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But she had that look, that look she always got when she lied. Her lips were pursing in the funny way again.
I stared at her as a deep, cold clarity settled into my bones.
I wasn’t sure if she’d planned on leaving us there forever to fend for ourselves or if she’d just wanted one evening away from us, but whatever the case, she had definitely left us at the Metropole on purpose.
She’d betrayed us. She’d abandoned two underage boys, with no money or food or anything, in a foreign place to take care of ourselves without a thought for our safety.
Our own mother.
Anything could’ve happened to us. Brick could’ve gotten hurt.
In that moment, something shifted inside me. A feeling. A new life resolve. I didn’t know what to call it. But she hardened a place in me that felt as if it could never trust or soften again. I’d be stupid to let anyone in, to rely on them. To care. If my own mother could so easily discard me, then why should I bother counting on anyone else for anything?
From that point on, I never thought of the person in front of me as Mom again. To me, she’d only ever be Lana, the wicked. And terms like truth, honesty, and goodness? They were only for fairy tales.
Chapter 1
Hayden
AROUND TWENTY YEARS LATER
I sat in my car a block from her apartment for nearly twenty minutes, waiting for her to emerge. When she finally did, I sank lower in my seat to remain undetected, though I had no idea why I bothered. She was utterly clueless to my presence, paying no attention to her surroundings as she swept down the street and headed in the opposite direction from where I watched, her head down as she dug for something in her purse. She was probably singing or whistling as she strolled merrily along, too.
That sounded like her.
She walked right past a stranger who paused to gaze after her as if she were a tasty morsel. My stomach clenched. I wasn’t sure if he was contemplating mugging or raping her, or maybe he just wanted to check out her ass, but I wasn’t a fan of his crude attention.
“Dammit, Kaitlynn,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head in aggravation as she finally tugged her keys from her purse and then paused at her car to unlock the door, still unaware of any possible danger lurking about. “Please don’t tell me you’re this fucking oblivious every morning.”
It was a miracle she’d survived past childhood.
I watched the guy on the street, who was still rubbernecking, prepared to move if he did. But he didn’t go after her, and once she climbed behind the wheel of her ancient ride and it chugged to life before she pulled away from the curb, he finally turned away and left.
“Creep,” I called him.
Openly ogling a woman like that on the street was just wrong, especially when that woman was my stepsister. The bastard made me feel protective and want to intercede and warn him not to mess with her.
And nothing made me more irritable than having any type of damn feelings.
Grumbling, I started my engine and pulled out into traffic too, only to steer right back to the curb a block later and park in the very spot Kaitlynn had just vacated. Now that she was gone and out of the way, I could go about my business.
Her gawker had moved on as well, but I easily forgot about him as I took in the crumbling brick siding of her building. With a heavy sigh, I ground my molars and exited the car. Why she’d chosen to live in this dump, I’d never understand.
I’m sure she thought it was the best she could afford, but still. The neighborhood left a lot to be desired.
Wincing when my shoes crunched over broken glass on the sidewalk, I flicked my ankle in an effort to shake the debris free from the soles of my freshly shined Italian Ferragamos and then dodged around a rusted nail.
Nice. I hoped my tetanus shot was up-to-date.
When I reached the entrance to Kaitlynn’s building, I
had to tug hard on the handle to unstick the jamb, yanking twice before it finally flew open.
“Jesus.” How many repairs did one place need?
Drawing in a breath through my nose to remain calm, I stepped inside. And all pretenses of calm fled when my nose twitched, and I gagged on the stench of old garbage.
I had a feeling I knew exactly what this summons would entail, and it was already pissing me off. The fucker was going to beg for more money again.
