Despite myself, a spurt of anger and adrenaline went through me. Did she think I wouldn’t be able to take on her father and brothers? Didn’t she realise that was my whole focus right now—to push her family out of this city for good?
She’d been looking at me as she would a friend, but I wasn’t that at all.
Chapter Four
Ivy
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IWAS LUCKY THAT Ilived within walking distance of the London Metropolitan University where I was studying. I got Jayden to drop me off at the university grounds on Holloway Road. The library would be open by now, so I’d go and read for a couple of hours and then make my way home and play out the whole ‘lost bag’ scenario.
Though I was now respectfully dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, I seemed unable to shake the sense of self-consciousness that had fallen over me. Maybe it was vulnerability, too. I’d never thought I’d be someone to be attacked in such a way, and, now I no longer had Jayden Wynter by my side, I felt more vulnerable than ever. I highly doubted I was going to run into either of those men here, and I’d been coming to this university for the past two years without ever feeling like I was in any danger, but I still couldn’t shake it.
Jayden had surprised me. Of all the people to come to my rescue I’d have probably chosen him last, but now I’d spent time in his company, I strangely wanted to be back in it again. But it wasn’t as though I could expect him to be my own personal bodyguard. He hated my family. He thought my father and brothers were responsible for the death ofhisfather, and the truth was that they most likely were.
What would he do when he had his proof? Would he come for us? Would he enlist the help of the Cornells, as well? The thought made me fearful. Despite my father and brothers being overprotective and occasionally overbearing, I didn’t want them to come to any harm. If they had to take on both the Cornells, and what was left of the Wynter family, they would be outnumbered. I didn’t want anyone to die. Before last night, I’d have said I didn’t want any of my family to die, but to my surprise, I discovered I didn’t want anything to happen to Jayden either.
He wouldn’t rest, though, wouldn’t stop. I’d grown up with men like him, and vengeance wasn’t something they simply let go.
An arm looped around my shoulder, and I jumped and lurched away. “Jesus.”
The young man who’d put his arm around me raised both hands in defence. “What’s got you so nervous this morning?”
“You just scared the shit out of me, Kyle,” I snapped.
“Sorry, I was only trying to say hello.”
A rush of irritation heated me from the inside. “You couldn’t have just used words like a normal person.”
He shrugged. “What are you doing in so early anyway.”
“I needed some books from the library.”
“You haven’t got any of your stuff with you.”
I’d normally have a laptop permanently attached to me, and I was conscious that I didn’t even have my phone.