Page 16 of Was I Ever Real

My escape.

The gravel digging into the soles of my feet while I ran and ran and ran. The harsh wind with no end in sight.

Then finally a light in the distance. A diner.

And an angel named Martha.

I blink long and hard. Once. Twice. And finally, find my voice again. “How did you find me?” I croak, the memories clambering to resurface while I struggle to take a breath.

I hear him laughing dryly through the receiver before he says, “We were always going to find you, Penelope. It was an eventuality.”

I swallow hard, opening my mouth, closing it, then finally. “How do you even have a phone to call me with?”

My mind is so scattered that it’s focusing on the wrong things instead of the most glaringly important ones. Like the one where my brother is threatening to bring me back into the flock.

“When Father died, I was brought forth as the new messenger of Sacro Nuntio. There is an allowance for a few frivolities when having to deal with the ungodly… such as yourself, sister.” His tone drips with disgust and superiority.

My blood heats, boiling me alive from the inside out.

“So you’re having Patrick follow me? You can’t even do it yourself?” I say incensed. Patrick, my ex-fiancé, doing my brother’s dirty bidding. I silently chew my lip raw waiting for his response.

I still don’t understand how he’s been able to pin me down. I legally changed my name. And the only online presence I have is of the business and typically, I try to keep my face out of the pictures. The demure sixteen year old he knew is not who I am now.

“Come home, Penelope. You can do it willingly or by force. Either way, your life in Noxport ends. I am giving you until the end of the week. By his touch, we live.”

He hangs up and I’m left clutching my phone so hard against my face that I’m sure I’ve left a dent on the side of my cheek.

By his touch, we live? By hisfuckingtouch?

Hearing that Sacro Nuntio saying leaves me disgusted and lightheaded. Not only that but hearing his inflection and choice of words reminds me of how much effort it took for me to change the way I spoke when I first ended up in Noxport. Valley speak was the fastest thing to pick up and was my shield for years until I morphed into the person—or is it a persona?—I am today. I’d walk around downtown and just listen. As silly as it was, to me it sounded like freedom. It tasted like defiance on my tongue and it wasn’t long until I began to crave it. I was already cursed. Ungodly. What was one more sin if it felt this good?

My brother is out of his holier-than-thou fucking mind if he thinks I’ll willingly leave the life I’ve created for myself and comehomewithout a fight.

I just need a plan.

Chapter 11

LeaningagainstmySUV,shades on and hands tucked deep in my dark blue jeans pockets, I watch Lenix jog towards her building. I’m in plain view of her front door but she hasn’t seen me yet.

Light brown skin glistening in the afternoon sun, her long black hair pulled away from her neck, swishing this way and that while she runs.

I let my mind wander for just a second, a millisecond even, revealing a flash of a memory from two years ago. Of Lenix flushed underneath me. My fingers digging into her hips as the fingers of my other hand slid into her open mouth, her hot tongue curling for a taste, a staccato of breathy moans I could feel on my own skin.

Jesus.

I sucker punch the vision as far away as possible while the present Lenix nearly jumps out of her skin at the sight of me. I push myself off the car door, a smirk on my lips.

“Boo.”

I’m expecting a barrage of expletives to leave her mouth but instead, she just sticks her hands on her hips, her chest heaving beautifully while she catches her breath.

“I’m busy.” And turns towards her building.

I follow her. As one does.

But before reaching the door, she stops and swivels around. “What are you doing?” she says, crossing her arms, clearly annoyed.

“We need to talk.”

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