Chapter 4

A flash of embarrassment and anger crossed Layla's face. She quickly pressed a hand to her forehead and spoke in a weak whisper.

"God... I'm... I'm so dizzy..."

Although she looked a little odd, everyone still breathed a sigh of relief when they saw she was awake.

Dean Carter and Cole quickly helped her up from either side and into the ambulance that had just pulled up.

Before the doors closed, Layla shot me one last look, her gaze dark with hostility.

I knew she wouldn't let this go.

Sure enough, after the dust settled, she didn't back off. If anything, she and Cole got closer, clearly cooking up something.

Then came a group project. Citing my grades, they talked the professor into putting us all in the same group and making me team lead.

By the time I found out, the groups were final. I had no choice but to roll with it.

One of my buddies sent me a text out of the blue.

"Owen, Cole's been acting really weird! He told the professor he needed a sedative for an animal experiment and checked it out from the lab, but I just saw him hand it off to Layla!"

I locked my phone and gave a cold smile.

Just as I'd expected, they'd run out of patience.

Almost on cue, Layla's text came through:

"Hey, Owen. The classroom's too loud. Cole and I got a table at the cafe on the corner. Want to come discuss the project?"

I texted back two words: "Sure thing."

If they were walking straight into the crosshairs, they couldn't blame me for pulling the trigger.

I fired off quick texts to my buddy and another contact.

"Go time."

At the cafe, I'd barely sat down when Cole slid a coffee across the table with a big smile.

"Here, Owen. Get some caffeine in you and we'll take our time on this."

I glanced at the murky liquid and pushed it right back.

"No thanks. I've got a physical for tomorrow's swim meet. Can't put anything weird in my system today."

Layla and Cole both went stiff for a split second.

Layla awkwardly changed the subject back to the project.

After a few minutes of small talk, I excused myself to the restroom, already thinking about how to slip out.

But the second I turned on the faucet, someone clamped a wet cloth over my mouth and nose from behind!

"Mmph!"

My eyes flew wide. I fought wildly against whoever held me as one thought flashed through my mind.

The drug wasn't in the coffee. It was on the cloth!

But it was too late. A crushing wave of dizziness hit me and I crumpled to the cold floor like a rag doll.

The last thing I saw before the darkness took me was Cole's sneering face.