"You're distracted tonight," Raven said.

"Just thinking about classes." Clint shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

"Classes or students? One particular student?"

"You know our deal, Raven. You don't mention her."

"And you're not supposed to be seeing her."

"I see her as little as possible."

"You know, you really should loosen up. We could have more fun if you did. Like the other night at the pub, after you'd had a few drinks. You were a lot warmer toward me."

"Won't happen again."

Raven set her utensils downand lowered her voice. "Should I remind you what I have on you?"

"No need."

"Then start acting like you want to be here."

Clint stared at her until he swallowed his food. He forced a smile. "Yes, ma'am."

Clint dropped his briefcase just inside the door when he got home. He climbed the stairs, stripped, and went straight to the shower.

The entire day had him feeling dirty from the inside out. Raven insisted on kissing him goodnight, and after her earlier hints of outing him and April, he couldn't refuse.

The hot water nearly hurt, but he let it wash the day away as much as possible.

After his shower, he lay on his bed and grabbed his phone. One message from Raven thanked him for the date. He deleted it without replying. Another message from a contact he didn't have in his phone said simply "check email."

Among a series of emails from students and the university was an email titled "got her." Clint opened the attachment and smiled.

"Oh, yeah, you crazy bitch. I've got you."

He saved everything to his laptop and backed it up to a flash drive. He wasn't risking losing this evidence.

He called April, but she didn't answer. The call went to her voicemail. He hesitated, but left a simple message.

"It's almost over."

April listened to the message. What's almost over? Clint told her what he was doing was for them, but what was he doing?

She didn't understand. But he'd called her instead of texting her. And this was about more than a T.A. assignment.

"Nat, do you think there's more going on that he's not telling me?"

"What makes you think that?"

She thought back to their conversations about her liking older men and feeling protected.

"I'm not sure. He just…" She listened to the message one more time. Something in his voice, especially after their moment in his office that morning when he'd kissed her, and he'd sounded so defeated. "He sounds more confident."

Clint asked Raven to the pub for a drink. She was pleased he initiated, but she wouldn't be for long.

"What prompted this little get together? Finally coming around?"

Clint smiled. "I learned a long time ago that the best way to beat people is with their own tactics."

"So, you're chasing after me now?"

"Hardly." He placed a brown envelope on the table. "No, I'm talking about hiring a private detective to follow you."

"Excuse me?"

"Take a look. I think you'll find those photos enlightening."

She flipped through the photos without removing them all the way.

"You can keep those," he said. "I have the digitals."

"You son-of-a-bitch."

"Raven… having an affair with the Dean? What would he think of you coming after me?"

"He wouldn't believe you," she smiled. "I'll just tell him that these were innocent colleague get-togethers, and you took it too far."

"You're right. That might work. But what would his wife think of these photos?"

The color drained from her face. "You wouldn't."

"Are you kidding me? In a heartbeat. So, here's the new deal. You leave me and April alone. Forever. I'll keep these photos safe."

"You think you're so smart."

"Raven, the only words I want to hear from you are 'you have a deal.' Got it? Leave me and April alone."

She forced a smile. "Deal."

"Nice doing business with you." Clint left without looking back.

April stood at Clint's door. She'd let another call from him go to voicemail. He told her he was able to explain now, and asked her to come to his house.

So, there she was. Contemplating turning around and leaving. But she couldn't. She still loved him, and if nothing else she needed to know what happened.

She knocked, and Clint let her in a moment later and guided her to the couch.

"I'm really glad you came. You haven't responded to my calls, so I wondered if you would."

She squared her shoulders. "You said you can explain?"

He nodded. "When I met with Darkhölme that day, about your tests, she did admit that she was using you to get to me. But it wasn't just because you're my T.A. She knew about us."

"What? How?"

"She had a private investigator following me, and he got pictures of us at the restaurant out of town."

"She had you followed?"

He nodded.

"That's just gross," she said. "Why didn't you tell me she knew? Why did you go out with her?"

"If I didn't give her what she wanted, or at least appear to, she would have ruined you. I couldn't let her hurt you. So, I thought the best thing to do was to stop seeing you all together until I could get it figured out."

"Clint, why didn't you just tell me that?"

"Because I knew I'd have to go on a few dates with her, and you were still her student. I didn't want you to see her any worse than you already did while you were in her class, and I didn't want you trying to find a way to get me out of it."

"So, you dated her."

"Yes, while I had her investigated. And we hit the jackpot. I confronted her with the evidence, and she agreed to leave us both alone. For good. She knows I'll make good on using what I have if anything happens to you."

"What do you have on her?"

Clint sighed. "Sweetheart…. I think it's best if you don't know. Maybe after you graduate, and you're removed from this mess."

"But you'll still be here."

"Maybe not. I have a chance at a university in Colorado."

"That's far away."

"It is. Would you come with me?"

"Clint… I'm still processing all of this. If you had just told me everything…"

"I was protecting you. Trying to keep you out of it. I know you don't see it, but please believe that."

He took her hand, and April stared into his eyes.

"I do," she said.

Clint smiled. "Don't answer now. Let's wait and see if I get the job, and you've graduated.

She nodded. "What about us?"

"Sweetheart, I love you. But we came really close to losing everything."

"That's what you said when you broke it off."

"Because it's true. I still think it's a good idea to wait until you graduate. But I'm going to let you decide this time. I'll do whatever you want."

Clint kissed her hand, then her wrist.

April thought of the hell she'd been through the last few months. But what about Clint? Dating Darkhölme? Having to hire a P.I.?

"Let's wait," she said. "After everything you did to keep us safe, I don't want to be careless."

Clint pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Thank you for understanding."