Shaw glanced at her phone, checking the time. She was in the common room of their dorm, sitting on the couch beside Zoe, watching The Bachelor and waiting. Slumping further into the couch, she crossed her arms. She'd been sitting here for almost an hour and Root still hadn't shown up. Shaw was only here for her.

She tried to watch the show, but she had no idea who anyone was. The first time she'd watched it, she'd been focused on the hot girl beside her. That had been a month ago and now, it was nearly November, and The Bachelor only had six girls left. All of the girls sitting on the floor in front of her stared at the television, rapt.

Shaw checked her phone again and sighed.

"Got somewhere to be?" Zoe asked her, pulling a leg onto the couch and facing her. "Or someone to meet?"

Shaw raised an eyebrow and adjusted her fallen tanktop strap. "I don't know what you mean."

Zoe laughed and two girls turned around to shush her. She held her hands up in apology and waited for the girls to focus on the tv again before leaning into Shaw. She smiled, knowingly.

"Come on, Shaw," Zoe said, "John's told me about Root. He called her 'hickey-library girl,' but I can connect the dots. I am surprised that you're chasing after her."

"I am not," Shaw snorted, "'chasing after her.' I'm just looking to get laid again."

She knew she sounded unconvincing. Technically, she'd never gotten laid by Root at all, but Zoe didn't need to know that. It wasn't that Shaw didn't want Root to touch her, she just wasn't sure she could trust Root. Something was happening to criminals in NYC and she wasn't sure Root wasn't behind it. Shaw remembered the bite on her neck and the way she'd almost strangled Root and sighed.

"You can talk to me," Zoe offered. She put a hand on Shaw's bare knee, cool and dry. "I love girl talk."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the girl talk type." Shaw rolled her eyes. "No offense."

Zoe winked. "None taken. I'm not really the 'girl talk type' either. I just like knowing what my friends are up to."

Shaw stared at her. "We're friends?"

"No," Zoe admitted, "but you're the best friend of my best friend's boyfriend. If they got married, I would be the maid-of-honor and you'd be the best man. We're friends-adjacent."

Shaw wasn't sure what Zoe was talking about, but she let it slide. She sighed and checked her phone again. She had no way of finding out if Root was coming tonight and now she was starting to feel dumb. This was a lot of effort for a booty call.

"Alright," Zoe said, taking her hand away. "I'll take pity on you. Root's not coming tonight. She had a meeting."

Groaning, Shaw threw her hands up. "I thought this was her thing. She is so hard to find."

"You could always get her number," Zoe suggested. "Then, you could booty call from the comfort of your bed."

"No way." Shaw shook her head. She shifted on the couch, her bare legs scratching against the awful cloth material. "I don't want her to have my phone number. I mean, she probably already has it, but still. It's the principle of the thing."

Zoe smiled. She lifted an arm onto the back of the couch, resting her cheek on her fist. "You and John, I swear."

Shaw frowned and tried to figure out if she should be insulted "What does that mean?"

"You're both so caught up in maintaining your air of mystery that you can't just date a girl."

Mouth dropping open, Shaw leaned forward. "I'm caught up in maintaining mystery? Root's the one who shows up wherever I am, ready for sex. I'm just returning the favor."

"If you say so," Zoe said, shrugging. Her face told Shaw that she didn't believe her. "I know that Root's interested in you, so if you want her to stay interested, you should give her something."

"I don't want her to stay interested," Shaw grumbled, sinking into the couch again. "I want her to leave me alone."

Zoe chuckled, gesturing around the common room. "So, you're stalking her to tell her to stop stalking you? That makes sense."

Shaw glared at her. "I just want sex without feelings."

Zoe smiled sympathetically. "Then sleep with boys."

"I do!" Shaw rolled her eyes. "They keep calling, too."

"Aww," Zoe cooed, patting Shaw's knee, "life is so hard when you're hot."

"Whatever."

That wasn't a comeback and Shaw knew it, but she didn't have anything else to say. She didn't like how much Root interested her. The other people Shaw slept with, before Root and between, didn't stay in her mind. Shaw couldn't even name them. Root was intriguing, though, and interesting, and a lot hotter than the other people Shaw slept with.

Shaw had never willingly socialized for anyone but John and even then she ditched him half the time. Root had some secret that Shaw wanted to know. She wanted to know what Root's job was and how she always knew where Shaw was. She also wanted to fuck her again. The thought of Root's breathless gasps turned her on and Shaw took a deep breath.

"I'm going for a jog," Shaw announced before standing up. "I'll see you later."

Zoe waved at her, stretching her legs to fill the space where Shaw had been. "Go cool off."

The girls on the floor shushed them again. Shaw gave them the middle finger as she walked through them to the open common room area. Sighing, she crossed to the hallway, opening the door to the stairwell and starting upwards.

She didn't normally go for night time jogs, especially not when it was this cold, but a meeting with her boss had taken up her gym time, so she needed to do something physical. Besides, the image of Root in the library was haunting her and the cold air would calm her body. Dragging her hand along the railing as she climbed, she let herself think about Root.

The tall girl was a mystery and, as much as Shaw tried to convince herself otherwise, she was dangerous. Shaw had broken a personal rule when she'd slept with Root. When she started college, a year after John, Shaw had promised herself she wouldn't sleep with anyone who could leave her vulnerable. Of course, she hadn't met Root then.

When they'd met, she'd seen the way Root had shivered for her, desperately needed Shaw's touch, and Shaw had given in. Now, Root was following her around, confident and enticing and clingy. Shaw opened the door and stepped out into the 4th floor hallway.

Her room was only one door over and she pulled her keys out. If she was honest with herself, and she rarely was, she was almost afraid of Root. Whoever was out there killing NYC's thieves was really good at staying hidden and colleges were a good place to hide. Shaw knew that.

Opening the door to her room and stepping inside, Shaw shook her head. She wasn't afraid of anything. She just knew that there was something about Root that made her hesitate. She closed and locked her door, tossing her keys onto her small side table.

Her room was a single, smaller than Shaw would have liked, but it was fine. Living on campus was part of the deal she'd made with her boss and the perks of her job certainly outweighed the inconvenience of living in a dorm. Free room and tuition wasn't bad.

Shaw remembered Root's large bed and the way her flushed skin contrasted with white sheets. She licked her lips, conjuring Root's taste and picturing the way Root's body had trembled the first time they had sex. Root's skin had been impossibly hot beneath Shaw's hands. Now, she slid those same hands under her tanktop, scraping her nails over her stomach, leaning against the door and widening her stance.

Pushing one hand under her sports bra to squeeze her breast, she moved the other down. It snuck under the elastic waistband of her shorts and Shaw pictured Root, legs spread open in the library. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers over her clit.

It annoyed her that Root could make her so wet, but she could push the annoyance aside to focus on her body. She focused on an image of Root above her, fingers wrapped around Shaw's throat. She pinched her nipple until it hurt, groaning as the pain shot down between her legs. Her fingers pushed inside, moving quickly and deeply.

Shaw tried to imagine what Root would say when she topped. Would she have a cheesy pickup line or would she be calm and smooth? Shaw panted as she fucked herself, the memory of Root's gasps in time with her own.

Banging her head back against the door, she sank her nails into her. She thought about Root's guns and wondered if Root had any other weapons. Shaw could imagine Root holding a knife to her throat, pressing her into the door and touching her until she cried mercy. Shaw moaned as came, hips bucking against her hand.

She opened her eyes and pulled her hands out of her clothing. As she caught her breath, she started stripping down until she was standing in her bra and underwear. and tossing her clothing into the closet beside her. She needed to do laundry.

Even if it was too late to calm her body, she wanted to go for a jog and clear her head. Walking to the center of her room, she sighed.

What was happening to her? Why was this random girl occupying her thoughts? Shaw rarely touched herself, rarely needed satisfaction so urgently, but Root kept her on edge. She thought about Root's secrets and rolled her eyes. She did like dangerous women.

She moved to her dresser and pulled out underwear, sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. She pulled her underwear off, leaving it on the floor, and stepped into the new, clean pair. They hugged her hips, black and plain. She didn't like girly bras and underwear, on herself anyway; the dark red lacy underwear Root had worn at the party had been incredibly hot. Shaw sighed again and hurriedly pulled on her sweatpants and shirt.

Her gun was in its holster on top of the dresser, still attached to the shoulder harness. The clip was two bullets short after last night's job, but it didn't matter. Shaw wasn't expecting to fire it on her jog. She picked the harness up, sliding her arms through the straps and buckling it across her chest. She'd rather have it and not use it than be weaponless.

It only took her a minute to pull on a heavy coat and a pair of boots. Then, she was out the door and down the stairs. The common room was empty when she walked in; she must have left just before the end. It was probably for the best; Zoe would have taken one look at her and know what she'd done.

Shaw hurried across the room to the exit door and peered out the small window into the snow. It looked freezing outside and Shaw felt her resolve weaken. Maybe she could just stay inside and work out in the common room. Maybe another hot girl would see her and want to sleep with her. Maybe the new girl wouldn't be so nosy.

Movement in the distance caught her attention and Shaw squinted as she tried to make it out. A woman was running towards the dorm and Shaw reached under her jacket for her gun. Was someone coming for her? She opened the snap ready to pull her gun out, but hesitated when she realized it was Root. Was Root finally coming to kill her?

"Open the door!" Root's cry was muffled through the thick steel. "They're after me!"

Shaw rolled her eyes, but re-snapped her holster and pulled the door open. The cold air hit her like a wall, instantly freezing her face. She almost closed it again, but Root was getting close and Shaw supposed she didn't want Root to be murdered.

"Hurry up!" Shaw called to Root. "Get in here!"

Root ran faster, her long legs carrying her across the small courtyard outside the dorm and through the door. Shaw slammed it shut, glaring at the men as they stumbled to a stop a few feet away. A hand grabbed the front of Shaw's jacket and yanked her down.

She almost grabbed her gun again, but Root's attention was on her phone, not on Shaw. She didn't have any weapons. Root pressed herself to the door, panting as she typed with bare hands. When she was done, she grinned at Shaw and dropped her phone into her backpack.

"Standing in front of a window with gunmen outside? I thought you'd know better."

"Why were they chasing you? Did you steal something?"

Root rolled her eyes. "Petty theft, Sameen? I'm better than that. No, I…may have insulted their boss."

Shaw stared at her, taking in the smirk on Root's face and the way her mouth hung slightly open as she tried to catch her breath. She bet that if she wrapped her hand around Root's throat she would feel her pulse pounding. Root's smirk widened.

"Hungry?" She asked Shaw. "You look like you could eat me up."

Shaw scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I have better things to do than you."

Root looked skeptical, but she dropped it. "That's alright. I have work to do tonight anyway."

She rose from her squat just enough to peer out the window. Sighing, she stood fully and started across the common room to the hallway. Shaw followed her.

"Why didn't those guys follow you in here?" she asked. "I wouldn't expect a door to stop guys like that."

Root glanced over her shoulder at Shaw, but kept walking. "This dorm is No Man's Land. Protected."

That surprised Shaw. She knew the safe places around the city, but she hadn't thought to look on campus. Well, she hadn't expected violence on campus. Except for Root and her teeth. She was obviously involved in something sinister.

They got to Root's dorm and Shaw leaned on the wall beside the door. She watched as Root pulled her keys out of her bag.

"Who protects it?"

"Zoe," Root answered, sighing. She opened her door. "She's got a lot of power."

Shaw followed Root into her dorm room, shutting the door behind her. When she was standing, Shaw wasn't worried about Root. Shaw told herself that they'd have sex against a wall, so she could stay in control the way she had in the library. Looking around, she noticed the room was a mess and stood awkwardly in the near the door as Root tossed her bag onto the unmade bed and picked her way to her desk.

"I remember this room being cleaner."

Root snorted. "I didn't know I'd have company."

"You live like this normally?" Shaw crossed her arms. "I expected you to be organized."

"You don't know me very well, Sameen. You could try asking questions or even asking me out on a date." Root smiled at her. "Maybe you could start by letting me touch you."

Shaw was tempted, but she wasn't willing let Root be in a position of power over her. If she let Root top her, let herself be vulnerable, then she wouldn't be able to protect herself. Besides, if Shaw kept sleeping with her, she might find herself in a relationship and that's the last thing Shaw wanted.

Shaw pushed her ponytail over her shoulder. "I don't think you're up for the job."

"Oh, I'm up for it." Root responded. "I'm more than up for it." She unbuttoned her jacket, letting it slide down her arms before draping it over her desk chair. "But not tonight. I have work to do."

Shaw took in the chest holster Root's jacket had been hiding. Two guns where strapped to her sides, hilts facing forward so Root could easily cross her arms and get to them. Shaw wasn't a fan of shooting two guns at once, but she suddenly wanted to see Root use them. She swallowed hard.

Root turned away from her to walk to the bed, not even looking at Shaw. Suddenly, Shaw processed what Root had said and realized she'd been rejected. Root was turning down sex with Shaw to do 'work.' Shaw had wasted her whole evening waiting for Root and now Root didn't even want to sleep with her.

Shaw scowled. Maybe Root needed to be loosened up. It made Shaw's stomach hurt, but she was willing to try small talk if it meant Root would take her clothes off. She rolled her eyes.

"What classes are you taking?" Shaw asked through gritted teeth.

Root picked up her bag, opening it as she glanced at Shaw, surprised. "Are you going to stalk me?"

"You're the one whose stalking me," Shaw countered. "I want you to leave me alone."

Looking around the room, Root frowned. "This is my bedroom…"

"Look," Shaw barked, dropping her arms in annoyance, "I was trying to be nice and ask you a question because, apparently, you want conversation. I want to sleep with you again, so I'm willing to try."

Root grinned. She pulled her laptop out of her bag and walked back to her desk. "That's sweet. I mean, I think it is. It's probably a little weird."

"Forget it," Shaw mumbled. She started for the door. "Not worth it."

"No," Root laughed. "Don't go. I'll tell you something. I can tell this is killing you inside."

Shaw almost walked out anyway, but she was curious. Root was so impossible to read. One minute she was nervous, the next she was arrogant. Root seemed obsessive a few days ago, but now she's not even interested. Shaw turned around again, crossing her arms. She kept her face blank.

"Yes?"

"I'm only telling you this because I know you're a criminal, too." Root pushed her hair behind her ear. "I'm an assassin."

Shaw snorted. "What? No, you're not."

"I am," Root insisted. "I do contract work. Usually for rich men, but I'll lower my fee if it's a woman in need. It's been about…" She counted silently on her hands, "four years now. I couldn't tell you how many jobs I've had. Who keeps count, right?"

Shaw stared at her blankly. Root had to be lying. She was so young and frail. How could an assassin be so nervous around women? Either Root was a threat or she wasn't and Shaw still could decide which was true. She hadn't tried to kill Shaw yet, but maybe she just wanted Shaw to lower her guard. Once she was weak, Root would make her move.

Or she could just be a hot, young assassin who liked letting Shaw fuck her. Shaw licked her lips, the image of Root pressing a knife to her throat filling her mind again.

"Wow," Shaw said. "Interesting."

Root smiled, smug. "You think it's hot."

"I think it's interesting." Shaw shrugged. "Thanks for telling me. I guess I'll see you around."

"You aren't going to tell me anything?"

Shaw raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew all about me?"

Blushing, Root looked away. "Information is one thing. I…want to get to know you, I guess. Whatever."

Shaw felt like she should run away. Root was starting to like her and she was starting to want to like Root. Maybe it was all the sex. Maybe it was the way Root's lips looked when she pouted. Maybe it was the way Root looked so vulnerable, hid dangerous secrets beneath the surface. Shaw waited until Root looked at her and winked.

"Have a good night, Root. Text me if you want."