AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Claudia August.” I take a deep bow. “Imperator of the August family. At your service.”
Her chin wobbles. “But you… you’re Mackenzie…”
“I have many names.”
“You’re not going to kill me?”
I give her an ice-cold smile. “The problem with you, Cleo, is that you never have to think about consequences. You flit from thing to thing with not a second thought about the trail of destruction in your wake. I could kill you. Or maybe I’d let George do it. She’d relish it. But it wouldn’t teach you a lesson. Now, for the rest of your life, you’ll have to look over your shoulder, because at any moment your pretty little life could be snuffed out. I think that’s so much more poetic than a quick death, don’t you?”
She doesn’t have a chance to reply. Noah hands me the brand. George and Gabriel hold hands and step closer, eager to watch. The bassline muffles Cleo’s screams as I hold the hot metal against her skin.
It’s the sweetest song I’ve ever heard.
Gabriel
My father.
I lean back against the wall, shoving open the window a crack to feel the bitter ocean wind bite my bare feet. I bring the joint to my lips and take a deep drag, but it does nothing to relax my jittery nerves.
My father hired Cleo to hurt Dylan.
He covered up Cleo’s involvement.
Dylan is dead because dear old Dad can’t bear the thought of his legacy going to ruin.
I’m sorry, Dylan. I’m sorry you can’t have the justice you deserve.
There’s a knock at the door. I can’t bring myself to incline my head to see who it is. I feel as though I’m made of sand. If I move, I’ll crumble to pieces and the ocean will wash me away.
Claudia slumps into the window seat, facing me. She slides the window shut and pulls her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. She studies me as I take another drag, those icicle eyes seeing every dark thought.
“It’s your birthday next week,” I say with false brightness. “We should do something fun.”
Her lips form an O of surprise, but she doesn’t challenge me on it. “What did you have in mind?”
“A surprise. Leave it up to me.” I hold my hand to my heart. “Gabriel Fallen knows how to plan a killer party. Just be ready at seven PM, and wear something devastating.”
She sighs. “Gabe, I…”
“How did you stand it?” I ask.
“Stand what?”
“Being alone in this house for so long. I’d have gone mental.”
“You’re mental anyway.” She punches me in the arm. “It’s kind of the same as your place by the ocean. It’s nice being alone sometimes.”
I don’t tell her that sometimes I can’t stand the silence at my condo. That every crash of the waves whispers accusations. Guilty. Guilty.
I’ve tormented myself over Dylan’s death. Even returning to Emerald Beach was a punishment of sorts. I shouldn’t be out on tour, enjoying myself, playing our music, while he rots in the ground. I’ve gone so long without pouring my heartache into music because I knew it would make me feel better, and I didn’t deserve to feel better. I don’t know if I still have the music in me.
Cleo may have written his note, but that didn’t make it a lie. I never saw Dylan’s death as anything other than a suicide because that note drove a stake right through my heart. I was everything he claimed – a selfish friend, a heartless bastard, a half-assed lover who made him grand promises and then leaped into the arms of every girl or guy who’d have me because I was too afraid of what we had.
The truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes, the truth is the noose you use to hang yourself.
I hold out the joint to Claudia. She whips it from my hand. “What I loved most about that condo was escaping it. Why do you think I toured as much as possible? After Dylan, it felt like the only place I could go – a prison of my own making.”
Claudia rolls her eyes. “I guess… I understand. Sometimes the silence would get to me. It’s like… all my thoughts were amplified. And that’s okay when I’m reading books or playing with Queen Boudica, but the demons creep into the spaces in-between. Sometimes my thoughts were drenched in blood. They still are.”
