Page 7 of Bound By Blood and Lies

Roman:

I’ll pick you up in 15.

Quinn:

really? I’ll wait outside.

Of course she will.

I roll my eyes as I pocket my phone, grab my keys and leave Atlas standing in the middle of my room.

The drive through Coggeshall is quiet. Narrow roads winding between old brick cottages and stretches of open Essex countryside that look deceptively peaceful in the late afternoon light. It’s the kind of village where people wave as you pass, where doors stay unlocked and reputations matter more than truth.

The university comes into view soon enough. The wrought iron gates are understated but expensive and I roll through with a nod to security who just waves me on. At this point nobody questions me. I am a legacy. My surname means something here and I have been here long enough now that I do not need to use it to prove it.

As I pull up, she is already there.

Quinn stands just beyond the stone steps; her coat draped perfectly over her shoulders, her blonde hair immaculate despite the wind as she scans every car until she sees mine. When recognition hits her face, it’s almost embarrassing how quickly hope replaces restraint. She hurries toward the passenger side before I’ve even come to a full stop and slides into the seat with a rush of perfume and expectation.

“Roman,” she breathes, like this is the moment she’s been manifesting.

I give her a small nod and pull away from the curb. She doesn’t stop talking. About lectures. About how difficult it’s been “holding things together.” About how my father checked in on her yesterday and how she assured him she understood the pressure I’m under. Every word is wrapped in a fake kind of sweetness. Her hand finds my forearm within minutes. It’s light and testing but it still makes my skin crawl. When I don’t shake it off, she grows bolder, her fingers trailing higher as her thumb brushes absently over the inside of my wrist. It’s a move she has watched Fae do. Unlike Fae, she’s not soothing me, she’s making my blood boil.

It takes all my training not to explode.

“I hate seeing you like this,” she murmurs softly. “You shouldn’t have to carry everything alone. Especially after everything with… Fae.”

There’s a careful pause before she says her name like she has practiced being sympathetic. I keep my eyes on the road as I nod.

“We’ve not really spoken about that night, you know…” I say evenly and watch as her body tenses slightly. “I’m surprised you waited for her.”

“Why would you be surprised?”

“I just know there is bad blood between you, that’s all.”

“Well, I keep trying to tell you Roman, I was bred for this. Just because we have personal issues doesn’t mean I can’t be professional.”

I hum in the back of my throat but say no more.

“I was there for nearly an hour,” Quinn continues. “She just never came. I was worried something had happened but you know how impulsive she is.”

The lie feels effortless and I hate to admit I’m slightly impressed by how well she is keeping her composure. She shifts closer, encouraged by my silence.

“I know this is awful to say,” she says gently, “but maybe this is a sign. Maybe this is the universe pushing you toward what’s stable. What’s certain.” Her hand slides higher, resting against my chest.

I let her feel the steady beat of my heart. Let her build whatever fantasy she needs in these final untouched seconds. When the road curves, I take it one-handed as my other hand drops casually toward the centre console.

“Quinn,” I say quietly.

““Yes?” She smiles back; her perfectly white teeth hiding the rot I know lies behind them.

I look at the road for one final beat before I move.

In one smooth, practised motion I bring up the syringe I already uncapped. I press it into the side of her neck just below her jaw as I depress the plunger quickly. It happens in a blink of an eye so her brain doesn’t have time to catch up with what is going on until it is too late. She gasps before jerking back against the seat as her hand flies to her throat.

“Roman… what?”

The car stays steady. My foot never falters on the accelerator. Her pupils flare and I watch as the compound begins to spread and fear flashes across her face. For one sick moment I wonder if Fae was drugged. Is this how she looked? Was Quinn there when it happened? I place the cap on the needle calmly as my eyes flick to her briefly before returning to the road.