Oakley.
When I turn around, my heart stutters in my chest to see Eva is no longer on the dancefloor with Dimitry. I come up blank after a quick sweep. There’s no sign of Eva anywhere in the hall. My thoughts race along with my heart pounding at a thousand miles an hour as I return to Archer. “Did you see where they went?”
His brow furrows as he turns to me. “Who?”
“Eva and Dimitry,” I growl.
Archer shrugs. “How the fuck should I know?” He grabs my wrist as I’m about to walk away. “Are you intending to ruin her family, or do you intend to fucking marry her? As at the moment, you’re acting like her crazed lover.”
I snarl at him in response, and he lets go, reading the warning signs. I have to find Eva, not argue with him.
Blaine is talking to a student. I don’t want to ask if he saw where they went. He’s always more of a drag than Archer, so I know there’s no use asking for his help. The students are supposed to remain in the hall during the event, but none of these fucking idiots follow the rules.
As I’m halfway down the corridor toward the library, my phone buzzes, and I reach into my pocket to find a message from Eva.
Dimitry has taken me to an after-party, and I don’t like it. Can you come rescue me?
An inferno blazes to life inside of me as I march into the hallway, glancing down the corridor in search of them. I type a question back.
Where is this party?
The bubbles show up, suggesting she’s texting back. And then they disappear.
“Fuck,” I growl, shaking my head.
Where would the after-party be?
I’m going to need backup to break up a fucking party. The ruins are the only place for an after-party. I ring Archer’s number, knowing I don’t have time to go back and drag him out.
“Oak, what’s up?”
“There’s an after-party on campus. I’m going to break it up and might need backup.”
He tuts on the other end. “Don’t bother. There’s one every year.”
“What?” I growl.
“Get Eva out and leave it.” He cancels the call.
How did he know about this after-party?
I rush toward the ruins, which, as I suspected, are booming with loud music. My heart pounds hard and fast in my chest as I shorten the distance.
When I get there, my stomach dips.
There’re hundreds of students, not just seniors, gathered in the clearing. Most of them are too drunk to notice me as I push through the crowd, searching for Eva.
I pull my cell phone out of my pocket.
I’m in the ruins. Where are you?
I see her read it, but she doesn’t reply. If Dimitry is stopping her from answering her phone, he’ll be lucky to survive this night.
“Principal Byrne,” two drunk girls approach me, fluttering their eyelashes. One of them puts her hand on my arm. “Are you here to party with us?”
I shake her off. “No, out of my way.” I push past them and search the crowd for any of Eva’s friends. There’s no sign of Natalya, Adrianna, or Azira at this fucking party.
I can feel my patience wearing thin until suddenly my phone dings.
Sorry. I didn’t have time to reply. I am by the fountain. Come quickly.
I push through the crowd toward the fountain, and my stomach churns when I see about a hundred students, most of them making out or worse.
Dimitry Jakov bought her back here to take advantage of her. I feel my body shake as I search for Eva and the Jakov boy, irritated that I still can’t see them.
And then I hear her.
“No, Dimitry. Please stop,” she cries, her voice coming from the further corner. I rush toward her, adrenaline pulsing through my veins.
“I said stop,” she shouts, and they come into view just in time for me to see him forcefully hiking the skirt of her beautiful blue dress right up to her hips and reaching for her panties against her wishes.
I see red, and before I know what I’m doing, I plant my first firmly between his eyes, knocking him out cold before he even fucking sees me.
Eva’s eyes widen, and then relief sags her shoulders as she pulls the hem of her skirt down and sinks onto a rock, tears flooding her eyes.
I stand motionless, staring at my pupil knocked out cold on the floor. The principal of the school should not go around knocking out students. And yet I can’t find it in myself to regret it one bit. Dimitry was assaulting her against her wishes, and I did what any sane, red-blooded man would do to protect his woman.
I groan internally the moment that thought enters my head. Eva can’t be my woman. She’s a fucking student, for God’s sake.
When did everything become so complicated?