Page 16 of Her Devil

Old school Dre pumps through the speakers as I start the engine, Taylor, George, Emmerson and Wyatt climbing in. Someone must have pushed the door button as we wait impatiently for it to slide out of the way and for Nick to reverse, his BMW blocking us in.

The night is dark as we pull out, the tree coverage making navigating the dirt track driveway even trickier as the guys laugh and joke in the back, jostling from left to right.

It’s a matter of minutes to get to the main campus , drop the guys outside the lit-up atrium and find a space in the closest car park. It’s surprising how many vehicles are out here as I shut off the engine and climb out.

Nick is already parked up and stalking off, his irritation a palpable force that surrounds him. Pushing my collar up, I lock the car and follow him, sliding through the doorway unnoticed. The guys are nowhere to be seen, but Nick loiters just in the entrance, not that I’m interested in getting into it with him right now.

No, this is the perfect opportunity to watch the competition, to get a feel for who they are and what they might bring to the table. The Sect are looking for something specific, they always are, and whilst I know I’m strong in lots of areas, it would be foolish to think some things couldn’t be improved on.

“Drink, sir?” one of the waiters offers. “It’s alcohol-free,” he adds as I hold up the car keys.

“Thank you.” I nod, plucking a glass from his tray and making my way further into the room, hesitating by the display cabinets as I people watch.

Mostly, people meander in groups, sticking to those they’ve gotten to know over the last week or so, in their apartments, I imagine, but there are the odd larger groups and a few pairs and singletons wandering around. Our house is most noticeable as the largest group, a whole bunch of girls already there as Nick heads to them, another excited gaggle following him with interest.

One of the tutors, I assume by the peppered hair, waves an awkward hand in my direction, taking the nod of my head as an opening and coming to join me.

“Mr. Windsor, good to see you here.” He beams. “Checking out your father’s old trophies?” He gestures to the largest accolade in the cabinet, the one I wasn’t even paying attention to.

“Oh, yes. Quite the shoes to fill,” I lie.

He adjusts his glasses, running a hand through his greying hair nervously before continuing to fill the void of conversation. “Have you thought about any extra-curricular activities yet?”

“Can’t say I’ve given it much thought.” I mean, it is thefirstday.

“Well, debate is always a skill worth practising,” he comments, rocking back on his heels. “And, as you know, your father was the best. We could be in for another win with you on the team.”

Oh, yes, my father knows how to argue all right. He knows how to get his fucking way too. It’s not something I’ve ever bothered with; debating with him. Although, I imagine I’m one of very few people who could probably get away with doing it in the first place.Not worth the risk.

“Sure, I’ll think about it,” I reply, catching someone’s eye across the room. “Sorry, do excuse me. Thank you for the introduction.” Not that he introduced himself.

“Of course, yes. Enjoy your evening.”

He waits by the glass cabinets, turning to look at the items enclosed like they’ve not been there for my entire lifetime or more. Taylor’s laughter carries across the room, the tittering of the girls following as whatever he said sinks in.

It takes them a minute.

Not that they’re stupid. Nobody who makes it here is devoid of brain function, I’m sure. And yet, as I peer around, there’s more than one vacant look coming our way.

Now, the women that my father parades around to keep that happy smile front and centre, no matter what is going on around them. You wouldn’t see them huddling in corners and whispering or gossiping, not that they’d dare do that in public anyway.

“Did you get lost?” Wyatt asks, nudging my shoulder. “I couldn’t find you.”

“Took a wander,” I comment, noting he was looking for me. “Met one of the tutors, made a decent impression for a change.”

“Good idea,” he agrees. “Look willing. That’s a good plan.”

“Sure is.” I nod. Not that it had been intentional. “How are you finding sharing a room with Nick?” I ask quietly, pushing to see how much he’ll give away in such a public space.

His gaze flicks to Nick, and mine to Jacob as the two of them loiter at separate ends of the group. You’d think, that for someone so protective, Nick would be at his brother’s side, but Jacob barely spares him a glance as he regales some blonde with a tale about God knows what, her interested eyes sparkling in the light.

“Oh, he’s a barrel of laughs,” Wyatt replies, breaking my stalking and diverting my attention back to the conversation at hand. “He’s quiet and keeps to himself mostly, his brother seems nice enough though.”

“Cool.”

“I note you managed to get away without a roommate. That’s some luck,” he says with an arch of an eyebrow. His beach waves are tied back in some kind of man-bun tonight, his light eyes and square jaw giving his surfer dude look a harder edge.

“Sure is,” I reply, knowing it was likely intentional, nothing during this initiation period isn’t. And that’s how the evening goes; the guys drink and hot girls trip over themselves vying for their attention until it’s pushing midnight and Nick is suggesting getting everyone back to the house, girls included.

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