Stone Crest: Rise of a Raven

3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Raven

I exit out the side door, bringing my phone to my ear.

“Hello.” I clear my throat.

“Thank God. I was about to involve the authorities," she hisses, before I hear her chuckle.

“Hey Gemma, sorry about the missed calls," I lie, leaning back to rest against the exterior wall.

We had met up once since I arrived, and she showed me around town. A bunch of little shops and restaurants and pointed out who was who. The important people as she put it.

“How’s the living arrangements?” She asks.

“Good. Presley is…...” I trail off. “A character.”

She laughs. “She’s a good person to attach yourself to. Her father is the president of Stone Crest Bank.”

Is that all these people care about? Status?

“I’ve also spoken with your father.” She clears her throat. “He had a conference call with the dean, and we are all on the same page in terms of making sure you stay focused.”

Focused.

I was three seconds from hanging up.

“I’m sure I will see you around campus.” I push off from the wall.

“Most likely. I don’t travel outside my office much, but I do on occasion. I expect dinner nights at least once a month.” I hear her car door slam.

“See you soon.”

I hang up, trying to swallow down the enormous lump in my throat. The one that had me wanting to give my family the bird and hop a plane to Europe for six months. Turning on my heels, I reach for the latch and yank, trying to pry open the back door. As my luck would have it, it’s locked. Shoving my phone into my pocket, I head towards the front entrance. I’m about halfway up the old brick building when I hear heavy footsteps behind me. The dim lights perched on the roofs edge allow to me catch a glimpse of two male figures when I peer over my shoulder.

An eerie awareness tingles at the back of my neck and my gut instincts kick in. My steps are even and calm at first as I walk towards the sidewalk. This alley way wasn’t the safest location for me to be alone with two strange men. I’d seen enough true crime documentaries to know what happens to a young girl in a dark alley.

Bad shit. That’s what.

The steps behind me begin to match the increasing race of my heart and instinctively I move faster towards the street. If I can just get to the front of the building, I’ll be fine. There will be people and lights, perhaps a patrol car if I was lucky. I’d seen them passing through the area frequently. These rich kids must cause more problems than solutions.

Anxiety wraps around my throat as I shoot out onto the sidewalk. It’s completely empty, besides one man who is stepping off of a motorcycle. The impulsive idea forms, and before I can talk myself out of it, I start towards him as the footsteps appear on the sidewalk behind me.

When I’m three steps away from the man who’s dressed in solid black jeans, a black t- shirt, and a black helmet, I plaster on a smile. “Hey you. Sorry I took so long.”

I sway towards him, hoping he takes the hint and plays along. The closer I get, the bigger he seems. He’s at least a foot taller than me. His shoulders are broad, and I notice a unique design of black ink swirling up both forearms.

His hand is reaching for his helmet as I come to a stop in front of him. He removes it, revealing the most gorgeous set of golden eyes I’ve ever seen. Holy….

His dirty blonde hair is disarrayed from the helmet, and the light stubble on his face matches the tousled locks. His jaw is sharp, his cheek bones high, and I falter my words for a moment as I take him in. His eyes briefly flick over my shoulder before moving back to me.

I swallow and reach out my hand. “You ready to go home?”

If he realizes what I’m playing at, his face doesn’t show it. But after only a second or two of the words leaving my mouth, his large palm grips my offered hand, and he tugs me to his chest. I move with surprise, clashing into him as his arm bands around my waist. It’s an unavoidable reaction to wrap my arm around his shoulder, my eyes gaping up at him as he stares down at me. He smells of spice and pine and it’s the most ironic sensation that I feel completely safe looking up at this stranger.

“Yeah, baby. Let’s go home,” he rasps.

Relief floods me, and just before I let out a breath when I see the two men pass us, he leans down and seals his lips to mine.