Page 59 of Ice-Cold Obsession

“Yeah, I know. But we just have to stay hidden and hope it works, since it’s not like we can fight the mafia on our own.”

“I told the team everything,” he suddenly says.

It’s my turn to gape at him.

“I wanted their help to find you. I couldn’t just sit and do nothing.”

“Oh fuck.”

“It doesn’t matter. They understood everything. I’ll tell them I found you and that they should say we’re both gone if anyone asks. And they can also tell us if anyone suspicious shows up on campus.”

“Huh. That could actually work.”

He pulls me into his arms again, holding me tight. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not.”

“It is. If I hadn’t dragged you into this—”

“Stop.” I pull back and look at him. “We’re going to get through this.”

He nods, but his jaw is tight and his eyes are red. “What did they do to you? The men who kidnapped you?”

“They tied me up and asked questions. That’s it.”

“Did they hurt you?”

“No. Not really.” I show him my wrists. “Just this.”

He takes my hands gently and examines the marks. “I’m going to kill them.”

“No, you’re not. You’re going to stay here with me. That’s the plan.”

“What if Niccolò doesn’t keep his word?”

“Then we’ll figure something else out. But right now, this is our best shot. The mafia guys need to solve each other.”

He leans his head against mine. I hope Niccolò succeeds in whatever he’s planning against his rivals. Because if he doesn’t, Gabriel and I will be in some serious trouble.

Chapter 35

GABRIEL

SCARLETT AND I DECIDEto lie low in her dorm room. We’ve only been leaving when absolutely necessary, and my teammates get us food and everything else we need. The burner phone is on the desk, and every time it makes a sound, my heart jumps.

It goes off just as I’m thinking about it.

I grab it and read the message. It’s from Zyair.

Some guy came around asking about you. We all said you left town for a family emergency. He didn’t seem convinced, but he left.

“They’re looking for us,” I say.

Scarlett looks up from her laptop. “What?”

I show her the message.

She reads it and nods. “Okay. That’s good. The team covered for us.”