Chapter 19 Kip
KIP
By the time we touched down, I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, teetering on the edge of anger and uncertainty.
Lies seemed to weave through every facet of my life—my family, Holland, and perhaps even the pastor of the church.
Was there more to the story? How much did he really know about me, and was there a past connection with my family that had faded over time, or was he still very much a part of it?
And where exactly did Holland factor into all of this?
I was desperate for answers but unsure if I was ready to confront them.
After stepping off the plane, I climbed into my car and grabbed my cell from my back pocket.
Even though I wanted to check the cameras at Holland’s place on the flight back, I couldn’t risk Dope being nosy and learning that I was watching her.
Hell, I hadn’t even mentioned her to the guys.
Until I had answers, there was no reason to.
With a few taps on my screen, I opened the app for the live video. Nothing.
“What the fuck?” I muttered, opening and closing the app again.
Frustrated, I deleted the app and reloaded it again, but still nothing.
“Goddammit.” I slumped against the car seat while I realized that she’d most likely discovered the cameras I’d planted.
There was a small possibility that Draco had bugged her place and removed them too.
However it played out, it wasn’t good. First, I couldn’t see her anytime I wanted to.
Second, I had no damn clue if Cooper or Draco showed up and hurt her.
A fierce blaze ignited within me as I jammed the key into the ignition and roared toward her house. It wasn’t late enough for her to be asleep, so unless she wasn’t there, I had to devise a way to slip into her place undetected.
And when I did, there would be hell to pay.
An idea formed in my thoughts.
“Hey, Siri, call Ryan Steele.” Seconds later, his phone rang through the speakers.
“Hey, man,” Ryan answered. “What’s up?”
Ryan and I had worked together in the past and had become good friends. He was a Portland cop, but he played both sides of the fence at times when it was needed.
“I need a diversion.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
I could almost hear him smile through the phone.
“I need to sneak inside a house, but she might be there. Are you able to help me with a diversion to draw her outside? She’s got some bad company following her, so I don’t want her alone.”
“Lady Luck is on your side. I’m off work tonight, but it wouldn’t be a problem to knock on her door and report suspicious activity in the area. Does she have an alley or anything behind her home?”
“Yeah. I’ll need to come through that way, so have her walk outside in front. I only need five minutes or so. Probably less, but just to be safe.”
“I’ll tell her we’re looking into a break-in and ask if she saw anything, ask her to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for potential witnesses,” he said.
A wicked grin eased across my features. “I appreciate it. I owe you one.”
The line grew silent, and I wasn’t surprised when he asked, “How’s Cami? Have you seen her?”
“No, not lately. From what Ella has said, she’s doing good, but still struggling to get past your breakup.
” Ella and Cami were best friends and discussed everything.
There were no secrets between them, including Cami’s feelings about Ryan.
But he’d fucked up, and some lines you couldn’t cross without doing irreparable damage.
I was starting to think this was one of those times.
“Good,” he muttered. “I want her to hurt as much as I am.”
“We all wish you two would work things out. You’re miserable without each other.
” I flipped on my turn signal and then turned onto Holland’s street.
She wouldn’t recognize my Mustang since she’d only seen me drive my BMW.
Having a few different cars came in handy when trying to stay under the radar with the cops.
“Okay, I’m in her neighborhood. Her car is in the driveway, so let me know your ETA to show up.
” I rattled off the address, and Ryan said he’d be there in half an hour.
We hung up, and I drove around to the back of her place and parked at the end of the alley, watching to see if there was any activity from Draco or Cooper. As far as I could tell, it was quiet.
After I parked the car a few streets over, I ran through the alleyway until I approached Holland’s place again.
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows that stretched across the pavement, and by the time Ryan arrived, the sky had deepened into a dusky blue, cloaking everything in a soft, muted light.
This twilight provided the cover I needed.
From my vantage point, I could observe both the front and side of her house with ease, the warm glow from the windows contrasting against the growing darkness.
I chuckled as Ryan rang her doorbell and she cautiously answered.
In less than a minute, she was hurrying outside with him as he pointed down the street.
With her back to me, I made my move. A few other neighbors opened their front doors, which gave me even more protection from being seen as I hauled ass across her backyard.
Ryan was a fucking pro, and I owed him a solid in return.
I reached her back patio and jiggled the knob.
“Good girl,” I whispered as I carefully maneuvered the lock pick, feeling for the subtle clicks that signaled success.
At least she was wise enough to secure the place, a small gesture toward safety.
Little did she realize, however, that this barrier was no match for my skills, and it wouldn't keep me out for long.
As soon as I triggered the lock, I slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind me, the soft click resonating in the silent hallway.
Time was slipping through my fingers, and I quickly navigated the dimly lit rooms, searching for the perfect hiding spot.
Not that I would be concealed for long, but I needed her to fall asleep before I could make my move.
The hall closet seemed promising for the moment.
From there, I had a clear view of her in both the living room and the kitchen.
The bedroom closet wasn’t a good option since she might open it when she went to bed.
The hall closet, however, was ideal, allowing me to hear any whispers of conversation she might have over the phone.
The front door opened, and I made out the soft murmur of Ryan and Holland exchanging goodbyes. I slid into my hiding spot, tucking myself behind a curtain of coats and a fortress of luggage, and settled in to wait for the right moment.
Most of the time, I was patient. Methodical. But nearly three hours crammed into this fucking closet was peeling back every last shred of my restraint.
Too much time to think.
Too much time to rot.
I should’ve been calm. Focused. But instead, I kept replaying the same loop—Holland’s voice, her laugh, the smell of her shampoo lingering on the clothes beside me—and Mother’s voice … dripping like venom into every memory.
Mother was in here with me. Not physically, but inside my fucking skull. Whispering how Holland had used me. Lied to me. Twisted me around her pretty little finger like she was no better than the woman who gave birth to me.
What if they were working together?
What if all of this—every smile, every soft look, every inch of her skin that I’d worshipped—was just a ploy to gut me from the inside out?
A slow burn was crawling up my spine.
Mother always said love was weakness dressed in prettier clothes. And maybe she was right. Maybe Holland had never been mine to begin with. Maybe she was Mother’s—another one of her fucking puppets.
I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.
She’d never told me Samantha was alive. She’d let me believe I’d killed her.
Let me die in that guilt, beg for forgiveness, break for it.
And now that I’d finally found her again—alive, and still so fucking beautiful—I didn’t know if I wanted to protect her …
Or rip her fucking soul from her body for lying and trying to destroy me.
I couldn’t breathe in this fucking closet anymore. All I could think of was to end this misery. Take care of each player in the game, but what was a game to them was my goddamn life. I was about to take it all back once and for all.
Focus. Bide your time. Don’t let them win.
It was nearly midnight when my ears perked up at a sound near the back entrance. Peering through the almost nonexistent crack I’d made for myself, I watched as she slipped on her robe over her pajamas and rushed to the back of the house.
“Don’t open it, Holland,” I mumbled. There was nothing good about a late-night visitor like this unless …
she was seeing someone. Jealousy sparked to life inside my chest, flaring up at the thought of her being with someone else.
The image of him kissing her, his lips brushing against hers …
the bastard touching every part of her that belonged to me filled me with a turmoil that added fuel to the fire already burning inside of me.
She discreetly peeked through the small window shade, then froze.
Her expression twisted as fear registered on her face.
Before she could call for help, the back door swung open, and Cooper rushed inside.
He grabbed her, slapped a palm over her mouth, and closed the door behind him.
His arrival was an unexpected surprise, but as far as I was concerned, a damn good one.
I rubbed my hands together, pulse steady, smile sharp as anticipation lit my veins on fire. This shit just got fun.
I pulled the devil mask with the voice disguiser from my back pocket, slipped it over my head, and now I had two targets.
“Welcome to hell, motherfucker.”