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“He was there,” Lay says quietly before standing up and screaming. “HE WAS FUCKING THERE!” She slams her fists down on the kitchen table, the dirty dishes clattering on the wood with the force of her outburst.
“He was where, Lay?” Riggs grabs her hands, getting her to look at us. Both of us are on our feet, waiting for her answer. It’s so hard, seeing her so angry and hurt. We so desperately want to fight against this threat for her.
“At Declan’s wake.” Her voice shakes, the rage in it overwhelming. “I saw him standing outside Declan’s wake. The bastard was there.”
Chapter Five
Alayna
That motherfucking son of a bitch. Seeing him outside the funeral home, I knew he looked familiar, but I didn’t put it together. He looks just enough like his father for the familiarity to click, but not enough for me to put it together until right now. Rhys and Riggs are cursing up a storm beside me, the colourful language enough to make a sailor blush.
Growing up in that house of fucking hell must have messed him up a lot, I mean it fucked me up as well. Still, following in his father’s footsteps and being an absolute psychopath is a fucking step too far. It’s like a sick joke from the universe or something. Kill off one psycho Kevin Jennings just to have the second one step up and be even worse.
“This is so fucked up,” I murmur in disbelief, sitting back in my chair to look between Rhys and Riggs. “This is even more fucked up to me than the original one coming back to life.”
“Did you think he was a zombie or something?” Rhys asks, his poor face scrunched in confusion. He runs his fingers through his closely trimmed dark blonde beard and ponders my response. “I would have assumed he just didn’t die and it was a cover up. Why would you think he died and came back?”
“That’s what you got from what I said?” A laugh pops out, the first hearty laugh I’ve had in over a week. It’s weird that after being so terrified of all of this, I’m now finding humour in it. There has to be someone playing me like a sim somewhere, laughing their asses off at how erratic they’re making me act. “A zombie Kevin Jennings would probably be easier to fight, you have to admit.”
“A head shot would work for both alive and dead, though.” Rhys smirks at me, playing into my weird coping mechanism of humour. “He would only be easier as a zombie because he would be more predictable.”
“You’re both really discussing zombies at a time like this?” Riggs looks between the two of us exasperatedly. The look on his face sets me off, another loud laugh erupting from my mouth which sets off Rhys as well. Riggs tosses his hands in the air acting like a frustrated parent dealing with two toddlers.
The atmosphere of the room lightens just a bit as Rhys and I laugh together. Riggs watches me, a small, reluctant smile playing on his lips like he wants to join us but he truly doesn’t understand the joke.
Joking about the asshole that destroyed me and Declan so badly is a coping win for me. It took years for me to even be able to remember his name without shaking. Even a week ago, the shock of hearing his name and knowing he had a hand in my stalking made me faint from the fear. To be joking about him a week later shows me I’m so much fucking stronger than I was before.
All this time I’ve prided myself on being so strong because I blocked everything out, when in reality I’m getting stronger the more I defeat my demons. The guys have helped me come miles when I was barely moving millimetres before this. I’ve laughed more since I’ve met them than I ever remember laughing. It’s freeing to be with people that don’t expect anything from me, and accept me, broken pieces and all.
“Thank you.” I look between Rhys and Riggs, wishing Adam were here with us as well. “The three of you have given me more in the short time we’ve known each other, than almost anyone else in my life. You’ve given me back the freedom to be myself, not the closed off version I’ve let everyone else see. So, thank you.”
“Don’t thank us. This is all you, babe.” Rhys winks at me again, his blue eyes shining with pride.
"You're incredible." Riggs grasps my hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss. “I’m so glad you’re finally letting the real you come out again. While the badass side of you is hotter than hell, the soft, vulnerable side of you is just as amazing. You don’t need to be one or the other, both sides are equally a part of you.”
“Well,” I choke out, trying to not cry anymore. “I think the soft side of me has been out for a while now. I’d really like to utilize the other side and beat the shit out of some punching bags. Can we make that work?”
“On two conditions,” Rhys says, his face falling back to somber. “You have one of us with you at the gym, and you let us change your phone number.”
“First condition I agree to,” I respond quickly, not needing to think that one through. There’s no need to put myself in more danger than is necessary. “I just have a question about the second condition. Can I see my current phone? I want to see the damage myself before I make a decision.”
“Of course.” Rhys gets up to grab the phone from where they were keeping it.
Riggs looks at me, his brow furrowed in concentration. “It’s not pretty, Lay. Whatever wall you put up to stop the bad shit from cutting you too deep, you should put it up before reading. It’s enough to make anyone disturbed.”
Nodding my head, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to steel myself against what I’m about to see. Rhys comes back with the phone, placing it on the table in front of me. It takes everything in me not to fall back into my hole of despair just at the thought of everything that asshole has sent me. While the logical decision would be to get a new number, it feels like losing to him. Kevin Jennings Jr is taking everything from me.
The fact that he’s already made me change so much of my life because he’s a psychotic motherfucker has me angry and frustrated. My phone number is a small, inconsequential thing, yet it’s one more victory for him. It shows that he got to me, that he got under my skin with only his words as his weapons.
“Let’s do this,” I state, my voice devoid of any and all emotions. Shutting down is how I’m going to get through what comes next. These words are like water that will just run off my back. There’s no physical harm that can come to me from reading these messages, and I’m protecting myself from the mental harm.
Unlocking my screen, I clench my teeth at the sheer number of notifications waiting for me. My hand shakes as I swipe down my menu, my body going rigid from the first message alone. There’s two-hundred and thirteen unread messages, fifty sevenmissed calls, and thirty voicemails all waiting for me. The first visible message saysYou can’t hide from me bitch. I’m coming for you. Tell those three fuckers by your side, I’m going to slit their throats for taking you from me.
Opening the messages up, I scroll through each hate filled, disgusting message after another. Each one filling my veins with ice and causing me to fight harder and harder to keep my barrier up. There’s one that stands out from the rest, it makes my stomach turn and my eyes fill with tears.
Do you think of me when you rub yourself down with the scent of lavender? I think of you. I think of fucking your rotting corpse and breathing in that sweet aroma of lavender and decay. It’ll be so fucking euphoric.
“Lay, stop. Don’t keep going,” Rhys begs, trying to grab the phone from my hands. Standing up, I silently walk away from them, not ready to call it quits yet. It’s like I need to prove to myself that I’m stronger than him. I need to prove that I can see his words and hear his voice and not break. He doesn’t get to flood me with fear.
