Professor Barker's face tightened up at my thinly veiled accusation. "I don't know what you think you're implying, Miss Danvers, but—"
"Yeah... no, I don't buy that," I cut him off, my voice loaded with suspicion. "I think you know exactly what I'm implying. So either you know too much because you're somehow involved or because you're the guilty party. Which is it, prof? Because if you keep this line of questioning up, you'll find yourself the center of an unsolved crime yourself. Clear?"
It was a bit of a risky move. If Professor Barker was my stalker, or one of them, or intended me harm... Yeah, I might not make it out of his office without a struggle. But at least then the curtain would be ripped aside, right? At least then I'd know.
But of course, he said nothing as I pushed my chair back and exited his office. That didn't mean he was innocent, not at all. It just meant that I'd probably detonated my passing criminology grade.
I made it all the way down the corridor before ducking into a restroom and letting my nerves take over. For several minutes I just sat on the toilet seat, hugging my arms around my knees and trembling. I knew it was just adrenaline running its course, but I didn't like it. My skin felt clammy and hot, and my heart was racing too fast.
Unable to think of anything else to distract my mind, I pulled my phone out and opened the group chat with the guys.
Madison Kate: Prof. Barker is sketchy as fuck. Do we know anything about him?
Kody was in class but both Steele and Archer were at home, so it didn't surprise me when I got a response just a moment later.
Archer D'Ath: I'll get someone to do a profile on him.
I appreciated that he didn't ask me to explain. He took me at my word and didn't make me walk him through my reasons for drawing that conclusion. I thought that meant he trusted my judgment.
Max Steele: Try not to kill him on campus, Hellcat. It's mostly Wraith territory over there.
Madison Kate: I thought you guys were bigger and badder than Uncle D'Ath.
Archer D'Ath: We are.
I snickered a laugh at that. Yeah, they probably were, but they also didn't need me borrowing gang trouble and sparking power struggles right now. Still, it was fun to tease.
Kodiak Jones: Babe, why aren't you in class? Where are you? I'm coming to find you.
Tempting. So, so tempting. But no... he was so close to graduating.
Madison Kate: No need, I'm heading to economics now. Bree wants to do lunch at Grill King. That cool?
I sent it in the group chat, knowing full well Steele and Archer would want to know if I was leaving campus with Bree for lunch. It didn't mean they needed to tag along, but at least I wasn't skipping off and not telling them where I’d gone.
Max Steele: Sweet, meet you there at 1.
Archer D'Ath: Stay out of trouble, Princess.
Kodiak Jones: Yum, I hope they still do the double beef, double bacon, double cheese. Then he ended his message with about eight of the drool-face emojis.
Just before I put my phone away, it lit up with another message.
Bree BFF: Okay, your prof was giving off epic sleaze vibes. Do you need a rescue? Text back in five mins, or I'm pulling the fire alarm, k?
She ended it with a thumbs up, and I laughed.
Madison Kate: All good, I escaped already. But thanks for having my back, girl.
Bree BFF: Anytime. Then three kiss-face emojis.
After I put my phone away, I felt a hundred times better than when I'd walked into the restroom. So I washed my hands—force of habit—then headed back out in the direction of my lecture that I was already crazy late for.
I'd only just turned the corner when I almost bumped straight into a group of football jocks coming the opposite way.
"Sorry," I murmured, not really paying much attention, aside from getting out of their way, but a hand touched my elbow and I startled.
"Whoa, sorry," Bark said with a laugh, "I thought you saw me. Are you okay?"
I snatched my arm out of his touch, even though it wasn't tight. "I'm fine, Bark. Sorry, I was a million miles away."
He shook his head, his attention following his friends for a second as they kept walking down the hall. "Nah, I mean after that shit with your boyfriend last week.