Chapter 54 – The Wrong Hand
Sam's POV
I turned away, forcing myself to keep moving toward Declan’s dorm, even as every step away from Elias felt heavier than the storm itself.
The rain swallowed me, but I couldn’t escape the heat of Elias’s touch still burning on my skin.
And then, just as I reached the door to Declan’s dorm, a hand shot out of the shadows—grabbing me by the wrist.
My heart slammed into my throat.
It wasn’t Elias this time.
Darren.
His grin was wide and mean, teeth flashing in the flicker of lightning. His fingers dug into my wrist, pinning me where I stood.
“Well, look who’s prowling the halls at night,” he drawled, leaning in so close I could smell the sharp tang of cigarettes on his breath. “Declan didn’t tell me he had company.”
“I’m not your business,” I snapped, trying to yank free.
His grip only tightened. “Wrong. Anything that reaches Declan is my business.” His eyes raked over me, deliberate, mocking. “So… why are you here, Sam?”
“He called me,” I said flatly, clinging to the excuse.
Darren’s brow arched. “Oh, really? And what did he say?”
My silence stretched one second too long. He caught it, lips curling.
“Thought so.” His voice lowered, sharp. “You think you’re clever, sneaking around, making Elias your little guard dog. You think no one notices?”
The mention of Elias made my pulse spike. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, but you do.” His smirk widened as thunder cracked above us. “Declan isn’t stupid. He sees everything. And when he decides to act…” Darren leaned so close his whisper brushed my ear. “…you’ll wish you’d never stepped foot in this dorm.”
My chest constricted. I shoved him, sudden, desperate. He staggered half a step back but didn’t let go, his hand iron around my arm now.
“You don’t scare me,” I forced out.
“You should be terrified.” His grin never wavered. “Because if Declan called you here, it’s not for anything good.”
Before I could answer, footsteps echoed from inside the dorm. Heavy, measured. A shadow stretched across the floor as the door creaked open.
Darren straightened instantly, releasing me like I was hot coal. His smirk smoothed into a grin of loyalty.
Declan Ward stepped into the storm.
Even drenched in rain, even in the flicker of lightning, he looked untouchable. His eyes, sharp as glass, moved first to Darren, then to me.
“Problem?” His tone was calm, dangerous in its calmness.
“No problem,” Darren said quickly, though his grin twitched with something darker. “Found him lingering.”
Declan’s gaze locked on me. Unblinking. Assessing. I forced myself not to shift under it, though my skin prickled like I was being dissected.
“Well, well,” he murmured, lips curling faintly. “Sam Hale. Midnight visits now?”
My throat tightened. “You called me.”
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the sharp edges of his smirk. “Did I?”
The words sliced me open. Doubt clawed through me—had he called? Or had Darren lured me here?
Declan stepped closer, his shoes splashing in the shallow puddles forming on the stone. “Tell me, Sam. What made you think I’d want to see you… alone?”
My tongue felt heavy. “Because… you said so.”
He tilted his head, studying me like a cat studies a cornered mouse. “You came running because of a single call. No questions asked. That’s either very obedient… or very stupid.”
Behind him, Darren chuckled low. The sound grated, fueling my panic.
Declan ignored him, his eyes never leaving mine. “Which one are you, Sam? Obedient… or stupid?”
Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. My voice scraped out, hoarse. “Neither.”
“Neither?” His smirk deepened. “Then maybe you’re something else entirely.”
The rain pounded harder, water dripping from his jawline, his hair slick against his forehead. He leaned closer, so close I could feel the chill radiating off him despite the storm’s heat.
“Do you know what happens,” Declan said softly, “to people who lie to me?”
The silence after his words was heavier than thunder.
My pulse thrashed. My mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Then Darren shifted, almost eager. “Want me to check him? See what he’s hiding?”
Declan’s hand shot out, stopping Darren mid-step without even looking at him. “No. Not yet.”
Not yet.
The words wrapped around me like a noose.
Declan finally leaned back, studying me one last time before turning toward the dorm. “Come inside, Sam.”
It wasn’t a request.
And it wasn’t Elias’s voice warning me anymore—it was my own.