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“Our mother spends every night in Sophia’s bed,” Stellan ground out. “She can’t move on. Can’t sleep. My mom just lays there under her blankets, watching the window…as if she can make Sophia climb back through it.”
I winced at the thought. Stellan’s mom had been so cheerful and teasing, just like Stellan’s sister. It was painful to imagine her forever devastated. My mother had walked away from me at that gas station with a smile on her face; I wondered if she ever even thought about me.
“Delilah,” he said, the way he used to say my name. The way he changed what name he called me every time made me feel as if we both changed, over and over, flip-flopping between who he’d been in the past when we were innocent and the jaded assholes we’d turned into. “Please.”
Hispleasewas jagged enough to cut us both.
“If I could, I'd give you what you wanted,” I said.
“I can fix everything,” he said. “Just tell me where she is. I’ll get you out of this house, I’ll get you money. I’ll give you everything you need.”
He sounded so desperate–it made me hurt for him, but it also made something painful tighten in my chest.
I reached up and tapped his cheek, ever so lightly. His bright eyes watched me greedily.
“I don’t need you to give me back my money and my freedom,” I said. “I need you to stop being a fucking idiot and see what’s right in front of you. See that I never would have hurt her. I loved her.”
His eyes flared in a way that didn’t make sense. She was my best friend; of course I’d loved her.
“You did?” he asked.
God, he just kept cutting me and I kept letting him, as if I were the one holding myself down on my father’s operating table.
“I’m sorry for your loss and for how your family is suffering, Stellan. I’d do anything to fix it if I could,” I said. “But also, fuck you.”
I flashed him a smile and a wave and headed out.
Time to ruin Remington’s life.
Chapter14
Aurora
Following Remington was going to be a real pain in my ass. I wasn't eager to commit a felony. I'd done enough of those to last a girl a lifetime. But I needed a way to follow Remington, my car’s tires were still in ribbons, and I didn't think Uber was going to do it for me.
The Demon had made sure I was an excellent lock pick and car thief by the time I hit middle school. He hadn't been the best father, but I had to admit he taught me some useful skills.
I stole a Honda Civic out of one of the student lots, hoping that the owner would stay nice and hungover from a good time the night before.
Maybe I shouldn't have burned Cain’s McLaren. It was rude of me. And that also meant that I couldn't use it. He would probably have been my first choice to steal from. I bet it would be fun to drive his McLaren and know it made him furious, to be the one controlling that stick he claimed women rode to masturbate for his amusement.
I followed Remington. Despite all of his skills, he probably didn't know very much about avoiding a tail.
At least not a tail that had as much practice as I had. I'd spent a lot of time casing our future victims.
I followed Remington to an enormous brick mansion on the edge of the city. He sped, of course. His muscle car taking the corners so quickly I had to let more space grow between the two of us. There was no surprise there. It's not like these men seemed like the type to have much respect for speed limits.
When I got there, he was pulling through the gates toward the house that was barely visible around the curve and the tall trees that lined the drive. The gate was closing behind him, but that was okay. I wasn't too worried about the gate.
I palmed the tiny fraction of poison that I still carried and had a little left behind. I wanted Remington to understand what was happening to him. God, it hurt even more because I'd cared about him; I had let myself call themmonstersalmost affectionately, I could see that now. I’d believed they were dangerous and ruthless but nothing like the Demon.
Remington had ruined all the games. I felt a strange sense of loss about that. For a brief moment, I hadn't even wanted to truly escape these men. I'd wanted to keep playing with them.
Stupid, I muttered to myself. And that wasn't directed towards Remington. That was all me. Monsters are what they are.
I tried to make them too complicated. I scaled the fence and climbed and dropped down on the other side, then I made my way toward the bushes around the house.
I caught a glimpse of Remington, his posture perfect, his hands stuffed into his pockets, sauntering toward the house. He looked so relaxed that I felt a jolt of fury, although I knew how much that could be a mask for him sometimes. I watched him enter the house without knocking, then I crept along, bent over between the hedges and the house, keeping my head beneath the level of the windows. I had to find Remy in the house.
