Page 53 of Stalk Me

Belle is already moving toward him, a predatory smile on her lips. I exit before I can see more, my heart pounding with the knowledge that our plan is working exactly as we designed it. She's taking the bait, just as we predicted she would.

Outside, I allow myself a moment to lean against the wall, breathing deeply. Phase one is complete. I follow our predetermined path to the meeting point, counting down the minutes until I can see Erik again and confirm that everything went according to plan.

Professor Austin's already in his office when I arrive. The room is dim, lit only by his computer screen and a small desk lamp. I slip inside, making sure no one sees me enter. Erik follows five minutes later, as we arranged.

"You two are either excellent actors or genuinely angry at each other," Professor Austin says, not looking up from his screen. "It's all over social media already."

"That was the point," Erik says, moving to stand beside me, close but not touching. "Did you get it?"

Professor Austin reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a small box. "Burner phone, as requested. Untraceable, paid for with cash at a convenience store fifty miles from the port."

"Thank you," Erik says. "For everything."

Professor Austin nods once. "My personal days have been approved. I leave for 'New Hampshire' in one hour." The emphasis on the location makes it clear that's not his real destination. "Whatever message you plan on sending to your brother, do it quickly. And be sure to tell him I'm coming."

I clutch the burner phone, its weight oddly comforting. "We will."

As we turn to leave, Professor Austin speaks again. "Luna." When I look back, his expression is solemn. "Be careful. These people… they don't play by normal rules."

A bitter laugh escapes me. "I know. I was raised by them."

We slip out separately, Erik first, then me five minutes later. As I walk across the darkening campus, I feel eyes on me, though I can't pinpoint their source. The sensation is familiar—I've been watched my whole life, tracked like prey by predators who called themselves family.

As planned, Erik joins me in the girls’ bathroom twenty minutes later, making sure no one saw him. We sit on the floor, backs against the wall, as steam from the showers rises around us and the sound of running water provides white noise. I remove the burner phone from its box and power it up.

"Did you memorize the number?" I ask, keeping my voice low.

Erik nods. "I have to warn you. David can be… intense. He's very protective."

"Good," I say, handing him the phone. "We need intense right now."

Erik's fingers hesitate over the keypad. "Once we do this, there's no going back. David won't stop until he has all the evidence and all the players. Are you ready for what that means?"

The question hangs between us, heavy with implication. Am I ready for my parents to face justice? For the world to know the truth about the parties, the manipulation, the entire network of power and corruption they've built? For my own role in all of it to be exposed?

"No," I admit. "But I'm less ready for them to take you to Munich."

He holds my gaze for a long moment, then dials. The phone rings three times before a deep voice answers.

"Who is this?"

"It's me," Erik says, voice steady despite the tension radiating from him. "I need your help, D."

There's a pause, then: "This isn't your number."

"I know. I can't use mine. I'm in trouble, serious trouble."

Another pause. "What kind of trouble?"

Erik looks at me, and I nod in encouragement. "The kind that involves powerful people, blackmail, and a place called Munich. I need your prosecutor brain and your big brother instincts, in that order."

I can almost hear the calculations happening on the other end of the line. "Are you safe right now?"

"For the moment." Erik's eyes never leave mine. "But I don't know how long that will last. They're watching us."

"Where are you?"

"Shark Bay University. I can't leave without being noticed."

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