THIRTEEN
N oelle Campbell is the fucking bane of my existence.
And it doesn’t help that I’m in a pissy mood because of the fucking bullets I took. My best guess is that the Italian chick, Silvia or whatever her name is, patched me up.
Last night is a blur except for the part where Noelle fucking shoved her fingers inside of my wound. The look of excitement and that sadistic grin on her face remain intact in my memory.
She barely managed to get a hold of herself, and, for a moment, I did think she was going to kill me then and there. For some reason, she broke out of the trance and the anger vanished in the blink of an eye.
I don’t know why I went to her.
Maybe it’s because I knew the severity of my state and that I had no means of reaching a hospital or my house alive. Maybe it’s just the delusions slipping into my mind like a drug, but she ended up calling someone to help me.
Little miss devil isn’t so heartless after all.
When I woke up, I was on her kitchen table. It hurt moving, but I needed to leave before Noelle woke up. I’m not sure what demon possessed me to look for her, take her to bed, and then snoop around her little hiding room.
She has a lot of information on me and my family. I expected it, but it still shocked me to my core. She’s detailed, thorough, and there isn’t an aspect of my life she isn’t aware of.
From the man who took my bullet for the first time, to the girl who took my virginity, to every single person I’ve crossed paths with in the past few years. Everything was beautifully displayed in chronological order, and I’m not sure if I should be flattered or creeped out.
Her phone was left unattended, so I took the opportunity to clone it. I don’t trust her, and I need to keep an eye out for her. I’m not the one to be in someone’s personal space except when it comes to the woman who fucking murdered my brother.
She’s fucking lucky that he wasn’t the best brother and our relationship was rocky, for the lack of a better word. And I’m not someone who would’ve sought revenge anyway.
My thoughts drift away, and I flinch at the pain. I’m careful not to rip open the stitches, but it’s getting harder to go down the stairs. It takes me a full ten minutes to reach the basement and open the door.
“Sorry,” I mumble. “I forgot about you. Here.” I toss him some food and a water bottle, and the weight is lifted off my shoulders. The pressure on the wound slowly starts to disappear, and I’m able to breathe again.
Dylan stares at me, unimpressed.
I forgot about him for three days, but he’s too pissy. If looks could kill, I’d be dead by now. The anger in his eyes doesn’t falter; however, he has no other choice but to eat the burger and gulp down the water.
“You motherfucker.” His voice is hoarse and pleasant to hear. The struggle in his tone is the best music to my ears. “How long do you intend to keep me here?”
I shrug. “How long do you intend on keeping up the charade?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t,” I snort. “But I don’t believe you. There are too many things about you that don’t add up. Given my life and the things I’ve done and seen, I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“And I’m telling you,” he all but growls in anger, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I pull out the two bullets, now cleaned thoroughly, and toss one next to his feet. The chain around his wrist jiggles as he picks it up, confusion on his face.
“What’s this?”
“A bullet,” I state the obvious. “See, I have a hole in my body, and it fucking hurts. I’m not patient enough to play mind games with a motherfucker like you. So, I’m giving you a chance to speak now. Who the fuck are you?”
“Noelle was right,” he says in disbelief. “You are insane.”
“Probably,” I agree. “But your lovely fiancé helped me a lot. See, I don’t think she hates me as much as she says.”
I’m only trying to ruffle his feathers.
And it’s fucking working.
A grin spreads across my face as soon as a scowl appears on his. He narrows his eyes at me, a vein popping on his forehead. He’s trying his best to remain calm, but I’m getting through his thick skin.
“And I spent the night at her place, so I’d say she definitely doesn’t hate me.”
Bewilderment is written on his face. He blinks, slowly, processing the information. Shock doesn’t leave his face, his mouth opening and closing a few times.
“What?”
I shrug. “You’ve been in here for, what, two weeks almost? She hasn’t mentioned you even once. She’s been too busy spending time with me, and, you know—” I wink, “doing things that are far beyond your imagination.”
It’s not a lie. It’s not my fault he immediately thought of inappropriate things. We killed people together, and we’re bound to each other for a while. I love seeing him get angrier and angrier.
I didn’t think this day could get better, but he dares to snarl at me, and it instantly lifts up my mood.
“You fucking bastard,” he hisses and stands up. He’s restrained, and the chains are short. He can’t reach me, but it doesn’t stop him from trying his best to break free. His wrists are red from the tight cuffs, and I keep wondering if I should just break his wrists and ankles to save myself from future trouble.
“If you so much as dare to lay your filthy hands on her, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” I interrupt and inch closer to him. “Is that a threat? My, my, how arrogantly bold of you. Tell me, what exactly are you going to do? I’m bursting with excitement to find out.”
“You say I’m arrogant, but you know damn well that Noelle is using you and that she won’t hesitate to toss you aside the moment you prove to be useless.”
“Are you worried that it’s exactly what is happening to you right now? She’s not looking for you because you’re useless to her? I mean, I did hear she’s looking for a way to break her engagement off, so you’re not too far off.”
He smirks. “She can’t do that. It’ll be a major blow for her family and in case you’ve forgotten, her family is the most important thing to her.”
“That’s true.” I shrug. “But if I killed you and burned your body right now, she’d be free of you, so I don’t think you’re actually thinking this situation through.”
Dylan sits back down and leans against the wall. “Do it, then.”
He really pisses me off.
I want nothing more than to see his blood smeared against these concrete walls, but I refrain from doing so. He’s deliberately avoiding the topic of the bullets, thinking I didn’t notice it.
Right now, all I have are suspicions and a gut feeling. It’s not enough to tell Noelle. It is enough to tell me that he’s panicking. He’s avoiding the subject because he knows something.
I can’t afford to kill him until he spills the beans. Given his personality, it will take a while for him to completely break without having to torture him. Torturing him could be the solution but if he pisses me off, I doubt I’ll be able to turn a blind eye. I’ll most likely end up killing him.
I sigh, and my phone buzzes.
The man I put to tail Noelle sent me her location, and I grin widely, then turn to look at Dylan.
“I’ll be going on a date with your fiancé now. Sleep tight, buddy.”
He screams profanities at me, and it makes me grin. His angry voice reaches the top of the stairs before I shut the door and lock it, throwing the key inside of my pocket.
Instead of taking my bike, I decide on one of the cars from the garage. It’s too risky as Noelle has seen my bike. I need to stay in the shadows and see what she’s up to and who she is with.
She’s far from her apartment. It’s in a better part of the city, but still an hour away. The bar is small, and my plan is immediately ruined. The glass is dark; I can’t watch from the outside.
I throw on a beanie and stroll inside, praying she doesn’t catch me.
Even the interior is dark, the lights dim with some band playing like their life depends on it. The only available spot is at the bar, and I take a seat, ordering some appetizers with the best scotch they have.
Across from me is a mirrored shelf. It gives me a clear view of everyone behind me, and it doesn’t take me long to spot Noelle.
She stands out, even in the darkest of places. Her brows are narrowed, and her hair falls down her back perfectly. Her short dress rises up as she crosses her legs, the leather boots reaching just above her knee.
But who the fuck is that man sitting across from her?
He’s holding her hand.
He is holding her fucking hand.
I squeeze the glass in my hand, nearly shattering it to pieces. Anger slowly builds inside of me, and I can’t understand why, but one thing is evident. Seeing Noelle with this motherfucker is rather unsettling.
He’s stroking the back of her hand, and she doesn’t mind.
Is he another one of her affair partners?
I’ve never run across him during the research I did on her. His face is unknown, too. He has a bag filled with papers inside, and he’s slowly showing them to her. I’m pissed because I can’t hear them over the music and can’t see what the papers say.
I lower my head when he stands from the table and comes to stand next to me, paying his bill. His eyes are on the bartender, who gives him the receipt. The man hands over a card and waits patiently.
My head rises slightly, only to notice that the bag is with Noelle and she’s leaving.
“You’re too obvious,” the man next to me says, and I snap my head in his direction. “At least try to disguise yourself.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“No one important.” He takes his card back and looks at me. “She noticed you, too.”
With that, he leaves me, and a bitter laugh slips my lips.
The motherfucker is too damn bold for my liking. He doesn’t glance back as he leaves, and I don’t see where he’s headed. If he’s going home with her, I’ll just have to kill him tonight. It shouldn’t be difficult.
However, knowing Noelle and her damned personality, she’ll throw quite a fit.
“I guess I’ll need to find a bigger basement.”
With a chuckle, I finish the drink and food before leaving the place. Noelle isn’t anywhere in sight, which is both good and bad. Who knows what she has planned for me now that she knows I’ve been following her every move?
She’ll be pestering me and screaming at me a lot more.
Somehow, I’m eager to see the expressions on her face when she’s filled with rage. It’s the most adorable sight.
It makes this whole fucked-up situation worth my time.