FAZER LOGINDanny's POV The silence in my study was absolute, the kind of heavy, expensive stillness that usually felt like a victory. I sat at my mahogany desk, the amber liquid in my glass catching the glow of the desk lamp, reflecting the $5,000 transaction still pending on my screen. He hadn’t sent it back. My heart had done a slow, triumphant roll at that, a small, golden tether still holding him to me.Then, at 1:04 AM, the phone screamed.I didn’t recognize the number. I almost let it ring out, but a cold, instinctual prickle climbed the back of my neck."Hello?""It’s me... Erica..." The voice was a jagged mess, a frenzy of static and sobbing. "We’re at the hospital. St. Jude’s. Danny... he got hit. A car... he’s unconscious, Mr. Chad. There’s so much blood..."The glass didn't just slip; I watched it shatter against the floor, bourbon soaking into the Persian rug like a dark, spreading wound. My lungs suddenly felt like they were filled with concrete."Which unit?" I didn't recognize my
Danny's POV The bathroom air was thick, smelling of bleach and the salt of my own skin. Noah’s hands were still on me, his grip like iron, pulling me into a heat I didn't deserve. My head was spinning, half from the tequila, half from the way his mouth had just been tracing the line of my throat. "What's your deal, Connor?" Noah’s voice had dropped an octave, vibrating against my chest. He didn't let go of me, but his head snapped toward the door. "You cheated on me, remember? You threw us away for a summer in Milan with a guy who didn't even like you." Connor, the rich kid with the perfect hair and the venomous eyes didn't even flinch. He stepped further into the cramped hallway, his lip curling as he looked at my half undid shirt. "That was a mistake, Noah. A lapse. But this? This trash? You are really trading a Sinclair’s reputation for a total nobody? For Leo Adams little charity case?" The words felt like a physical slap. I felt the heat in my face drain away, replaced by a
Danny's POV The air in the car was so thick with unspoken shit I could practically taste it. It tasted like iron and expensive leather. I was slumped against the passenger door, my forehead pressed to the cool glass, watching the campus lights blur into long, distorted streaks of gold. My skin was crawling. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom weight of that leather belt around my neck. I felt the heat of Chadwick’s mouth, that aggressive, horizontal bruise of a kiss that I had actually returned. "You went to see your dad?" Noah’s voice broke the silence, steady and low. He wasn’t looking at me, his hands were gripped on the steering wheel, his knuckles white. I didn't even turn around. "We aren't exactly on speaking terms. And I don't like you right now, so don't start." "Danny, you don't have to be so mean," Erica piped up from the back seat, her voice dripping with that can’t we all just get along energy. "He literally just rescued your boring professor dad, Show s
Danny's POV Who, Danny?" Noah’s voice was a low, dangerous rumble. He was leaning so close I could see the golden flecks in his eyes, those intense, light brown eyes."Who’s trying to buy you?"I felt a spike of pure, unadulterated panic. I forced a laugh, though it sounded like glass breaking in my throat. "Nobody, Noah. Just... a silly relative. My Great Aunt. She’s overreacting and thinks I am starving. It’s fine."I didn't wait for him to process the lie. I looked at Erica and Gabriel, who were watching us like we were a Netflix drama about to hit a season finale. "I will meet you guys at the party later, okay? I have some... things to do. Library stuff. Uhh.... don't start the party without me."I was vibrating with a mix of fury and something darker, something that felt like a magnet pulling me toward the one place I should have been running away from.The Administration building was quiet. Most of the professors had cleared out for the weekend, but I knew his car was still i
Danny's POV The lecture hall was freezing, the kind of air-conditioned tundra that makes you wonder if the university is sponsored by a parka company. I sat there, slumped in my seat, staring at the empty chalkboard while my brain replayed the drama from last night.“Sorry? About what?”The words were stuck in my head on a loop, like a glitchy TikTok sound. I actually let out a dry, hysterical chuckle. I couldn't help it. My stepfather had shown up at my dorm with a bouquet of pink roses the size of a shrub and a Google searched list of what feminine boys loved and when I asked for an apology for him being a sociopath, he looked at me like I was speaking ancient Greek.Was he actually that clueless? Or was he just so toxic that his brain physically couldn't process the concept of being wrong?"Okay, now he’s officially lost it," Gabriel whispered, leaning over from the seat next to me. "Danny, are you actually laughing at our conversation or have you totally lost your mind?"I blinke
Danny's POV The walk back to my dorm was a blur of cold wind and paranoia. Every black car that drove past made my heart jump into my throat. Every tall man in a suit made me want to duck into an alleyway. By the time I slammed my dorm door shut and locked all three deadbolts, I was gasping for air. I threw my bag on the floor and stared at the phone. If he was calling me this many times, something was wrong. Either he had more torture for me, or something had happened to my mum. My fingers trembled as I dialed my mother’s number. "Danny! Oh, thank goodness you called,"my mum's voice chirped through the speaker. I was just about to text you. You’re coming home for the weekend, right? The house feels so quiet without you, honey." "Is everything okay, Mom?" I asked, my voice tight. "Did... did Chadwick say anything?" "Chad? Oh, he’s been a bit distracted lately. Busy with the university boards, I suppose. He’s... well, he’s trying, Danny. He really is. He asked about you th
Danny's POV The mirror in my dorm room was smaller and cheaper than the one back at the house, but it didn't hide the truth any better. I stood there for twenty minutes, dabbing thick, beige concealer over the side of my jaw. Every time the sponge touched the skin, a sharp, electric throb reminded
Danny's POV The ride back was silent, but it wasn't the kind of silence that makes you feel peaceful. It was the kind of silence that happens right before a building collapses.We turned into our neighborhood, and the first thing I saw was the red and blue glare of police lights reflecting off the
Danny's POV The air in the office was thick enough to taste, a heavy, suffocating mix of the formaldehyde from the hall and the sharp, masculine scent of the man currently trying to tear my soul out through my mouth. The kiss was a war. A desperate, bruising clash of teeth and tongue that made m
Danny's POV The walk to the Biology wing was the longest ten minutes of my life. The campus was a graveyard of shadows, and every time a dry leaf skittered across the pavement, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I kept my head down, pulling the drawstrings of my hoodie so tight that only my nose was







