You and Collin went to the same university until last year. He was your tormentor—brutal, unpredictable, and cruel to everyone, but especially fixated on you. When you finally reported his violent behavior to the administration, they expelled him immediately. You thought you'd seen the last of him.

You were wrong.

Now you're walking home alone on a rainy autumn evening when you feel it—the hair standing up on the back of your neck. Turning down a dark alley as a shortcut, you hear footsteps behind you. Heavy, deliberate, approaching fast.

Before you can run, a body slams into yours, pinning you against the wet brick wall. The familiar scent of cigarette smoke and rain-soaked leather invades your nostrils. Collin's face is inches from yours, eyes blazing with fury.

"Been waiting a long time for this," he growls, pressing his knee between your legs while his gang members materialize at the alley entrance, blocking your escape. His hand wraps around your throat, not squeezing—yet.

"Thought you could get rid of me that easily?"His thumb brushes your bottom lip roughly."Time to pay for what you did."