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CHAPTER20
PEYTON
Iwas almost done packing when my mom called. I didn’t want her to hear the panic in my voice, but she’d worry herself to death if I didn’t answer the phone. If she only knew that my problems were all because of her and my dad. They did the right thing by taking down the Dark Side all those years ago. But unfortunately, they didn’t know the consequences of their actions would haunt my friends and me.
Picking my phone off the bed, I cleared my throat and answered it. “Hey, Mom.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the texts?” she snapped. “I had to find out from Brooklyn.”
After shoving the rest of my clothes into my bag, I zipped it up. “I didn’t want to worry you. A lot is going on that I haven’t told you about. I promise to tell youeverythingas soon as I get home. Ethan and I are grabbing a flight out tonight. But the short version is that I’ve been getting a text every Tuesday for the past four weeks.”
“What did they say?” she demanded.
I could hear Ethan talking to someone on the phone in the living room. I sat down on the bed, my stomach coiling in knots. “It’s just stupid stuff, mom. Like the first one said, ‘one is the beginning.’” I heard the sharp intake of her breath before the silence. “Mom?”
“What were the others, Peyton?” I’d never heard my mom sound so terrified. “Was it ‘two . . . there’s nothing you can do’? And ‘three … you need to be ready for me’?”
Now it was my turn to freeze. Chills ran down my spine, prickling every square inch of my skin.
“How did you know that?”
“Peyton, you’re in danger, sweetheart. You need to come home now. I never told you the specifics, but those were the sayings on the notes Rage left me by my door with the black roses.” Rage was a guy who had stalked her for quite some time, and eventually kidnapped her. He’d killed a lot of people in the process. She kept most of the gory details from me, but I could only imagine what she went through.
“There were only four letters, before when Scar came after me,” my mom continued, “Please tell me you haven’t gotten the fourth.”
“No,” I said quickly. “Not yet.”
“Good. You need to leave now. Whoever is sending you those texts is part of the Dark Side. No one else knows what was in my letters except your dad and a couple of others.”
Ethan’s footsteps pounded down the hall and I grabbed my bag, my back drenched in a cold sweat. I didn’t know what to think. Ethan hurried into the room and took my bag, his brows furrowed. I grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving.
“Are we good to go?”
He nodded. “A jet will be at the private airfield in thirty minutes.”
I blew out a breath. “Mom, I’m going to go. Ethan and I are heading back tonight.”
She blew out a relieved sigh. “Thank God. Be safe and I’ll see you soon.”
We hung up and I placed a shaky hand over my mouth. “She got the messages too.” Ethan’s gaze narrowed in confusion. “My mom,” I reiterated. “Instead of texts, those same messages were sent to her in letters. They were from Rage, the guy who was obsessed with her.”
His expression darkened. “And your dad fought him?”
I nodded. “And killed him. So, whoever sent the texts knows what was in those letters. Only someone from that time all those years ago would know. Which means . . .”
Understanding flashed across his face. “Which means Nikolai wouldn’t know that himself. None of us were born then. So, someone from the past is involved in this.”
Clutching my stomach, I swallowed down the bile. I felt even sicker with each passing second. “We need to get out of here . . . like now.”
Ethan scanned the room. “Do you have everything?”
I searched the room and gasped. The bracelet my mom gave me was still on the nightstand. I rushed over and slid it on my wrist. “I do now.”
Ethan nodded toward the hallway. “Come on. Let’s load our shit up and get out.”
Heart pounding, I followed him down the hall, my head growing dizzy as I tried to look around quickly to make sure we hadn’t left anything. Finally, we hurried out the door, and Ethan threw our bags in the trunk. It was dark and I didn’t feel safe like I had the past few weeks. It was as if someone was watching us.
I was about to get in the front seat when my phone beeped. Ethan rushed to my side, but I froze. “This can’t be happening.
