Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By My Professor,Loved By His Son:A forbidden bond: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

Maya's POV"Let him go," I told them quickly, panting, stepping in beside Theresa. "Please."Regan and Andrew refused to move, though. Their eyes were still on him, and they kept closing the distance between them.Tell us who told you to spy on Maya," Regan commanded, his tone as cold as ice.The man let out a harsh snort of laughter. "You think I'm going to spill it, easy? I'm not a moron.""You're not going anywhere," Andrew growled. "So talk.".The man again flashed the knife, his eyes wild with rebellion. "The last person who ever tried to speak ended up dead, you know? Or did you somehow forget about Ben?"The words struck like a punch, and I could sense Theresa flinch beside me."No one's going to hurt you," Theresa told him softly, her hands lifted in a gesture as if to push someone back from the edge. "If you tell us the truth, we can protect you.""Protect me?" he laughed. "You think you can? You can't even protect yourselves."Andrew inched forward again."I said not one s

Maya povPanic shut over my lungs. I kicked with everything I had and broke the surface with a tearing gasp."Maya? What did you see?" Theresa was already swimming backward toward the shore."Swim," I spat. "Now. Fast.""What is it?!""Crocodile!"Her eyes went wide, and she didn't need any more explanation.We both turned and started swimming hard, water slapping our faces and splashing behind us as we kicked toward the bank.I didn't dare look back. Every horror movie I had ever watched flooded my mind. I just kept going, faster, faster, until my feet reached rock bottom and I scrambled out of the water.Theresa was close behind me, panting."Oh my God," she was able to say, "I thought you were kidding.""I don't kid about things that can eat me alive."I turned back to the river and scanned the surface. It was still again."Did anyone else catch a glimpse of it?" Theresa breathed, whispering.I shook my head. "I don't think so. But we need to warn the others. That thing is huge.""

Maya's POVThe return trip was quiet at first. The kind of quiet that follows something gigantic and life-altering has just happened.Andrew gripped the wheel tightly, the headlights slicing through the night, and the wind moaning off the slightly broken windows.I was in back, beside Theresa, surrounded by her borrowed sweatshirt and still dripping from the river.I rested my head against the window, watching the trees pass by.My mind continued to revert to the river, the blood, the screaming, that girl being dragged under, and then Regan carrying her around like a wounded hero. I wasn't even aware of how hard I was gripping the edge of the seat until Theresa pushed me."Hey," she whispered. "You okay?"I nodded quickly. "Yeah. Just thinking."I waited for a moment before I asked, "You sleeping at my place tonight? Or to your apartment?"Theresa positioned herself on the couch, drew her arms out in front of her. "I'll stay at yours," she said. "But I'll make a quick dash by my pla

Maya's POVI stared at the closet for a long second, waiting for my brain to catch up.It was gone.The gun was gone.I blinked. Hard. Then opened the drawer beneath it. Pulled out the shoebox I’d used as a fake hiding place. Empty too. My heart started doing backflips.No. No no no. I didn’t imagine it. I put it right there, wrapped in a black shirt, under the old notebooks I don’t even read.“Theresa?” I called, my voice a bit too tight.“Yeah?” she answered from downstairs.I ran a hand through my damp hair, trying not to sound completely unhinged.“Did you touch anything in my closet?”“Your closet?” she echoed. “No? Why would I?”I paused. “Just asking. I thought I left something there but I can’t find it.”She hesitated, then said, “Well, your mom cleaned a little while we were out, didn’t she?”Oh God.Mom.My stomach sank. I slammed the closet shut and backed away from it like it was cursed.If my mom saw the gun, hell, even touched it, she’d have questions. Military questions

Maya's POV “Mum, please. Don’t take it to the police,” I said, following her quickly into the hallway. She had already pulled the door to the kitchen open, but she paused and turned around, her expression hard. “Why not, Maya? Why on earth shouldn’t I?” “Because," I swallowed. “Because they’ll lock Regan up. Again.” Theresa stood silently behind me, arms folded, brows furrowed. My mom narrowed her eyes. “Again?” “They already locked him up once,” I explained quickly, voice shaky. “They thought he was the one who, who killed Ben.” She looked at me like I had just confirmed her worst suspicion. “And they were right to do it the first time.” “No, they weren’t!” I said, louder than I meant to. “They were wrong, he didn’t do anything. Regan’s been trying to help since day one!” “If he didn’t do anything, Maya, then why is he walking around with a gun? Hmm?” Her voice rose. “Why is he bringing a gun to come see you? That alone is reason to keep him away from my house, let alone my d