The Life and Death of Lauren Conway: A Companion to Without Mercy Read Online Free PDF Page B

began. In the past, there had been more than one student pulled out of the group and marched to the medical facilities for a quick drug test or strip search or whatever from that beast Nurse Ayres.
    Lauren shuddered just thinking of the woman.
    A few years north of thirty, Jordan Ayres stood nearly six feet tall and had the body type to suggest she could go toe-to-toe with the reigning cage fighting champion. Though athletic and strong, Lauren didn’t want to mess with her, or lose the jump-drive.
    Now, Lauren’s fingers curled protectively over the drive. The information she’d surreptitiously and meticulously gathered would bring this institution to its knees and she couldn’t chance losing it. Carefully, she slid the jump drive into the pocket of her notebook. From there, if she had to, she’d transfer it.
    Then, stretching, she leaned over the top of her desk to the solitary window of her dorm room and peeked out the blinds. All the while she tried to convince herself that she was imagining things, that her existence, her very life wasn’t in jeopardy.
    “Don’t freak out. Everything’s okay. It’s O -kay,” she whispered to herself.
    But she didn’t believe a word of it.
    She knew. Deep in the darkest regions of her brain, the primeval part that sensed imminent danger, alarm bells were clanging wildly. She needed to run. Get away. As fast as she could from this depraved, dark institution shrouded in self righteousness and secrecy. The dorm was quiet. Aside from the hum of the furnace, she heard nothing but her own unsteady breathing. No conversation nor footsteps in the hallway outside her locked door. Locked! How insane was that? She couldn’t guess how many people had master keys to all the “private” rooms? Two? Six? A dozen? It didn’t matter; the point was that there was no privacy at Blue Rock. Here, a new student was stripped bare-–literally and figuratively.
    She closed her eyes for a second. Listened to the rapid-fire beat of her heart. Calm down, she told herself, letting go of the blinds and hearing them rattle back into position.
    She realized, because of the knowledge she’d gained, the proof of what this school of horrors really was, she was a target. She would have to pay. He would see to it. Personally. Unless she escaped.
    The back of her mouth was desert dry at the thought of his wrath. His need to run her to the ground would be all-consuming. But if he caught her… She bit her lip then let out her breath slowly. She had no doubt he would kill her.
    Because she’d been stupid enough to tease him, to taunt him, to seduce him… and it had all backfired. Oh, God, how it had backfired.
    How could she have let this happen? How had she let her guard down?
    Her heart twisted when she conjured up his image: Tall and athletic. Wide shoulders, slim hips. All male. Corded muscles that moved fluidly as he walked, stretching faded denim. But it had been his face that had gotten to her. Sweet Jesus, that face with his twice-broken nose, thick eyebrows, square jaw and hot, hot eyes.
    Her fingers curled into fists of frustration. I love you slid through her mind, but she steadfastly pushed it aside. She did not love him. Never had. She just had to remind herself of that very important fact.
    His gaze alone could send shivers down her spine.
    From fear?
    Or desire?
    “Both,” she whispered, fighting the terror that was strangling her. It was a losing battle and it showed. Her hand, as she adjusted the blinds was trembling.
    Stop it Lauren! Get a grip! Her fear really pissed her off. She hated being weak. Worse yet, she despised being afraid.
    Though she’d spent the better part of the day convincing herself that she was safe, it wasn’t working. Not after catching the look he’d cast her way in chemistry class this morning. Oh, he’d thought she hadn’t seen his quiet, seething rage, masked as it was, but a tiny tic over his eyebrow had clued her in. Big time. She hadn’t spent the last six