Chapter 1

I'd barely hung up the phone when Marcus Sterling appeared through the heat shimmer, wiping sweat from his forehead as he walked toward me. He handed me a bottle of water.

"Who were you calling?"

His eyes didn't leave Captain Jessica Monroe in the distance while he asked me that question.

I told him it was my dad, straight up.

He made a small sound of acknowledgment, clearly not interested in the answer.

I smiled and pocketed my phone, turning back toward the training grounds. When he saw the water bottle hanging unused in his hand, he called out to stop me.

"Vicky, is your stomach still hurting? Do you want me to take you to the hospital to get it checked?"

I didn't break stride. "No."

The scar on my stomach came from high school, when I'd gotten stabbed three times trying to save him from some street thugs. Twenty stitches. The doctor said pregnancy would never be possible, but we were lucky I'd survived at all.

Seeing how cold I'd become, he turned and rushed after me, reaching out to grab my arm. Then he noticed Captain Monroe looking his way. His hand dropped immediately.

Marcus flashed that smile at her, sidestepped past me, and jogged over. He handed her the water bottle I'd refused, wiping the rim with the edge of his shirt first.

I glanced at the gesture and settled back into the cluster of my classmates.

"I'm telling you, Marcus is totally trying to get with Captain Monroe. The way he's acting is way too obvious," one of the guys, Davis Roberts, said.

"But doesn't he have a girlfriend?" Owen Packer asked.

Marcus's roommate, Tyler Richardson, laughed. "That's nonsense. I asked him point-blank last night. He said he's single."

I listened quietly while my phone buzzed with an email from Dad. I pulled it up and filled in my information without hesitation, submitting the form right there.

That evening, Marcus and a group of guys took Captain Monroe out for Mexican. He strolled over to me with the kind of confidence that made me want to laugh.

"Vicky, your stomach can't handle spicy food anyway, so I'll count you out tonight."

I blinked, then smiled. "Marcus, I actually love spicy food. It just so happens those three stab wounds went straight through my stomach."

His expression shifted. Impatience flickered across his face. "How long are you going to keep bringing that up? It's been years."

I watched him turn to leave, then reached into my bag and pulled out a small piece of foil—the torn condom wrapper I'd found under my pillow that morning. I held it out to him. "Used things either go in the trash or you take them with you."

He looked at what was inside and froze, surprise washing over his face. His mouth opened like he was about to explain something.

Seeing my blank expression, though, he seemed to relax.

"I was actually thinking about trying it with you," he said. "Then I decided you're still too young."

"Okay," I replied flatly.

Since I seemed nonchalant about it, Marcus told me he'd get wasted and wouldn't be coming by the apartment tonight. He promised he'd come home early tomorrow to spend time with me instead.

Just so we could spend more time together, I suggested renting a place outside campus, and that I'd pay for everything. However, Marcus refused. He said that coming and going to class would be inconvenient, and that his friendships would be affected.

It was ironic since he'd already mastered all the course material before university even started, and treated his classmates with nothing but disdain.

He was constantly at Captain Monroe's office. Entire days would disappear there.

Somehow, in full view of everyone, he'd been named as an official student assistant to Captain Monroe.

I never expected the first time he'd bring a woman to my rented apartment would be someone else.

I thought about how sweet he'd looked in the security footage, smiling at her like that.

I grabbed my backpack and hurled it into my supercar, one foot already inside the car.

Just as the engine was turning over, I saw Marcus being supported by a group of friends as they stumbled back across campus.

He knocked on my window. "I drank too much tonight. Not coming over."

Everyone around turned and stared at me, curious.

"So what's the deal between you two anyway? Why would he come to your place?" Owen called out.

"What deal?" Davis laughed. "Marcus literally confessed to Captain Monroe at the Mexican place tonight and got down on one knee. Honestly, I'm jealous as hell watching it."

I slammed the window shut, catching Marcus's fingers in the frame.

He yelped in pain. By the time he looked up again, the red car was already speeding away, leaving nothing but a cloud of black exhaust fumes in its wake.