Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
LILITH
My aunt opens the door before I can even get out of the Uber.
She rushes straight to me and throws her arms around my body.
I cringe from the contact, but let her hold me.
It hurts, especially my arm where I’ve been cut but I won’t tell her to stop.
I can’t remember the last time she hugged me like this.
Actually, that’s a lie; I do remember. It was when I lost my mother—but even so, that’s hardly a memory.
When she finally pulls back, her eyes bore into mine.
“Your father called. Arlo told him what happened. Are you okay?”
“Well, I’m alive.”
She rubs my arm, and I flinch. She pulls up my sleeve, sees the bandage, and gasps. “What did they do?” she asks worriedly.
I don’t know if I should tell her. It’s probably not the smartest thing to do, considering that her first love died in the same type of Hunt I was in last night.
I’m pretty sure I’m not even supposed to know where the Hunt takes place, but I can’t forget that location because it’s burned into my mind.
“I—” The explanation freezes on the tip of my tongue. I’m unsure if telling her might put her in danger, which is the last thing I want to do.
“Don’t tell me. It’s fine. I get it. But please, tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m good,” I assure her. “What did Dad say?”
She clasps her hand around mine and pulls me into the house. It’s getting late, and the sun is starting to set. I didn’t think I could be more tired than last night, but somehow, I am.
“He told me to grab you and take you as far away from this place and from those men as possible.” She shuts the front door behind me and locks it. I see a gun sitting on the table next to the door, and I cringe.
I held one like it in the forest.
“It’s for protection,” she says when she notices me eyeing the weapon.
“You’d use it?”
“To protect you, you bet your bottom dollar I would.” She nods with assurance. “Now, come in and let me feed you. You look sick.”
“I’m tired. Do you think you can drive me home?”
“Where is your car?” she asks. “You came in an Uber.”
“I didn’t want to worry you, but I need to buy a new car. Mine… broke down.” I shrug.
“Why do I feel like you’re lying?” Linda shakes her head. “It’s fine. You tell me what you are comfortable telling me, and that’s it. I’ll take whatever you give me.” I feel bad all of a sudden. “By the way, your ex came around today looking for you.”
I freeze at the information, my brows drawing together solidly. “Deven came here?”
“Vile creature, that one. When I told him to get lost, he sneered at me and said I was trash. That’s why you weren’t allowed to see me.”
“I’m sorry. He’s the trash.”
“Yeah, I know that.”
She smiles, goes to her bedroom, and comes out with her keys.
“Please, stay, just for a night. You look tired, and I want to make sure you’re safe.” A part of me wants to go home, while the other wants to sleep. “The bed is made. I’ll take you home tomorrow.”
I nod at her words, and before I know it, the next morning, she’s at my door when I open my eyes. “What would you like to eat?”
“Nothing. But thank you.”
Her cell starts ringing, and she smiles at me when she sees who it is. “It’s your father.”
“Don’t tell him I’m here. Tell him I’m at home and that I am safe.”
“You don’t want to speak to him?”
“No.” My head is too muddled to deal with him on top of everything else.
I just want to be home.
She puts the call on speakerphone, and I hear my dad ask, “Linda, have you heard from her?”
“Yes, Keenan, she’s home and safe.” She winks at me.
“She’s safe?” He sounds almost relieved. “You’ll keep a close eye on her for me?”
“Yes, I’m going back to see her soon. Just grabbing her some food.”
“Why doesn’t she have any food?” he asks in a panic.
Linda looks at me with wide eyes. “Oh, she does. She wanted some soup.”
“Does she not have soup at home?”
“Keenan, do you want me to give her a message, or would you like to interrogate me?” She huffs, and I manage a faint smile.
He sighs, and I can tell how much they love each other. He told her they’d stick together through thick and thin, and I’m not sure many other family members would do that. Even though my relationship with her is still rocky, I can clearly tell she loves me.
“Just tell her to visit me, please. I need to speak to her.”
“Will do,” she says before they say their goodbyes and hang up. “Let’s go. Do you need anything before I take you home?”
“I need something to break into my place… I don’t have my keys.”
“Do I want to know why?” I shake my head, averting my gaze. “Okay, well, I’m sure I can break in. I’ve done it once or twice before.” She winks.
“Excuse you?”
“What? Before I took you in, I was a bit of a rebel. It’s why I fell for Tuck so hard,” she says in a soft voice. “Anyway, let’s go and break into your place.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
* * *
My cell rings a few times on the car ride to my place, but I don’t have the energy to deal with anyone right now.
I need to be holed up in my room for a long while and not leave.
I’ll have to call into work and say I’m sick, which they may fire me for because I haven’t had the job for long, and it’s not like I can continue with my subscription service selling videos and photos right now since Reon got it taken down.
But I’m willing to take my chances. It’s not like I need the money to pay for the apartment—it’s already paid off—but I do need money for everyday things.
“How is Reon? That’s his name, right?” Linda asks.
I turn my head toward her and shake it. I don’t want to talk about Reon right now because even though I never said anything before I left his apartment earlier, I remember him calling me his wife.
I don’t recall marrying him. But that’s not to say he didn’t drug me somewhere along the way and force me to marry him that night after our dinner.
I don’t even remember getting home. I don’t have a ring, and I don’t remember signing any legal documents.
But for some reason, I feel not even that would stop him.
Reon is used to getting his way, and I doubt something like my consent would even make him pause for more than half a second.
“I’m going to drop you off, then I’m going to do my grocery shopping. While I’m there, I will grab you some of your favorites. Is that fine?”
“I plan to sleep.”
“I can always break back in.” She grins mischievously.
“I’d like some cherry cola, please.”
We pull up to my building and get out of the car.
She walks with me, and when we get to my door, she slides a credit card between the door and the jamb then jiggles it a few times before pulling out a small kit.
I lean against the wall while she plays with the lock, and when she finally opens it, she whoops loudly.
“Okay, you go in and relax. I’ll be back later. It’s getting late. Are you sure you don’t want me to get you dinner?”
“No, I just want to shower, put clean underwear on, curl up into a ball, and sleep.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Linda softly touches my face before she walks out the door and shuts it carefully behind her.
“So, you do have other family.” I jump at the sound of a voice in what should be an empty apartment. Soren walks out of my bedroom with something in his hand. My heart starts beating frantically at the sight of him. I sidestep until I enter the kitchen and lunge toward the knife drawer.
He watches me and shakes his head. “I’d suggest not doing that,” he says.
“Do you think I’m afraid of hurting you?” I ask as I grab the sharpest knife I can see and point it at him. “I would gladly slice you open and sit down and have a cup of coffee while you bleed out. You fucking… sick… pig.”
“Is that any way to speak to your husband’s friend?” I then notice that he’s holding the invitation he gave me.
“Just cleaning up evidence since, you know, you didn’t die.” He shrugs. “A shame. The forest would have loved your blood spilled over its floor.”
“Hmm… since I know where it is, I wonder how hard it would be to get your sister out there. Maybe I could play a game with her?” I taunt, stepping closer to him. He doesn’t move away from me—he isn’t scared of me—and I wonder if Soren is scared of anything.
“If you do, I’ll be forced to play with Reon,” he counters.
“You could try. I mean… I think you already did, if I recall correctly.” I shrug. I thrust the knife in his direction, and he jumps back just in time so it doesn’t cut him.
“I can see the appeal for him. You are both the same kind of crazy.”
“You’ll be seeing the appeal soon with this knife in your fucking ass if you don’t leave soon.”
A knock sounds on the door, and we both turn our heads in that direction.
“Leave,” I hiss.
The knock comes again.
Soren walks to the door and pulls it open. When he does, I see Deven standing there.
“Fucking hell, Deven, how did you find out where I live?”
“And who are you?” Soren drawls.
“The husband,” Deven says with clenched teeth.
Soren looks back at me and raises a brow. “Guess I’ll have to do some digging of my own now, won’t I? Two husbands. That’s interesting.”
“Ex. He is my ex-husband,” I say, glaring at Deven.
He notices the knife in my hand and shakes his head. “Do you want to stab every man you come into contact with, Lil?”
“No, just the two in my vicinity right now,” I growl. “Both of you, leave.”
“Lil, we can sort this out,” Deven whines.
“No, we cannot. Stop stalking me, and go find your baby momma.” I turn to Soren and warn, “If I see you again, I will keep my promise and play with your sister.”
“Play with his sister? Lil, you can’t babysit. You hate kids.”
“Fuck off, Deven!” I scream.
Soren steps past Deven and nods to me with a deadly smirk. I walk over to the door, not letting go of the knife, and go to slam it shut, but Deven blocks it with his foot.
“You look bad, Lil. This divorce has done me bad, too. Come on, let’s get back together. We can work it out.”
“Are you really that dumb? Do you honestly think I am that dumb that I would go back to you?” I wave the knife up and down his body.
“You”—I point the knife at him—are boring and so beige that I always thought about killing you, but I stayed because I thought it was the right thing to do.
It wasn’t. You sucked in bed. Hell, you sucked out of it.
Now, leave and stop stalking me. Don’t go to my auntie’s or anywhere I am. We ended, and I’m remarried.”
“Yeah? So, where is your husband?”
“Here.” A low growl comes from behind him. We both turn at the same time to see a glassy-eyed Reon striding down the hall. When he reaches my door, he pushes Deven easily out of the way and steps inside.
“Him? The one you fucked at our house. Really?” Deven says, shocked.
Reon slams the door in his face and then turns to me. He spots the knife in my hand, takes it from me, and throws it toward the kitchen.
“Miss me, Caterpillar?”
“No,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You do realize who you’re talking to, right?”
“Yes.”
“Who? And answer correctly, or I’ll spank it out of you.” His words send shivers over me.
“A man,” I say.
His jaw tics, and he shakes his head. “Who?” he asks again, gently grabbing my chin and lifting my face until I’m looking him dead in the eye.
“You are talking to your husband… your very rich and powerful husband, who just so happens to have bought you a new car and a new closet full of clothes. Now, move in with me.”
“No,” I categorically state, stepping out of his reach. His touch is magical and will infect me. It will get me to agree to anything Reon wants easily. I have to stay away.
“Who are you talking to?” he asks, advancing on me.
“My fake husband.” I smile. “Or better yet, the man I can make drop to his knees before me.”
“Oh, yes, for you, I’m a begging man. For you, I’m a pleaser. Only for you, Caterpillar,” he croons, then he drops to his knees.
My eyes widen. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not enough to get you out of my fucking head, that’s for sure.”
“Good,” I reply, then turn on my heel, walk straight into my bedroom, and go to bed.