MIRANDA
I hit my head on the desk. Once. Twice. Then three times while adding an eye roll. The professor in front of the lecture hall droned on about... I had no idea what the man was talking about. All I knew was that this middle-aged man had a voice box on him that I needed to cut out because his voice was just way too loud for this early in the morning.
I was counting down the minutes for this class to be over so I could acquaint myself with a large cup of coffee and something sweet. My mouth began salivating at the thought and my stomach grumbled a little too loudly. I instantly sat up straighter, looking around me to check if anyone had heard. Satisfied that no one had heard me, I let my shoulders slump forward.
As soon as the professor dismissed us, I stuffed my belongings into my bag, slung the bag over my shoulder, and ran out of the room as if it were on fire. Quinn, my best friend since I could remember, was meant to meet me at a coffee shop just outside of campus. With my packed schedule, we barely got the chance to spend time together. Plus, most of her free time was spent with her fiance.
Fiance!
It was odd just thinking about it. She was already engaged to get married and I was happy for her because she was happy. I had never seen someone put a smile on her face the way Gunnar could. My only problem was what he did for a living. He was a dangerous man, cutthroat even. His brother wasn't any better. In fact, I was almost certain that he was worse.
I made my way through the campus, practically speed walking so I could get my coffee all that much faster. Most of the night I had spent up catching up on studying. Somehow, I was already almost complete with my first year of college. Time clearly slowed down for no man — or woman in my case.
I made it to the coffee shop panting for dear life, spotting Quinn at our usual spot with two steaming mugs of coffee already on display in front of her. She smiled stupidly at her phone and I instantly knew the reason. I wanted to have that someday. Just not any time soon. For now, I had other priorities that needed tending to.
"Miranda," Quinn squealed when she finally spotted me.
I made my way to her, throwing my arms around her neck in a tight hug, "You're God sent. You have no idea how much I needed this," I declared, pulling away and attacking the coffee. The moment it touched my tongue, I hissed, "hot coffee, hot coffee!" I chanted, waving my hand over my burning tongue that lolled out of my mouth.
Quinn chuckled, playfully hitting me over the head, "I just ordered it, stupid. How about you sit down and relax before you go ape-shit for coffee?"
"Good idea," I nodded my head in agreement, sliding into the seat opposite her. The smile on Quinn's face gradually began to drop, turning into a frown when she stared at the incoming message that popped up on her screen, "What wrong? Did Gunnar do something to you because if he did I'll kick him into the next century?"
"As much as I'd like to see that happen," Quinn's bright blue eyes lit up with amusement, "it's not Gunnar I'm worried about."
I sipped my coffee, feeling a tingly sensation against my tongue, "Well, are you going to tell me who you're worried about, or do you expect me to guess?"
Quinn rolled her eyes, propping an elbow onto the table and resting her chin in her palm, "It's Ace. Gunnar hasn't seen him in a while and neither have I. I didn't think too much about it but now that Gunnar seems to be worried, so am I."
"Awe, that's adorable. That's totally couple goals," I gushed, pinching Quinn's chubby cheek, "in regards to Ace, I'm sure he's fine. He'll show up when he shows up."
"Have you spoken to him?" Quinn raised a perfectly arched brow at me in question.
I gave her a deadpan look, "What makes you think that he'd contact me?"
"I don't know," she shrugged a shoulder, looking at me over the rim of her mug as she sipped her coffee. Quinn knew exactly what she was doing, drawing out her sentence to see if I'd crack.
For once, I had nothing to hide.
"I seriously have no clue about Ace. Whenever he's near me he gets on my last nerve anyway. My patience becomes really thin when I see his stupid face," I grimaced, glaring out of the window to the bustling street.
"Are you sure you think his face is stupid or are you just saying that in an attempt to convince yourself?"
"Nope, his face is the very epitome of stupid. I hate it," I declared with a raised chin and a huff, "can we change the topic now?"
"Fine."
"Great, let's talk wedding preparations!" I squealed in excitement, clapping my hands together.
Quinn groaned, hiding her face in her hands, "There's still so much time for that. Can we not?"
"You're going to have the best wedding of the century, bestie. We have to begin preparations from now," I chided with a playful scowl, "Come on, it won't even be that bad. I promise you'll have so much fun."
"It sounds stressful. Can't we just have something simple?" Quinn pled, fumbling with her fingers, "It's not like my family is going to be in attendance."
"You know I'll drag Danny to your wedding by his hair if I have to. He's being silly. He'll get over himself eventually. Plus, once he sees how happy you are, he'll have no choice but to accept Gunnar and you."
"He's not Gunnar's biggest fan after what happened to Katie," Quinn breathed in frustration, glaring at her half-empty coffee mug, "and, in all fairness, the bitch deserved what she got."
"You only say that because she was fucking Gunnar," I snickered, watching Quinn's nostrils flare and a pink hue highlight her cheekbones.
"And my brother. She was playing them both. My brother was foolish enough to catch feelings, though."
"Yeah," I breathed with an exasperated sigh. Her brother was handsome but he was exactly like Ace. Dangerous, foolish, and a waste of my time. He only ever saw me as his little sister's best friend. Daniel probably equated me to a younger sister.
"Anyway, enough about me. Have you spoken to your sister? Is she coming here or going somewhere out of state?"
"Probably out of state," I answered with a shrug, "she's definitely way too eager to leave our parents behind."
"I mean, so were you," Quinn said with a smirk tugging at her lips, "and to think you've not been to one party as of yet."
"That's not true," I defended, pointing a finger at her, "there was that party I attended for freshman and then that frat house party that left me with a hangover for three days. I'm pretty sure it's you that hasn't been to a party yet so maybe we should change that."
"Sure thing, when my schedule clears I'll be sure to add a party in," Quinn smiled tightly, "plus, what would I even do at a party?"
"Get drunk, dance, have some fun!" I answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "even Patrick leaves his rock to be with SpongeBob. You're becoming boring." I pouted, fluttering my eyelashes at her, "It will be fun. We can leave after an hour if you're not feeling it but at least come out tonight."
"You always convince me to do the worst things," she grumbled, tipping her coffee mug back and finishing the contents.
"Think of it this way. When you're older, you'll have such good stories to tell your grandchildren," I smiled sweetly, blowing her a kiss.
"I haven't gotten to the children part yet, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Quinn's phone vibrated with an incoming call that had her lips splitting into a cheesy grin. She excused herself, making her way to the restroom to answer her phone.
I pulled out my own phone, going through my missed texts and notifications. There was a party at one of the frat houses that Quinn and I were definitely going to attend. I could just imagine what Gunnar's reaction to that would be. He couldn't blame me for wanting my best friend to have a little bit of fun.
Or could he?
Maybe this was a bad idea. I seriously pissed him off the last time I convinced Quinn to break out of his home. He didn't really like me, let alone trust me. Gunnar had made this known on more than one occasion. I was probably a sucker for punishment, though, and it wasn't as if I actually cared about what he thought of me.
I opened a text I had received from Daniel earlier in the morning.
Daniel: Hey Miranda, just wanted to check in on my sister. You know the drill, don't tell her I've asked about her.
I was getting tired of playing the middle woman between these two siblings. When Daniel wanted to find out anything about Quinn, he would message me. This had been going on for the past few months. They needed to make up already. I had known these two for such a long time and not once did that have an argument that blew up to this extent. They were always quick to make up.
I hastily typed out a reply before Quinn could return.
Miranda: If you want to know how she is why don't you grow a pair and ask her yourself. It's time you both stop acting like children.
His reply was instant which surprised me.
Daniel: I'm not being childish. My sister doesn't understand what she's getting herself into.
Miranda: I think she knows exactly what she's getting herself into. Stop trying to be an overbearing brother.
"Okay, who's got you glaring at your phone like that?" Quinn's voice startled me, causing my phone to slip through my fingers and land on the table with a thud.
"It's no one," I lied, feigning a smile. Daniel was on my shit list for so many reasons but right now, it was because I had to lie to Quinn and I hated lying to her, "was that Gunnar?" I wiggled my eyebrows cheekily, attempting to steer the conversion down another route.
"Yeah," Quinn's smile could have lit up a Christmas tree, "he just wanted to check in with me since he didn't come home to the apartment last night."
"Oh."
"Yeah, he went home to check on Ace and — surprise, surprise — he wasn't there," Quinn slid into her seat with a huff, "he's at least kept in contact with Jericho so we know he's alive and well." She ran the pad of her thumb over the steel band on her index finger.
"Why don't you just call him up and ask how he is?" I muttered, reaching into my bag for my mirror so I could touch up my lipstick.
"I've done that. He's not answering my calls," Quinn deadpanned.
"Then clearly he doesn't want to be found at the moment. You need to relax. You've got too much stress. Tonight, we're going to have some fun and I don't want to hear no complaints about it," I finished touching up my make-up and slid off my chair so I could get to my next class, "I'll pick you up at ten," giving her a once over, I added, "and wear something nice."
ACEThe elevator doors parted and I stepped through them with a sigh. I knew Gunnar was here because he wasn't at home, neither was he at his office. As much as I wanted to go off the grid for some time, I didn't want to make things obvious for whoever was watching me. If he or she suddenly found me changing my routine then they would catch on that their cover had been blown. I had to do what I usually did. That included pitching up on certain days just so my older brother knew I was still alive and kicking.My footsteps were cushioned by the plush cream carpet that lined the hall, the dry walls were painted a deep brown and had artwork strung from them. It was a nice place - a little too extravagant for my liking but nice nonetheless. I didn't expect anything less from my brother. He had the money and wanted Quinn to live in comfort. This place was definitely designed with comfort in mind.I made my way t
MIRANDAIncessant ringing was what pulled me out of my comatose state. I was vividly aware of the headache pounding on my frontal lobe.Jesus, what happened to me last night?My eyelids peeled open, the harsh rays of the morning sun burning my irises. With a hiss, I buried my face under my pillow but then realization hit me and I jolted up from the bed I found myself in — my bed. I couldn't remember coming home last night; maybe Quinn had brought me here.Bless her sweet soul.I tossed my covers aside and trudged into the bathroom, glaring at my ratchet reflection. My make-up was a complete mess and half of my hair was matted to my head while the other half had tufts sticking out in multiple directions. I was no longer in the dress I had worn the night before. Instead, I was in my sleep shorts and a loose tank top but I couldn't remember changing. Most of the night w
ACE"You're asking a bit much of me, brother," Jericho grumbled, "as much as I'd love to help you, there are two problems. One, I can't find the person who spiked her drink, and two, that fraternity is known for this sort of thing, and campus security always sweeps it under the rug.""Fuck," I expelled a harsh breath, dodging the swinging punching bag before landing a right hook with a vicious roar."You can't save them all and you definitely can't kill every bad person you come across," my brother attempted to calm me down but I was seeing red.I thought by calling him, he would be able to help me but I thought wrong, "I can sure as hell try," I gritted, landing a spin kick, "you should have seen her last night. She passed the fuck out, Jericho. What if Quinn hadn't been there? What if I hadn't been there?""It's already happened and she's fine so stop thinking about the
MIRANDA"You don't remember anything from that night?" Quinn asked in a hushed tone, making sure not to disturb the students around us.We were hauled up in the library since I had an assignment to complete for psychology. Quinn offered to join me, calling it her designated time to study but I knew she had other reasons for doing so. She wanted to check up on me and I was almost certain that she was avoiding Gunnar."I remember snip bits but otherwise it's blank and I'm not even attempting to remember. Maybe it's a good thing I forget that night ever happened," I murmured, glaring down at my textbook. It had been opened to the same page for the last hour."I mean, that's completely up to you," she began wringing her fingers, a nervous trait of hers — the thing about Quinn was that she had way too many nervous traits. I admired her, though. She never let her doubts stop her, "I hope y
MIRANDAI pulled up to the curb with a sigh. The week had sped by in a blur and all I could remember from it was the chilling feeling of being watched throughout the day but whenever I turned to look, no one was there. Ace's words still rang in my head. The way he described in utter detail what I felt still startled me. He warned me not to ignore my instincts which only irked me further. I would have just classified myself as paranoid if it weren't for the last words Ace had spoken to me.I hadn't seen Ace after that afternoon but I knew the man was stubborn. He wouldn't leave me alone, not completely anyway. I had a feeling he was keeping an eye on me but deep down I knew it wasn't him giving me that eerie feeling. Maybe I was being paranoid. I never had to be on high alert before because I was never so friendly with bad people before.Or maybe I was but I didn't know that they were bad.
MIRANDAI collected my coffee from the barista and rushed out of the coffee shop whilst slinging my bag over my arm. My time management could have used some work but I had spent an extra fifteen minutes in front of the bathroom mirror attempting to hide my raccoon eyes from the world. It worked, sort of, but not even the coffee I drank could expel the exhaustion I could feel deep in my bones.My lips latched onto the straw and I took a long drag of the ice coffee I had ordered. The caffeine would have to do for now. I knew, if I went home I still wouldn't have been able to sleep. In the last few days sleep had escaped me. It was a rarity and my body was beginning to take a beating because of it. Even though I knew who had truly been watching me all this time my mind still wasn't at ease. I had taken a tough decision that afternoon that Agent Chambers had paid me a visit. He had put me in the spot but I knew what I had to d
ACE"Have you done it?" Jericho asked. over the receiver. Turned out, the cub wasn't completely useless when it came to my little predicament after all. It, admittedly, took him longer than I had anticipated for him to get back to me, but he eventually came up with a plan that I took pleasure in initiating."Yeah, I've done it," the corners of my lips kicked up in a knowing grin. It wouldn't be too long now. I'd have these assholes snared in this little trap that Jericho had thought of. Once I had them, I wouldn't release them from my clutches.Revenge was sweet but I wasn't just looking for revenge. My need to kill these cunts was deeply rooted. I had to be clever about this, though. These days I had to make decisions as if I were walking on eggshells. I still didn't know who was following me but what I did know what that for the last few days, I had seen the same blacked-out van following me but it
MIRANDA"Okay, okay. Geez, don't break my damn door down," I called to the person who hammered their fist against my apartment door.I had just gotten out of the shower, a silk gown wrapped around me and a towel swaddling my wet hair. Whoever stood at the opposite end of my door had been beating against the fragile wood for all but five minutes and continued doing so even after I had told them to stop.I marched across the open plan living room, fisting the door handle and throwing the door open with excessive force. I was fully ready to cuss out the impatient person until I met his deep blue orbs that glimmered at me in relief. My lips parted but the words I had ready to say lodged in my throat, refusing to be aired."You weren't answering my calls or texts," he breathed, threading his fingers into his curly dirty blonde locks.I hadn't expected to find my best friend's b