Page 7 of Hunted Heir

Pierce leans across the table and aims his head in the direction over by the cafeteria doors. “Look at those guys. Guards.”

I glance toward where he nodded. Men dressed up in suits and jeans are lining pretty much the whole interior of the cafeteria walls. It’s heavier guarded by the doors and gets more spaced out as you get farther into the room, but holy fucking shit. A few of them, I even noticed a bulge where a gun would be.

“They have to protect the most powerful, somehow. The majority of the students wouldn’t be allowed to attend without their guards,” Pierce states as I nod, trying to count what I think are the guards.

“Dammit, they could blow us away at any fucking time.” The table around me blows up in laughter as I realize that I mumbled that out loud and not to myself.

So far it’s not a bad first day, I think as I join them in their laughter.

Chapter

Four

Taylor

“Hello,” I groan out as I answer my phone. What time is it?

“Taylor,” my dad’s deep gravel voice filters through.

“What’s wrong?” I sit straight up, wondering and freaked out if my parents are okay.

“You didn’t call us last night, like we planned. Your mom and I were worried.” I can hear the disappointment coming through the line.

“Crap, I’m sorry. With all the excitement I fell asleep.” A look at the time on my phone, only moving it away from my mouth for a second, noticing that it’s 6:15 in the morning. God I hate mornings.

My phone is snatched out of my hands and at the same time I feel a few of my hairs tugged loose. “Ouch,” I mumble out.

“Sorry,” a giggling Eden spits out. “Hi Mr. Quinn, my name is Eden Curran. I just wanted you to know that I’m Taylor’s roommate and I promise to watch after this girl for you.”

I hear laughter coming through the other end of the line. Eden moves the cell phone away from her ear and covers it so they can’t hear us. “Your dad is gruff.” She straightens her shoulders, mimicking a muscleman, doing so horribly.

“Yes Mr. Quinn, I will make sure that Taylor gets everything she needs. I’m down for the job.” She gives me a thumbs up as she nods her head and I start to laugh. “Yes, I’ll tell her that you will talk to her later.” She continues to listen, nodding her head up and down. “Right after this call I’m gonna text you my number.” Now she just listens with wide eyes, staring at absolutely nothing on the far wall. “I would love that. It’s no problem at all. Okay, bye guys.”

With a big smile, Eden tosses my phone back to me. She’s such a sweet girl.

“Did your parents call you a lot when you first started?” She looks at me and laughs.

“God no. I think I talked to only my brother once, my parents are assholes.” I feel sad for her. I love my family to death, I can’t imagine not being close to them.

I get up and slowly start to get ready as Eden occupies herself with books and then switching over to the cell phone. I know she’s just waiting for me, there’s no way I’m passing up breakfast.

Of course the girl is up and ready to go for the day. She’s wearing the school T-shirt, a black pair of leather pants and ballet shoes. She totally pulls it off.

My parents have never called me or freaked out like this. Before, when I was at the community college and even when I went to the state college. Everything feels off with me being here and I suppose it should. But I’m not stupid enough to go digging for reasons that I should leave this college. Why the fuck would I let an opportunity like this go?

“I need coffee,” Eden laughs. “I thought I said that to myself.” I throw on a pair of jeans with a cute pair of fluffy socks and then stuff my feet into my Birkenstocks. Slip on a regular white T-shirt, one I’ve had forever. One of those comfortable ones you wear when you really don’t feel like figuring out what you’regoing to wear. And since it’s still chilly this early, heading into fall, I put on my royal blue Santorin University hoodie.

“We need to walk fast,” Eden states as she passes me slightly in a jog, her stomach rumbling, demanding food. I laugh as she spits out, “I’m starving.” We’re college girls in our prime.

Thankfully, halfway there Eden decides to slow her steps, allowing me the delight of catching up. I’m just as hungry as she is but it’s a nicer day today, since the sun is starting to peek out now. I really want to get a look around when it’s not raining.

I’m doing exactly that as I run right into the back of Eden. I didn’t realize she stopped in front of me. “Oomph,” I say, quickly balancing myself before I end up toppling both of us.

I hear the soft sobs of a very curvy gorgeous girl with tears streaming down her face. Eden moves over to the bench where the girl is sitting and throws her arm around her. Squeezing the girl to her side in comfort.

She points between us. “Frankie this is Taylor, and Taylor this is Frankie.”

Frankie, when she sees me she smiles bright and welcoming, even though something is silently killing her inside, she lets go of it for somebody else. I love her already, even though I don’t know why she’s crying.

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