Killer: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 5) Read online

Page 19


  But you know what? I didn’t care. I loved Will, and I’d be damned if I let the fact that a whole bunch of strangers were here investigating stop me from making sure Will knew it, too.

  His arms were slow to wrap around me, though I noticed he didn’t touch me with the stained hand. Just his left hand, just the clean hand. His palm and fingers curved with my lower back, and he leaned his head down, breathing me in. Inside his chest, a steady thrumming of breath echoed, and through it all I could hear his heart.

  I turned my nose, burying my face in his neck, letting his warmth seep into me and envelope me. For a rapid, fleeting moment, it was just the two of us. No police. No Declan and Travis. No corpse inside his apartment. Just me and Will.

  “I’m so sorry,” I muttered, hugging him harder. “Are you okay?” Of course he wasn’t okay. He’d just killed his father. There was no coming back from that, no undoing it. There was no way Will was okay right now.

  Will was slow to let me go, giving me a morose, solemn look. “I’m alive, which is more than I can say for my dad,” he whispered, trembling only a little. If Declan was in his shoes, he’d be a mess, but Will seemed pretty put-together, considering. Then again, Will didn’t like his dad much, so there was that.

  Declan stood near us, looking like he wanted to be sick.

  “What happened?” I asked, setting my hands on Will’s shoulders, feeling his tense muscles beneath his shirt. I couldn’t blame him for being a bundle of nerves, not after what happened. Killing your own father…that had to leave a lasting mark, it had to hurt, even if he didn’t like the man.

  “His lawyer must’ve pulled some strings, got him out,” Will explained. “I think he came straight here, to me. He…he blamed me for everything. He thought I framed him.” He paused, swallowing hard and looking utterly remorseful for what he did. My heart broke for him. “He thought I did all of this.”

  Will. Poor Will. Out of all of my Hillcrest boys, Will was the one who least deserved this mess. He’d been stabbed, for God’s sake. Couldn’t life give him a break? Couldn’t it slow down, at least for him? Me, I could take it. I could take whatever life threw at me, even if I complained along the way, but Will deserved some rest.

  But now his hands were red, both literally and metaphorically. Will was a killer.

  “I didn’t,” Will said, glancing at Declan, who only turned paler. “I didn’t do this. I know Dad and I didn’t always get along, but this…I never wanted this.” The emotion was plain on his face, in his voice, and that little box in my chest hurt for him. If I could take away his pain, I would in a heartbeat. I would bear every cross I could for these guys, including Will.

  Will’s shoulders started to shake, and I brought his head down, hugging him again, resting his head on my shoulder. A bit hard to do with the height difference, but he didn’t seem to mind. Declan said nothing, his eyes a bit more watery than they should be, as he moved toward us, wrapping an arm around me and hugging my other side. Declan leaned his head on my free shoulder, and I did my best to comfort them both.

  One thing was for certain.

  These brothers’ lives weren’t going to be the same. This day was a turning point for them both. Luckily for them, I wasn’t going anywhere. I would be here for them, I would never run again. I would be their rock, their safe haven, their reverie and their respite…even if it killed me.

  Eh, probably not the best time to make a statement like that.

  The legacy of Hillcrest University began with a body, and it would end with a body…just not this one.

  Thank you for reading! Please think about leaving a review, even if it’s a short one. They really make us indie authors happy (and let us know that people are actually reading our work). Twenty words and a star rating—that’s all it takes!

  My mailing list: http://eepurl.com/dppf_v

  Also, I love talking about books (not just mine. Any book. I LOVE books!) in general on my Twitter: www.twitter.com/CandaceWondrak and on Instagram: www.instagram.com/CandaceWondrak

  My Facebook Group: Candace’s Cult of Captivation where you can get all the updates on new releases! https://www.facebook.com/groups/234452154135994/

  Be on the lookout for book 6, Liar, coming soon!

 

 

 


    The Lionheart (The Harbinger Book 4) Read onlineThe Lionheart (The Harbinger Book 4)The Nightwalkers Saga: Books 1 - 7 Read onlineThe Nightwalkers Saga: Books 1 - 7Staked! Read onlineStaked!The Cursed Hollow (Return to Sleepy Hollow Book 1) Read onlineThe Cursed Hollow (Return to Sleepy Hollow Book 1)Grimmstead Academy: Submission Read onlineGrimmstead Academy: SubmissionLoser: A Dark College Bully Romance (Hillcrest University Book 1) Read onlineLoser: A Dark College Bully Romance (Hillcrest University Book 1)The Dread King: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Harbinger Book 3) Read onlineThe Dread King: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Harbinger Book 3)Her Pack Read onlineHer PackThe Order (Nightwalkers Book 8) Read onlineThe Order (Nightwalkers Book 8)Grimmstead Academy: A Villainous Introduction Read onlineGrimmstead Academy: A Villainous IntroductionMistakes : A College Bully Romance Read onlineMistakes : A College Bully RomanceFeisty: A High School Bully Romance (Midpark High Book 1) Read onlineFeisty: A High School Bully Romance (Midpark High Book 1)Grimmstead Academy: Defiant Rebellion Read onlineGrimmstead Academy: Defiant RebellionThe Fellowship: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Harbinger Book 2) Read onlineThe Fellowship: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (The Harbinger Book 2)Violent Heart: A Dark Reverse Harem (A Death So Sweet Book 3) Read onlineViolent Heart: A Dark Reverse Harem (A Death So Sweet Book 3)Crooked Heart (A Death So Sweet Book 2) Read onlineCrooked Heart (A Death So Sweet Book 2)Sick Twisted Minds (Cruel Black Hearts Book 3) Read onlineSick Twisted Minds (Cruel Black Hearts Book 3)Promised to the Pride: A Shifter Romance Read onlinePromised to the Pride: A Shifter RomanceFreak (Hillcrest University #2) Read onlineFreak (Hillcrest University #2)Ice Queen Read onlineIce QueenSkank: A Dark College Bully Romance (Hillcrest University Book 3) Read onlineSkank: A Dark College Bully Romance (Hillcrest University Book 3)Opal: A Contemporary Reverse Harem Romance (Jewels Cafe Book 4) Read onlineOpal: A Contemporary Reverse Harem Romance (Jewels Cafe Book 4)Undying: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 2) Read onlineUndying: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 2)Cruel Black Hearts: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance Read onlineCruel Black Hearts: A Dark Reverse Harem RomancePsycho: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 4) Read onlinePsycho: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 4)Sounds of Silence: A Contemporary Romance Read onlineSounds of Silence: A Contemporary RomanceThe Blessed Undead (Return to Sleepy Hollow Book 2) Read onlineThe Blessed Undead (Return to Sleepy Hollow Book 2)Cold Dark Souls : A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (Cruel Black Hearts Book 2) Read onlineCold Dark Souls : A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (Cruel Black Hearts Book 2)Crystal Lake Pack: The Complete Series: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance Read onlineCrystal Lake Pack: The Complete Series: A Reverse Harem Shifter RomanceDefiant: A High School Bully Romance (Midpark High Book 2) Read onlineDefiant: A High School Bully Romance (Midpark High Book 2)Liar: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 6) Read onlineLiar: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 6)Limitless: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 1) Read onlineLimitless: A Reverse Harem Shifter Romance (Crystal Lake Pack Book 1)The Harbinger Read onlineThe HarbingerHer Wolves: A Reverse Harem Romance Read onlineHer Wolves: A Reverse Harem RomanceKiller: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 5) Read onlineKiller: A Dark College Romance (Hillcrest University Book 5)Spite: A Bully Reverse Harem Read onlineSpite: A Bully Reverse HaremGods and Trickery: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Unfortunate Magic Book 3) Read onlineGods and Trickery: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Unfortunate Magic Book 3)Spells and Necromancy: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Unfortunate Magic Book 1) Read onlineSpells and Necromancy: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Unfortunate Magic Book 1)Making Mistakes: A College Bully Romance (Playing Games Book 2) Read onlineMaking Mistakes: A College Bully Romance (Playing Games Book 2)Playing Games: A College Bully Romance Read onlinePlaying Games: A College Bully RomanceBlood and Sorcery: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Unfortunate Magic Book 2) Read onlineBlood and Sorcery: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Unfortunate Magic Book 2)A Reckoning so Sweet (The Reckoning Book 3) Read onlineA Reckoning so Sweet (The Reckoning Book 3)Shadowed Heart: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (A Death So Sweet Book 1) Read onlineShadowed Heart: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (A Death So Sweet Book 1)Voyeur Read onlineVoyeurHollowed: Return to Sleepy Hollow, the Complete Duology Read onlineHollowed: Return to Sleepy Hollow, the Complete DuologyNightwalkers Read onlineNightwalkersA Mark Unwilling Read onlineA Mark UnwillingA Reckoning so Sweet Read onlineA Reckoning so Sweet