Page 13 of Sinful Obsession

The bully’s punch had left it swollen, a faint bruise blooming under the skin, but it wasn’t broken.

Blood crusted around my nostrils, and I winced as I dabbed it clean with a cloth, the sting sharp but bearable.

I fished out a painkiller from my bag, swallowing it dry, the bitter taste grounding me.

Then I unfolded a multicolored bedsheet—a small rebellion against the black walls—and spread it over the slab-like mattress.

Climbing up, I sat cross-legged, exhaling as I surveyed the room, wondering what kind of monsters I’d be sharing it with.

I’d be sleeping in the same room as strangers—killers. No locked doors. No cameras inside the dens, only the hallway. Meaning anything could happen in here.

Anything.

My hands were shaking. My legs dangling off the slab.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, heavy.

Two figures stepped into the Den of Vipers—my den—their voices loud with camaraderie.

I straightened, spine rigid.

One was massive—broad-chested with a stomach that strained his shirt and arms thick as tree trunks.

The other—God, no—was the same bastard from the basketball field, the one who’d smashed my face and whose jaw I’d cracked with a pole.

They didn’t notice me at first, too caught up in their conversation.

The bigger one dropped onto the lower bunk opposite mine, the frame groaning under his weight.

His round face lit up in a grin as he saw me. “Hey, roomie! What’s your name?” His voice casual but edged with a threat.

“Charles,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.

The second guy turned, and the moment his eyes locked on mine, his fists clenched, anger flaring in his face. Then a slow, cruel smirk tugged at his lips.

“This,” he said, gesturing to me with a smirk, “is the petite freak who cracked my jaw.”

He started toward me, his steps deliberate.

I leapt off the bunk, landing lightly, ready to fight. But the bigger boy stepped in, grabbing his arm with surprising strength. “Stop, Sebastian!” he barked.

Sebastian growled. “Let go of me, Silas.”

But Silas held him firm. “The rules haven’t been announced yet. Orientation’s tonight. Don’t go breaking them before we even know what they are.”

Sebastian stopped, barely. The fury in his face didn’t fade.

“She’s our roommate,” Silas said, voice low and cold. “Dead meat, walking. So why hurry? We’ll just slit her throat while she’s sleeping.”

Sebastian paused, his smirk widening. “Right.”

Their threat hung in the air, but I refused to flinch.

I climbed back onto my bunk, sitting tall, then stretched out, feigning calm.

They’d expect fear. I wouldn’t give it to them.

Phones weren’t allowed, but books were, so I pulled a worn paperback from my bag and flipped it open, pretending to read while my mind raced.