Razor: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (8 page)

“
R
emember
, we’re just here to get in and get out,” Mason warned me as we walked onto the university’s campus, speaking furtively close to my ear. He’d donned a gray hoodie, claiming he didn’t want to be seen on camera, and had it pulled low over his face. It made him look ominous and incredibly sexy. Meanwhile, I wore a pink skirt and a white blouse, with white rhinestone sandals adorning my feet, my strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a girly ponytail. “Don’t speak to anyone.”

I shivered at his hot breath on my neck. He was so close to me that I almost felt like I was melting.

“Do you understand?” he asked me, looking around the campus, but keeping his head low before turning his gaze back on my face.

Slowly, I nodded, trying desperately to stay focused.

Mason studied me for a moment and then nodded. “Good.”

He grabbed my hand and began pulling me along toward the campus library.

It was weird. Though I graduated not long ago, it felt eerie to be back on a campus with Mason at my side. Seeing all the college students milling about and the scenery brought back memories of fraternities, sororities, and wild parties — though it was something that I rarely engaged in.

I’d refrained from that for the most part, content with engrossing myself deep into my studies. It just wasn’t me.

Beyond wanting to do well in school, deep down, I continued to hold out hope that I’d someday be with Mason, forgoing the wild parties and, a lot of times, drunken sex.

“It feels weird to be back on campus,” I said as we walked past a couple who were chatting, giggling and carrying on.

Mason kept his head low. “If that makes you feel weird, how does abetting a fugitive feel?”

I snapped my gaze around on him. “You’re not a fugitive.”

Mason snorted. “I’m not? I stole footage from secure servers. You know what that makes me? A fucking criminal. Even if Mayor Bradley gets what he deserves, I could get jail time.”

I shook my head as we crossed an intersection that had a fountain in the center with a bunch of students lounging around it. “No way,” I said as we sidestepped the crowd and continued on. “You’re doing the right thing. There would be public outrage if they tried to charge you.”

Mason grinned. “I’m touched. I never knew you thought so highly of me, Carly. I should quit now while I’m ahead.”

“Stop it,” I growled.

Mason chuckled. “Anyway, you know as well as I do that the courts aren’t going to see it that way. They’ll make an example of me, especially with Anonymous sometimes being involved in some shady shit. I could be wrong . . . but I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

“They won’t make an example of you,” I said determinedly. “I’ll make sure of it, if it’s the last thing I do.”

Mason tossed me a wry smile from beneath his hood. “You kill me, Carly, all determined and shit. But don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

We reached the library steps a minute later and Mason pulled me aside at the entrance for a last warning.

“Remember,” he said, his deep voice low and ominous sounding, “don’t talk to anyone. I need you on the lookout. Come get me if you see anything suspicious.”

“Can you please stop that? You’re making me nervous as hell. I wouldn’t even know what looked ‘suspicious’ anyway.”

Mason was being more uptight than I was. But I suppose he had a right to be. He knew more of what we were dealing with than I did.

He gave me a look and walked over and opened the library door, motioning for me to enter first. “Seriously. Remember what I said. Anonymous has eyes everywhere.”

It was a chore to not roll my eyes as I walked inside. I knew these so-called hackers were a powerful group, but Mason made it seem like they wielded power that you would see in one of those fake action movies, where they tap into security cameras everywhere and can see everything.

It was hush in the library with groups of students sitting at tables, huddled in study groups. It was a familiar sight for me, as the library had been like a second home when I was slaving away for my degree.

Mason made a beeline, following the signs to the computer room, which was near the back of the library.

“Keep watch for anything unusual. Trust no one,” Mason warned, glancing around the library as we reached the entrance to the room. With a doorless entry and glass for walls, you could see right in. There were several students inside, two girls and one guy engrossed with pecking away at their keyboards. “I’ll try to be fast as possible. Twenty minutes at most.”

Giving me one last warning look, Mason entered the room and sat down at a computer that was furthest from the other students and then began typing.

His fingers flew so fast across the keyboard that they were just one big blur.

“Okay,” I muttered to no one in particular. “I’ll go sit and watch for the
boogeyman
.” Looking around, I doubted we had anything to worry about here. But when we left, that might be another story.

I walked over to a row of shelves where I could pretend to browse books, but still keep my eye on the library and Mason.

Drifting from isle to isle, I wound up in the non-fiction women’s health section. I picked up a book about the dangers of unplanned pregnancy, fortunately something I never had to worry much about.

I’d become engrossed in a section that detailed a girl’s harrowing experience of having to choose between having her baby or losing her career when her deadbeat boyfriend left her with no support, when a deep voice startled me.

“Interesting, isn’t it?”

I looked up into frosty, blonde hair, hazel eyes and an easy-going smile. Dressed casually in white khakis and a preppy shirt, the stranger was tall and handsome with straight pearly whites.

Instead of responding, I glanced over at the computer room, uncertain. Mason warned me not to talk to anyone, but looking at the guy in front of me, he seemed harmless.

He’s obviously a student here,
I thought, noticing how he seemed to just blend in with the surroundings.

For a moment, I debated walking off and leaving the guy hanging, but then I thought about how rude it would seem. Besides, it would only invite suspicion and maybe make a scene.

There’s nothing wrong with engaging in a little small talk
, I thought.
It’s not like I’m going to start spouting off on how I’m on a secret mission to help my stepbrother expose the scumbag mayor for the murderer he really is. Besides, he’s kind of cute.

I flashed him a friendly smile. “Yeah, it is.”

He gave me a look, looking my figure up and down. “You pregnant or somethin’?”

What the hell? Do I
look
pregnant?

I froze for a moment, shocked at such a direct question, and then laughed. “No, I’m not.”

His grin was easygoing. “Didn’t think so.”

“So a girl can’t pick up a women’s health book without being pregnant?” I asked. “I can’t just educate myself?”

“Sure they can,” the guy replied, “but when they’re as beautiful as you, well, you can’t help but think some lucky sap has . . .” he grinned as his voice trailed off and he surveyed my body.

I didn’t even respond. Was that supposed to be a pickup line?

“So did you find what you needed?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m just, uh, looking out for a friend.”

“Oh really? Sounds like your friend has a lot of work ahead of them.”

I glanced over at the computer room and then down at my cell. Seventeen minutes had passed — just about the time that Mason said he would be finished. I needed to start drifting over that way so we could leave as soon as he was done.

“Listen, um . . .” I began.

“Aubrey,” blondie supplied.

“Aubrey. It was nice meeting you and all, but I’ve got to go.” I turned to leave.

“Wait,” Aubrey said sharply.

I raised a curious eyebrow. His voice had a note of a command in it.

He glanced over at the computer room. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

So this handsome fella is cruising the women’s health section to look for girls. Really?

“No.”

He took a step closer. “Would you like to go out sometime?”

I shook my head, suddenly uneasy. He was starting to creep me out and was giving me that ‘weirdo’ vibe. “Sorry, I’d love to, but I really have to go, or else I’m going to be late.”

I turned away quickly, intent on making my way to the computer lab when Aubrey roughly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me against him.

“You’re not going anywhere, lying bitch,” he whispered menacingly into my ear, his breath hot on my neck. “Did you honestly think that I believed you went to school here?” Still holding me tightly, he grabbed me by my ponytail and jerked sharply, causing a stabbing pain in my skull.

Is this really happening?

I opened my mouth to scream for help but stopped when I felt cold metal press against my back. For a moment, I thought it was a gun, but then I realized that it was a knife.

I couldn’t make sense of it. Surely Aubrey wasn’t
so bold and brazen as to try something like this in a library with so many witnesses.

Not unless he’s bat-shit crazy
, I thought.

“You try to scream and I’ll gut you like a fish,” he growled, setting my heart to pounding against my chest like a sledgehammer.

“What do you want?” I asked, trying to remain calm. He wouldn’t dare kill me inside of the library with all these people. All I needed to do was stay calm, composed, and use my brain to get out of the situation.

“Shut up,” he hissed. “And come with me.”

He pulled me out of the women’s health section and out into the study area. We slowly started moving toward the exit, with him pressed closely against my side, making it look like we were a couple. He kept the blade pressed against my hip where no one could see it.

Jesus, will any of these people notice me?

I looked around the room, hoping someone would see the terror in my eyes. Nope. Not a single person looked up.

As we passed the computer room, my eyes darted to the side and I tensed. If I could just somehow alert Mason, maybe yell something out, I could probably try and make a run for it.

All I have to do is make a noise and people will notice. He wouldn’t really stab me then would he? Everyone would see and know he did it.

It was a gamble that I wasn’t sure that I was willing to take. The guy was obviously not in his right mind.

“Don’t even think about it,” Aubrey warned with a dark whisper, as if sensing my inner turmoil. “I won’t hesitate to stab you, even in front of all these people. And trust me, I’ll make sure to sever an artery when I do. You’ll bleed out before the paramedics get here.”

Bastard.

“And you know what?” he continued, his voice picking up intensity as if this was something he’d fantasized about for a long time. “I’ll get away with it too. Tell them that you were suicidal, that you were crazy.”

“No you won’t,” I whispered firmly. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. No one needs to get hurt. If you let me go now, I won’t tell anyone.”

Aubrey laughed in my ear. “That doesn’t even work in the movies. You have no idea of the power Anonymous wields. We have dirt on almost everybody. I’d be out on bail tomorrow morning.”

The fucker sounded so sure of himself that I almost believed it. I wanted so badly to yell out just to spite the asshole, but I now believed Aubrey was dead serious. He would stab me if I tried to scream for help.

Damn it. I should have listened to Mason.
Although he found me, so I doubt it would’ve mattered if I spoke to him or not.

“Now shut the fuck up and keep moving,” Aubrey growled when he saw that I didn’t have a response. “I want to be gone before Razor finishes.”

We continued to trudge our way to the exit and I began shaking violently as I realized the reality of ending up dead in a ditch was becoming very real when a deep voice growled, “Let her go.”

Slowly, Aubrey turned us around and relief flowed through my breasts at the sight of Mason standing there, holding a small hardback book in his hand as if he had a weapon, his chiseled visage an angry mask.

Aubrey grinned. “Razor. It’s good to see you again, my friend.”

“Hey fuck face,” Mason said, obviously not in the mood for pleasantries. “Let her go. Now.”

“Sure thing,” Aubrey replied smoothly, “once you hand over that flash drive.”

By this time, a few students were glancing over our way. Of course, they were looking now that Mason had shown up to rescue me and not before. They didn’t look particularly alarmed, as if it were a regular occurrence.

Mason glanced at Aubrey’s hand that held the knife against my side. “Let her go and I’ll give you the thumb drive.”

“Try anything and its going right in her gut.”

I sighed with relief. I wasn’t going to die, after all.

Aubrey’s gripped relaxed and I prepared to spring away, but then he retightened it, making me wince with pain. “You think I’m stupid?” he hissed at Mason. “We know all about your little plans to distribute the video. If you’re willing to give up the flash drive, it’s because you no longer need it and have completed your goal.” Aubrey shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, Razor. You should’ve known better than to try to cross Anonymous. Now there will be consequences.” Aubrey’s cold gaze settled on me and my heart started pounding faster. It sounded like he’d just given me a death sentence.

“Don’t do this, man,” Mason cautioned, inching slightly forward. “You’ll never get away with it.”

Any day now
, I thought, waiting for a group of students to get up from their study tables and come inquire as to what was going on.

Mason was obviously stalling, but I don’t know what he was going to be able to do.

“Shut up! Don’t take another step. What you’re going to do is walk out of that door and not look back—”

Mason’s voice cracked like a whip. “Duck Carly!”

I was scared shitless, but I didn’t have to be told twice. I dropped sharply to my knees, surprising Aubrey and pulling him off balance. At the same time, Mason flung the hardback he was holding directly at Aubrey’s mug with lightning speed.