Vengeful Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 3 by Nicole Hamilton Page A

sure about it either. But whatever happened, I had to get away from him. In more ways than I had imagined, Brandon Lynes was ruining my life.
     

Twelve
     
    I couldn’t take any chances with Brandon. Even though his words sounded convincing I knew I had heard doubt in Cantor’s voice. There was a very real chance that Brandon Lynes would get off scot free, and Cantor’s guess that the Dean and Brandon would instead destroy my character along the way seemed a very good bet. But I couldn’t allow that to happen. As far as I knew this was my best chance of getting rid of Brandon for good, and I was determined to take it. But if there was a chance that Brandon and the Dean were going to smear me, I had to make sure Brandon was a wounded animal before the committee made their decision. I considered my options and saw I had a hard choice to make. I could set Brandon a trap forcing him to show his true colours, or I could do nothing and hope the committee made the right decision. It was a risk either way. If I did what I was thinking of doing then there was a distinct chance Brandon would go ape-shit long before the committee meeting. And what would happen then? Who knew? I’d been trapped for so long, and I was so enraged with Brandon that any real choice had long since gone. I had to do this. I’d avoided speaking to him for well over a week and so now there was a mile of arctic ice between us. For my plan to work I would have to thaw it with a flamethrower.
     
    Amanda looked at me across the kitchen table. Tonight she’d done something with salmon and cous-cous. I thanked her and ate some but I ate lightly, and picked at it with my fork, because I knew what was coming with Brandon.
    “You’re way too quiet tonight Ashley. Which man are you pining over now?”
    Amanda had become too familiar with me too soon. I was getting to like her, but Amanda wasn’t yet a friend. I still didn’t trust her, but I was trying.
    “That’s for me to know and you to find out, Amanda.”
    “My bet is Ridgley. He’s going to get sacked, isn’t he? How does that affect our little escape plan?”
    “It affects Professor Ridgley a hell of a lot more than it affects us, Amanda. Jeez. The guy is going to lose his job because of…”
    “Because of who? Maybe a little because of you but maybe a lot because of his dick, Ashley. He’s supposed to be the grown up, after all.”
    “You make it sound like we’re school girls, Amanda. We’re all adults. What I did or didn’t do was up to me as much as him.”
    “Yeah? But he was the one on the payroll.”
    “You sound like you’re on Brandon’s side again.”
    She stopped chewing her salmon and looked at me. “Are you serious?” she said eventually.
    I believed her. “Just checking.”
    “You’re hard work at the moment, Ashley.”
    “No more kisses for me then, eh?”
    Her face softened into a smile, but the door opened with a clunk and a creak and my sense of humour disappeared altogether. The boys were back, talking and laughing. I could smell beer breath as soon as the front door opened.
    Brandon passed the door without a greeting. He looked at Amanda and nodded. He looked at me and said nothing. My heart was speeding along in anticipation.
    “Evening ladies. Look at you. You’ll be taking up crochet like a pair of old spinsters soon,” said Luke with a laugh.
    “Get screwed, Luke,” said Amanda, but the smile on her face said she was joking. Luke snickered and followed Brandon.
    “What is it, Ash?”
    I’d somehow drifted off, lost in the subterranean world of my pounding heartbeat. I looked up. “I need to talk with Brandon.” Before I could take care of Brandon, I made a visit to the bathroom. Partly to get my head straight. Partly to make sure I was ready for all eventualities. I pressed the app on my Smartphone, and slid it into my skirt pocket. I was ready. I came out and passed Amanda again in the kitchen. She saw where I was headed.
    “Is this all part of