Page 91 of Off the Rails

But instead, I heard a long silence followed by heavy bootsteps receding down the hallway.

Tears welled in my eyes. The pain in my chest cracked open, seeping through the rest of my body. I had worked so hard to leave that religious group home behind, to forget about the Freaks, to move on with my fucking life.

And now here I was, trapped in the same old patterns. Running from a past that wouldn’t let me out of its clutches.

Nash might let me go. Blade probably would too. But I had a feeling Cyrus wouldn’t let me leave without getting her money’s worth.

I blinked away the tears as I regarded the room. I could try to make a run for it while Cyrus was distracted. But I wasn’t sure what to pack or if I even had a bag to pack it in. The Freaks had made the place comfortable, and now I could see what a trap that had been.

Lull me into false security.

I was done letting them decide my fate, though. Done hiding from my past.

I could leave Feverpoint right now, but it wouldn’t leave me any better off than when I’d gotten here. Especially with Rubin running around Valemont.

I needed enough money to fund a clean break. No more dawdling around the park, gambling away my money and treating Cyrus like a free ATM. No more acting like the Freaks were my friends, letting them get close to me.

It was time to get serious about the next Fright Night. The next pot was $40k.

I need to take my money and run before the past catches up to me.

52

CYRUS

My feet carried me across the park, rage making it impossible to think clearly.

Hot air huffed from my nose as I walked into Black Doubloon, climbing atop the fake Black Pearl ship at the center of the themed section.

Gripping the railings at the edge of the three-masted galleon, I let my chest heave with anger.

How dare she— how dare Tess act like she doesn’t know?

It was a lie, a bold one.

But I wouldn’t entertain it, wouldn’t correct her narrative.

She didn’t deserve that. Tess didn’t deserve a chance to run until it was too late — just like she’d made it so difficult for me to leave.

I wouldn’t let her slip from my grasp, not until I won Fright Night and got my revenge.

Heavy bootsteps climbed up the wooden side of the Black Pearl.

“Not fucking cool, asshole.” Blade was out of breath as she stood across the ship’s deck.

Couldn’t just leave me alone.

It was annoying how well they knew me — always aware of where I’d run off too.

All these years alone, just the three of us had made it too easy to read each other. I was almost certain that Blade and Nash could find me anywhere on the planet, let alone Feverpoint.

A scoff rolled off my throat. “Not cool? Are you fucking joking? What’s ‘not cool’ is the way she ruined our lives.”

Blade rolled her eyes. “I never said it was. But she was a kid, Cyrus. She was brainwashed by Pastor Harris’ cult.”

Shaking my head, I looked down at the pavement below the ship. “It doesn’t matter.”

I could still feel that night like it had happened a few hours ago.