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Chapter One
Rogue
It’slate,reallylate,as I drive through the city toward Ivy’s. Palm tree shadows ink the road under the glow of lights from cars and lamps.
The Impala’s engine roars as I press my foot down on the accelerator, cruising across the intersection while I listen to Ivy’s voice through the speakers.
“You’ve reached Ivy. Sorry I can’t answer right now. You know what to do.” The inevitable beep follows.
“Damnit.” I end the call and smack the heel of my palm against the steering wheel. I’ve called her a dozen times since I left my brothers and Summer at that stupid party in Malibu.
A dozen and one times and she hasn’t picked up. About half an hour ago it stopped ringing all together and started going straight to voicemail.
She doesn’t know that I know about Rebel being T-fucking-Swift. I was so angry and hurt that she kept me at a distance and hid the truth about Alec. I wouldn’t listen to her. I turned my back on her. On us.
The pulsing ache in my jaw sharpens as the pain in my chest intensifies. I reach across to the passenger seat and feel around for the cigarettes I threw there. I keep my eyes on the road as I retrieve one out of the pack and stick it between my lips. It sparks with the second roll of my thumb on the lighter wheel. Inhaling, I let it fill my lungs and ease the tension between my shoulder blades. This is my last one. I’ll quit.
It's just I can’t breathe when my own flesh and blood has betrayed me. My fucking twin not only kept secrets from me, he talked the woman I would protect with my life into facing off with that psycho.
I could swear I’m having a panic attack when I think about Ivy taking on Alec. Trying to get him to confess. Putting herself in harm’s way. After some of the things that she’s volunteered about her brother… I scrub a hand over my whiskers. My gut has been churning since I left Rebel in my dust.
My phone screen lights up the interior of the car. My heart leaps. Finally!
My knuckles turn white in their grip when I see Rebel’s name instead of Ivy’s. The tires squeal while they try to maintain their grip on the bitumen as I take another corner too fast.
I have no intention of dealing with that asshole any time soon.
My only objective tonight is to talk to Ivy. Lay everything out on the table. Get her to do the same. Once and for all. I love her and I think she loves me, but I need to hear her say it. I need her to tell me everything she’s afraid to admit. It’s not like she can possibly be hiding anything worse than Alec, so what can get between us now?
A black SUV speeds past as I turn onto the street outside Ivy’s place. I find an empty parking space beside the Mercedes I bought her to replace that piece of junk she was driving when we met. Sit there with the motor running while I finish my smoke.
What if I threw away any chance of her trusting me? She opened up to me and I broke up with her because I was afraid she couldn’t truly be in love with me. What if by doing that I made her realize that she doesn’t want to be with me? Like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I take a deep breath and shut off the motor along with my doubts. There is no other choice but to face our demons. I can’t stand the idea of my life without her in it.
Grabbing my phone, I jump out of the vehicle and let the heavy door close behind me.
It’s late and there aren’t any lights on in the apartment. If I were anyone else, I would probably come back in the morning. But I haven’t slept in two days. Haven’t thought of anything but her. Haven’t been able to shake the pain in my chest that her absence causes. We can sleep wrapped around one another once we’ve hashed this thing out. I won’t lose another moment.
I lift my fist to pound on the door.
A dog barks. A siren sounds in the distance. My phone starts to ring in my other hand.
I shut off the call and switch the device to silent. Turning on the torch function, I move to a window and shine the light inside. Senses on high alert, I scope out a living room that seems perfectly normal. But something doesn’t sit right. It’s too dark inside the apartment.
My heart moves to my throat and my skin crawls along my spine. Ivy is scared of the dark. The only time she’s slept with the light off has been when she’s been curled up in my arms. Where she felt safe. Where she was safe. Where nothing was supposed to be able to hurt her.
What if Alec has been here? Before Riot found the photos under Emmy’s seat, Rebel would have wanted something to crucify the bastard with. Ivy was trying to get a confession for my twin. What if that bastard realized? What if she thought she could still help us? What if he came after her?
That last thought has me punching a hole in the glass and twisting the latch so I can get inside. Launching across the living room, I throw her bedroom door wide open. Apologies can be made once I’m certain she’s safe. Right now I need eyes on her. “Ivy?”
The lamp on her bedside table should be on, but it isn’t. I turn it on and my heart lurches. Her bed is a mess of twisted sheets and blankets, but it’s empty.
I leave her room, swallowing around the lump growing in my throat.
“Ivy? Adira?” The faint hint of metal and oil and earth in the air catches me by surprise in the hallway now that the rush of adrenaline is over. It’s familiar in a way that I can’t wrap my head around. Pungent and raw.
The lack of response does nothing to stop the back of my neck prickling and instead has me racing to the bedroom-sized closet Ivy and Adira call Narnia.
