameras. When I heard the banging and opened the back door to a petrified Amelia, I almost lost it. I thought she had been attacked and my mind ran wild with terror.

I knew Jack Taylor was somehow involved, it’s been in the back of my mind, and in the pit settling in my stomach since this whole thing started.

“Do you think your friend looked into Jack?” I break the silence and draw Amelia’s attention.

“Without a doubt,” she murmurs, “Saxon has some bad blood with him and a few others from our high school.”

“What happened?”

“They jumped him and beat him up pretty badly.” Her eyes become glossy with unshed tears, “he retaliated and was expelled from school.”

“Why would they attack him?”

“Saxon is different,” she exhales heavily like this is a story she’s reluctant to share.

“That’s fine,” I turn back to my cart of returns, “we don’t need to talk about it.”

“Saxon is a good person,” she starts out, “but he’s not like you or me. His brain,” she taps her head, “focuses on things from a rare perspective. He’s been diagnosed as a sociopath since we were in elementary school.”

“Oh!” I’ve never known a sociopath, but heard of them, and nothing good. Most of it is in connection with serial killers.

“I know,” she nods when she sees the look on my face, “you think psychopath, right? The thing is, he may not process emotions correctly, but he cares, in his own way.”

“Has he ever… lashed out?”

“Like beyond his retaliation for putting someone in the hospital? Not that I know of. He’s not easily provoked, to be honest. You’ve spoken to him, he’s logical and analytical.” She explains and I must agree, he is both of those things. “There have been moments in our childhood that stand out, but nothing sinister.”

“Like what?” I find myself sitting in the seat next to her, utterly entranced by her story.

“We used to walk to school together, along with his cousin Gabriel who is a few years younger than us. We were in elementary school and even then, Saxon felt like an adult to us.” She tucks an unruly curl behind her ear, “one day we were walking to school, and we heard a mewling noise. It was a cat in the middle of the road, having been hit by a car, and dying.”

“Oh no.”

“We rushed over, and Saxon held us back from it, telling us to leave it alone. Gabriel and I wanted to run to a nearby house to call for help. He told us it was no use and stood there, watching it slowly die.” She bites on her lip, “the cat died, and he lifted it off the road, putting it in the tall grass of the ditch. It wasn’t him enjoying the animal’s pain but more like being there with it as it died, analyzing how it died. I understand now, we wouldn’t have been able to help it, but back then, I was devastated.”

“Understandably.”

“I didn’t go to school, I ran back home and cried to my mother. She spoke to Saxon’s mother, and he was evaluated not too long after. He knew I spurred that on, and he never once blamed me or became angry, he just accepted it. He has a no bullshit attitude, and he only retaliates if it’s necessary.” She respects him.

“He seemed like a level-headed man to me, and I liked his tenacity.” I get up from the table, “let’s call security to come walk us to the car.”

She stands up and faces me, stepping into my personal space. She’s really a sight to behold this close, her eyes are a beautiful reddish brown with golden flecks, and she has a light dusting of freckles along her nose. Her skin is radiant against her golden ombré hair.

“And me, Cory?” She steps in closer, our chests brushing, “what do you think of me?”

She’s a few inches taller than me and my face tips slightly to keep eye contact, “I think you’re an amazing person, Amelia.”

She has this schoolgirl infatuation with me, and I really am flattered, but I’m also smart. Nothing good would ever transpire from such an illicit affair, just the excitement and taboo of being caught, and in the end, our ages would still cause a gaping rift separating us.

“You’re thinking too hard about it,” she uses her finger to tip my chin up further, “stop thinking and feel.”

Her mouth lands on mine in a soft, seeking kiss. Her lips cushion my bottom lip and then the top, staying on this side of appropriate even though I sense she wants to push it further. She pulls back and looks into my eyes, ones I’ve kept open the whole time. She’s searching for something, if it’s consent, it’s there. If she’s looking for something deeper than a physical reaction, she won’t find it. I learned how to lock those up tight a long time ago and I won’t ever be caught with my heart on my sleeve ever again.

She makes a little huffing noise, slightly annoyed with my reaction, and drops her finger from my chin. If she wants an illicit affair, something hot and fleeting, that’s not a problem. It’s when she realizes she wants more, something beyond a few stolen moments, and that makes me nervous, I don’t want to have to break her heart. I just don’t have it in me to be devoted to any one person.

My hand curls itself into her shirt and I gently pull her back in, maybe a quick taste to stop the bombarding thoughts. Her eyes flash with uncertainty as I lay my hand on her cheek and press my mouth onto hers. It’s sweet at first, but soon it changes into something more desperate. I back her up into the table, her butt hitting the edge, and she wraps her arms around my waist, her hands slipping down over my backside.

She begins to gather up the fabric of my dress, fisting it in bunches, and the cool draft teases my bare skin. I don’t tend to wear underwear unless I have to and I’m thankful for it right now. Her fingers grip my cheeks back there, the tips slipping between the globes, and then she’s trailing them up my crack, gasping when she reaches the top.

“Cordelia,” she pulls away from my kiss, “you don’t wear underwear?”

“Not if I don’t have to,” I shake my head, leaning back in to kiss her some more, and whimpering when she avoids my mouth.

“Are you trying to kill me? How will I ever come in here and not imagine that?” She flips us around and shoves me into the table, “get up.”

Her tone is demanding, and I do as she says, my pussy wet and clenching in anticipation. I sit on the edge, and she gathers my dress in her hands, then pauses as she takes a deep breath. I try to study her features to decipher what she’s thinking, then her eyes meet mine.

“Amelia-” I begin but her finger presses to my mouth.

“Just be quiet, Cory. I want to remember this moment perfectly.” Her finger slips down over my lips, trails in between my breasts, and then she’s pushing my back down on top of the tabletop. There’s a moment of panic slipping up through my stomach, but I swallow it down, and fan my fingers against the wood surface. I’m in the library, nowhere else. I’m not back there, it’s wood underneath me, not metal.

My legs are being spread and I breathe in fast, not to be ‘examined’ I remind myself, it’s Amelia. I get up onto my elbows, wanting to see her, no, needing to see her, and watch as her gorgeous curls move between my thighs. Her breath fans out on my aching core and I moan at the warmth of it.

“You’re so wet for me,” she whispers, “I need to know how you taste.”

“Oh my,” I groan as her tongue flicks out and swipes against my clit. I fall back to the table and thoughts of metal gurneys and checkups fly from my head. Amelia shoves my thighs further apart and sinks her tongue inside of me, the sweet invasion causing me to cry out. She feels amazing as she devours me, and I begin to rush to the edge.

She slips two fingers in me and as soon as she’s deep inside, my walls clench around her. She moans and continues to lash my clit with her tongue, shoving me over the edge. I clamp down onto her and scream to the ceiling of the library, my words garbled as I continue to fall into a sensational void. I black-out as stars burst around me and I realize I’m going to be utterly obsessed with Amelia and her tongue.

She chuckles as I fight to reclaim my breath and I lean up to look at her groggily. “Like I said, amazing.”

Her chin is glistening with the evidence of my release, and I grab her shirt, pulling her into me. I kiss her deeply, my tongue running along her lips, cleaning myself off her skin, and I moan at the taste of us both. Pulling back and wiping my thumb along her chin, I collect my juices. I pop it in my mouth, sucking deeply, and Amelia moans, leaning in for another taste.

The banging on the door has us both startled and Amelia jumps back with a strangled scream. I scramble off the table, and some sense returns as I check the time, “so much for leaving early.” I rush to the back door and look outside the window, to see the same security guard from earlier today.

I open the door and give him a smile. “Hi.”

“Miss,” he nods, “I’m here to walk you to your car.”

“Right,” I nod, “could you give me a few minutes?”

He gives me a once over, cataloging my flushed cheeks and mussed hair.

“Sure,” he tries to look around me. “Is there someone else inside with you?”

I close the door before answering and make my way back inside the library, how do I make this look innocent? When he sees Amelia, he’ll know what we’ve been up to, it’s written all over my face. “Fuck.”

As soon as I step into the library, fear grips me fast, Amelia isn’t here. I find her bag missing as well and curse myself for never getting her phone number. I rush to the front door and find it unlocked, throwing it open. There’s no sound but the slight rustle of the leaves on the trees, she’s gone. I wait there for a few seconds and listen for any sounds, my heart beating rapidly. I run back inside and lock the door, grabbing up my purse as I rush by the desk. I turn off the lights and haul open the back door, startling the guard. Good, they’ve been startling me too often lately.

He looks surprised to see me alone and I ignore his quizzical stare, heading straight to my car. “Goodnight,” he calls out as he stops at the edge of the parking lot. I raise my hand over my head, waving him off, and run the little way to jump into my car.

I peel out of the parking lot, the tires protesting at the sudden burst of speed, and see smoke in my rear-view. I don’t care how I look right now; I need to make sure she’s okay. I take the same route I did the night before and when I see her walking brusquely down the path to her dorm, I almost sob with relief.

I roll my window down and pull up beside her, “did you want to give me a heart attack?”

She barks out a laugh and stops to look into my window, “no, but I did want you to keep your job. You didn’t look like a good little librarian taking care of her books tonight.” I can feel the warm rush of heat across my cheeks, and she laughs again, “cute.”

“We can’t let that happen again,” I begin, and she continues to chuckle.

“What you started can’t be stopped, Cory.” She turns onto the path leading to her dorms, “see you tomorrow.” She calls out.

“Amelia!” I growl but she doesn’t pay me any mind as she continues on her way, her tight ass flexing with each step.

Jesus, she’s absolutely right though.