Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
N othing says love like throwing someone out a four-story building for you. I mean, Connor might not admit it—the love part that is—but he did tell Dante he finished the job for him. And minutes later, Ian’s body was discovered splattered on the concrete.
The same fucker who gave Krystal the laced cup of beer that she then gave to me. Dante and Orlando worked him over, but we try not to commit murder at school. It leads to too many questions.
Why would Connor do that? And why would he then tell Dante it was him?
There is only one answer to both. Love. Connor O’Malley still loves me. He also hates me. Which is fine. I hate me for what I did, so I can’t expect him not to.
But love? That’s what I’m choosing to focus on. Especially now, when doubt starts creeping into my mind, Connor’s words telling me I need help and that I’m crazy playing back on repeat. It’s my one major insecurity. It’s always been the joke or not joke in the family that I’m the crazy one.
I’ve worked hard to not let it get to me, to continue being myself no matter how crazy I might become. Authentic crazy is better than fake sane, right? At least that’s what I’ve always told myself.
I do things on instinct, which has always worked out well for me. Until Kenny. I can’t even really blame the drugs, because my hands still stabbed him. I killed him. I don’t know how I’m going to get Connor back or find a way for us to be together. But I’m not going to give up.
I don’t expect him to forgive me. I wouldn’t forgive me.
But there has to be a way for us to get past this.
I refuse to believe otherwise. And honestly, after his grand gesture with Ian, no amount of hateful words that come out of his mouth will make me believe that he hates me more than he loves me.
It’s that belief that is keeping me from completely falling apart. Also, the fact that I can see he’s just as miserable as I am. How do I know that? I might have bribed Dante to hack into his house’s CCTV system. The O’Malleys are a paranoid bunch. They have cameras everywhere.
I’ve been watching for a few days. Every chance I get, I park one street over and just sit here. Scrolling through the feed. It’s torture, because I want to touch him. I want to reach out to him. I want him to reach for me like he used to.
Connor is asleep. I’ve been watching for a few hours, just to make sure he’s completely out of it. Over the last few days, I’ve scoped out the security, and I’m pretty confident I can get in and out without being noticed.
Picking up my bag, I slip from my seat, quietly close the door, and walk around the corner. Connor’s house is just three lots down. But I’m not going in through the front. Because that would be stupid. I’m going in through the back. I’ve seen a window that I’m thinking leads into the basement.
Pulling up the camera feed, I check the backyard. I know that the guards walk the property line, and in about two minutes, they’ll move to the front, giving me four minutes to run through the yard and break into that window.
This is a lot of effort. He better appreciate what I’m doing for us.
When I see the guards start down the side of the house, I run. Push the pane of glass upwards and sigh when I find it unlocked. I squeeze through the small space, turn on my phone’s flashlight app, and glance around.
Yep, it’s a basement. Also a torture chamber by the looks of all the tools and chains.
I don’t have time to see what they have on hand before logging back into the CCTV to check the rest of the house.
I’ve never seen any of their guards inside the property and I don’t see anyone else up and walking around either.
It doesn’t take long for me to navigate the house’s interior and find Connor’s room. I hold my breath when the door creaks as I close it behind me. He stirs in his sleep but he doesn’t wake up.
Time to get to work.
I place my bag on the ground, open it, and start pulling out the items I brought with me.
Connor thinks he’s just going to forget me. Forget us. Well, I’m not going to let him. I’ve got everything with me to make sure that doesn’t happen.
First, I pull out a pair of my panties. They’re pink. He told me these were his favorite. I find his school blazer on the back of his desk chair and shove the lacy material into the inside pocket. I smile to myself, picturing his reaction when he finds them.
Next, I pull out a photo of us. It’s one I took on my phone and told him I’d deleted because he was paranoid someone would see it. Picking up his wallet, I shove the photo into the space with his credit card. So that it will fall out the moment he goes to pay for something.
Then I pick up his phone, holding the screen in front of his face to unlock it.
I scroll through his contacts and add a new one.
Name: Briar Rose. After adding the number of the burner phone I have just for this purpose, I set his phone back down on the wireless charger. That contact will come in use later on.
Lastly, I grab the bottle of vanilla bodywash, the exact same one I use, and walk into his bathroom.
Emptying the contents of his into a plastic bag I brought with me, because I don’t want to turn on a faucet and wake him up, and replace it with mine.
As soon as Connor showers in the morning, he’s going to smell me.
And he’s going to be flooded with memories of my body while he’s naked under the hot water.
Shit, I can’t think of Connor naked right now. I need to focus.
While I’m at it, I pick up his hairbrush and run it through my own hair until enough of my blonde locks are tangled in the bristles, before pulling out the red lipstick I brought with me.
I then draw a heart on his mirror. It’s not like he’s not going to know it was me anyway.
I might as well leave a note. I finish it off with our initials: SB 4 PC.
Sleeping Beauty for Prince Charming. And leave the lipstick on his bathroom counter.
There is only one more thing I have to do…
Grabbing my bottle of perfume, I spray the collar of his school blazer, then make my way into his closet and do the same to the entire contents.
Try to forget me now, asshole.
My eyes flick to the bed and I walk over and spray the last bit on his pillow. He rolls over, and I freeze, but he doesn’t wake up.
Okay, time to leave.
Pulling up the CCTV footage, I look through the house and make sure the coast is clear. Then I take one last look at Connor and make a mad dash for the basement.
It takes another ten minutes of waiting in the creepy torture dungeon before the guards do their rounds and I climb back through the window, run across the lawn, and jump over the back fence into the neighboring property. My heart races, not slowing until I’m safely back in my car.
“Wake up, princess. We’re going to the range.” My brother’s voice booms through my dream. My dream about Connor and his mouth on things I don’t need to be thinking about when my brother is in my room.
“Go away!” Reaching under my pillow, I pick up the pretty pink stun gun Nonno gave me and wave it in Enzo’s direction. “I will use this on you,” I warn him.
“Don’t care. Get your ass up, little sister. We’re going to the range, and then I’ll drop you off at school,” he replies before walking out of my room. Shutting my door not so quietly.
I could go back to sleep, but he ruined my dream. There is no going back to that. Maybe the range will get a bit of the pent-up rage out of my system before I have to face Connor.
The thought of him finding all the Easter eggs I left in his room makes me smile, but I also have no doubt it’s going to piss him off.
Then again, he’s kinda hot when he’s angry.
I mean, when he had his hand wrapped around my throat, I wasn’t scared.
I was turned on. I know I have issues, but the best thing is the fact that he does too .
I rush through my shower and don’t bother with makeup today. My hair gets bundled up into a messy bun. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I went to school fresh faced. Guess there’s a first for everything.
I run downstairs, where Enzo is waiting for me in the foyer. He eyes me for a second. “Are you sick?”
“No.” I scowl at him. Do I look that bad without makeup?
“Good. Let’s go.” He holds the front door open.
The car ride to the range is quiet. I can tell Enzo wants to say something but he’s holding back. I really just want to shoot some targets right now. Maybe I can imagine they’re Connor’s heart. Put a bullet right through it like he has mine.
Two rounds in. That’s all it takes for my brother to start in on me. “You’re off your game, Aurora. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I grunt as I stare down the target at the end of the lane and pull the trigger. I tried to imagine it was Connor’s heart, but that just made me miss. I can’t hurt him more than I already have. I need to work on fixing us.
“Don’t give me that shit. Something is up with you. You’ve been acting… strange for the last few weeks,” Enzo says.
I pivot on my heel to face him. “My boyfriend dumped me.”
Enzo’s eyes go wide. “When the fuck did you get a boyfriend?” he asks, taking the pistol from my hand and placing it on the bench behind me.
“For a few months.” I shrug. “But I did something he didn’t like too much and he dumped me.”
“Well, he’s not worth it then. What’s his name?” The question comes out as casually as if he were asking me for the time. I’m not that stupid though.
“Nice try. You’re not going to find out.”
“Is he from school?”
“Enzo, drop it,” I growl, reaching for the pistol behind him.
My brother wraps his arms around me, trapping me against his chest. “I’m sorry. What can I do to make you feel better?”
“Let me shoot. I’m going to be fine. He’s going to realize the error of his ways soon and come back to me anyway.” I smile.
“Aurora, that’s… Do Mom and Pops know?”
“Yes.”
“Why am I always the last to know anything?”
“You’re not. Lorenzo doesn’t know.” I smile up at Enzo. “Kyla does, though.”
“What did you do?” my brother says, catching me off guard.
“Huh?”
“The thing you did that this jerk didn’t like. What was it?” Enzo clarifies.
“I killed his cousin.”
My brother’s eyes widen again. “Yeah, I can see how that might put a strain on a relationship.”
About thirty seconds later, Enzo stares at me with an inquisitive look on his face, and then he shakes his head.
“What?” I ask him.
“An Irish kid from your school was killed a few weeks back,” he says.
“I know.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, no.” He shakes his head again. “Does Pops know who you were dating?”
“No, and you’re not going to tell him. Or anyone. Sibling confidentiality and all, Enzo. I mean it.” I point at him.
“I won’t tell, but you are not seeing some Irish fucking scum again either,” he grunts, disgust written all over his face.
“He isn’t scum.” I’m tempted to kick my brother in the shins right now. That’s gotta be better than shooting him, right?