I could tell that my father’s temper had not yet cooled since there was evidence of more carnage scattered around the campus. Locks or no locks, I figured that the safest place for me to go until he had cooled-off was the apartment. I had made it to the door when Adam showed up.

I was so happy to see him that I threw myself at him and then tried to pull him into the apartment with me. When he wouldn’t come, I looked up.

“I have to get you out of here,” he said. “Jack is too dangerous. You’re not safe to stay here through the night.”

“He’s not going to kill me,” I said. “Not yet, at least. He still needs me to make everything look good for him.”

Adam shook his head. “No, be sure that he will kill you, Lisette. That’s why I came back to get you.”

“Where did you go?” I asked. “Why did you leave me here alone? You promised me that you wouldn’t do that.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I had to. I had to go take care of some things so that I could come back to get you.”

“What things?”

“I’ll tell you once we get out of here.” Adam grabbed my hand and tried to pull me along with him.

“No,” I said as I yanked my weight back from being pulled. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on with you. What did that guard mean the other night? What aren’t you telling me? Because I’ve been as patient with you and your nonsensical side-stepping of my questions, but enough is enough. Even I have patience that runs out eventually.”

“Lisette, please, not here. I’ll tell you everything once we get to Goldshire, I promise.”

“We’re going to Goldshire?” I asked. I was stunned to think that was even a possibility.

“Yes, the guys are waiting at the campus line for us.”

Adam let go of my hand and held my face against his. “You can trust me, Lisette. I’m the same man that you think I am. I’m going to get you out of here now, and then we can talk, and I will explain everything, okay?”

He leaned forward and gave me one small, sensual kiss before he took up my hand again, and we both ran toward the edge of campus.

Michael had already made several significant changes to Goldshire. One of the first changes that I noticed was the fortification of the school’s underground library. I hadn’t even known there was an underground library. Apparently, it had been used when the school was first built and then abandoned as the building was modernized. Michael had immediately secured it as a sort of bunker that he posted guards at the entrance to. Except for the guards, Julian, and himself, no one even remembered that the place existed.

As soon as Adam and I had reached the campus line, Michael and Julian were there to usher us toward their new secret hiding place. Julian wrapped his arm around me as we hurried toward the auditorium, which stood on the ground above the entrance to the old library.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered into my ear as we ran. “I was so worried about you.”

“Me too,” I said back.

When we got there, the staircase that led down to the underground library was dark and narrow, and it reminded me more of a dungeon than a haven for books. But once we were fully inside, it was actually quite a cozy place. Most of the books had been removed, but there were still a few old, decrepit volumes that sat haphazardly on the crumbling bookshelves. Michael had some furniture and lights brought down and had even made sure there was food and drink. I imagined that it was probably possible to stay hidden here for a few days, if necessary, without needing to go up to the surface. I had expected that the four of us would all stay together now and talk about what was going on. Michael and Julian both gave each other a look and then acted as if they were going to head back up the stairs. Adam was over at the corner of the room, leaning his body against the side of the wall as he ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He looked stressed.

“Hey, where are you guys going?” I asked.

Michael walked over to me and hugged me so close to him that I could feel each curve of his body against my own. He kissed me on the forehead and smiled.

“We’ll be right above you, and I’ll be back down soon. There are a few things we need to take care of, and, uh, I think you and Adam should talk.”

I looked over at Julian, and he gave me a sympathetic nod.

Okay, what was this all about?

After the other guys left, I walked over to Adam and stood in front of him. I wasn’t going to move this time until he told me what was going on.

“No more secrets between us,” I said as I put my hand on his chest. I loved the way his pecs felt beneath my fingers. I couldn’t help but trace them over his body, even now, when I knew there was something important to discuss.

“No more secrets,” he agreed. “I never meant to keep any secrets from you, to begin with. It’s just that I didn’t want you to know the kind of man I used to be. I wanted to be the kind of man that you thought I was the kind of man that I am now.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Your mom took me in at that halfway house because she knew who I was. I didn’t just stumble upon that place, your mother brought me there to try to help me because she took pity on me.” He drew a deep breath in, and I could tell that the worst was about to come. “If it hadn’t been for her, I might still be running drugs for your dad.”

My hand fell from his chest, and I felt like I was underwater.

“What?” I asked breathlessly.

“I didn’t know what was happening back then,” he said. “You have to believe me. I didn’t know who your father was, or how big of a conspiracy the whole drug-thing was. I just thought I was running a few lines to people and getting paid. I was only going to do it until I had enough money to get off the streets.”

Adam leaned into me and held me by my waist as my arms dangled limply down at my sides.

“Pauline caught me one night. She had been watching things that your father was doing, and she had followed me right after I had done a pickup for him. Your mom was so brave, she walked right up to me on the street at night and told me that she could help me. She said I didn’t need to work for him anymore and that she was getting ready to blow his whole operation wide-open. She asked me if I would come back with her to the halfway house where she could help me, and that’s when I first saw you.”

I was stunned. Not just because Adam had worked for my father, but because he hadn’t told me. No wonder he had been so good about me not telling him stuff. This fucker had secrets of his own. Still, how could I judge him for withholding a piece of information that he thought would either hurt me or make me think less of him? I had done the exact same thing.

He stood there, looking into my eyes and waiting for me to say something.

“Why did they put a camera in your room?” I asked.

Adam sighed. “I’m sure that was to have proof of whose side I am on and whose side I used to be on. If your father goes down, I have no doubt that he intends to take everyone who ever worked for him right along with him.”

“I’m not letting him take you,” I said.

Adam looked at me with wide-eyed hope. “You’re not furious with me?”

“Of course, I’m not. I’m just happy that you’re back.”

And despite the ebbing anger that I was more than deserving of feeling, my love for this man grew bigger than that. Pulsed louder than that. And eventually, swallowed my anger whole completely.

I loved Adam. Just like I loved Julian. Like I thought I loved Michael.

And I wasn’t letting my father take another person away from me that I cared about.

27

Michael and Julian had done an amazing job of working together to build Goldshire up in ways that I never imagined. I was truly impressed, and a bit stunned that they were even working alongside each other, in addition to having gotten so much done in just a few short days.

The campus was closely monitored, and Michael had set up a security detail comprised of Goldshire students who had volunteered to help. The old board members had been dismissed, and he had essentially kicked them all out on their asses. He put Julian in charge of overseeing the day-to-day running of the college. He released several statements to the press, which clarified Goldshire’s complete and utter separation from Lineage as he tried to distance everyone here from the corrupt downfall that loomed in Lineage Academy’s near future.