Chapter 3
The cabin was two levels and unnecessarily huge. The expansive main floor housed a formal dining area, large kitchen, living room, office, and powder room. The upstairs had four bedrooms, each with its own en suite.
Were they hiding a small army? The house looked homey, like someone lived there. “Who lives here?” Rory asked Sam, who was still brooding as he tromped through the house.
“It is a safe house. Why do you keep asking questions we have already answered?” The sharp tone he used was unnecessary.
She halted and grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to face her. “If you think I’m so vile, then reassign yourself. It’s clear you have the power.”
His shoulders slumped a fraction, and the uncharacteristic action startled her. “I do not think you are vile.” He scrubbed a large hand over his face. “I apologize for taking my anger out on you.”
She tried not to laugh at the pained expression on his face. You’d think he had never apologized in his entire life. “Forgiven.”
His lips lifted into an almost smile before he turned and led her to the main level. Dume, her father, and Lauren sat around the large dining room table, arguing in a hushed whisper, but when Rory and Sam appeared in the doorway, they stopped abruptly.
“What’s going on?” she asked, holding her breath. Another surprise might do her in.
“We’re discussing living arrangements,” Lauren replied and motioned between herself and Sam. “One of us must stay with you at all times.”
“I thought I was free.” She looked between the two strangers. “I understand following me during the day, but why do I need guards living with me?”
They traded a look that made her uneasy. “If people hear of your release, it will not be received well,” Sam replied. “It is for your protection.”
Rory popped a brow. “I killed fourteen people. I think I can handle myself.”
Dume and Patrick blanched, but Lauren’s mouth curled into a feline smile.
“The charges were for thirteen,” Dume said with obvious unease.
Rory shifted uncomfortably. No one knew about the first victim she’d left dead in an alley. “That’s what I meant.”
Their silence cut her to the bone. They could say it didn’t bother them all they wanted, but it did.
Sam’s voice cut through the quiet. “Your protection is the most important thing. It is not up for debate. Lauren and I will take turns. There are plenty of bedrooms.”
He left no room for argument, and she bit her tongue, deciding to pick her battles.
“We’re staying here, too,” Dume said, crossing his arms across his wide chest.
She whirled around to him and her father. “You can’t do that. You both have jobs in the city.”
The area was secluded enough that she knew the city wasn’t within walking distance, and neither Dume nor her father had a vehicle.
Dume shrugged. “Patrick bought a truck, and we’ve agreed to switch out using it.”
Her father was quiet, and Rory resisted the urge to glance his way. Did he really want to stay? As if reading her thoughts, he said, “I work the night shift now. I’ll stay with you during the day, though I will sleep most of it.”
The night shift? Her father was a vet, and veterinarians didn’t have night shifts. She didn’t want them altering their lives for her. “No.”
They stared at her as she shook her head. “My return will not disrupt your lives. I have these two to protect me.” She tipped her head to the two guards. “Besides, no one will know I’ve returned, remember?”
Dume opened his mouth to argue, but she held up a hand. “This is not up for debate. I’ll still meet the group for drinks,” she promised. “But we should probably choose a new spot.”
Her father looked up with a stern expression. “Aurora Raven, I am staying here, and that’s final.”
Rory bit back a smile. Turning to Dume, she said, “I’d like to see Kordie and Keith soon.” If they really wanted to see her. “Can you three pick a new spot? Preferably one where no one will recognize me.”
“Many people lobbied for your release,” Dume said. “Not everyone is afraid of you.”
“What does that mean?” she asked cautiously. Lobbied for her release?
“Sera organizes protests,” he said, smiling to himself. “And the other people you saved speak to anyone who will listen.”
Rory licked her suddenly dry lips as she processed the information. Her eyes burned at the thought. “Who is Sera?”
“A person you saved,” Sam said, making her jump a foot in the air. How did someone that large move around that quietly?
“Can you not yell?” she snipped over her shoulder. “Your voice sounds like a megaphone.” He scowled at her. “You know this Sera person?”
“Sam showed up at Whiplash a couple of months back,” Dume interjected. “Sera found us there, too, and demanded our help to clear your name.”
Rory studied the behemoth beside her. “Why would you find my friends?”
His eyes flicked to Lauren before returning to her. “That is none of your concern.”
“Bullshit,” she bit out. “Tell me, or I will cut your hair in your sleep.” Was the threat immature? Yes. Would she still do it? Also, yes.
Sam’s jaw hardened. “I would like to see you try.”
“Stop fighting, you two.” Lauren butted in and then muttered, “Some things never change.” She directed her next statement at Dume. “You need to keep holding the protests.”
Rory turned to her. “Why? I’m free.”
“No one can know you’ve been released,” the guard reminded her. “If the protests stop, people will wonder why.”
Rory threw her hands up. “I can’t stay here twenty-four seven. I’ll go crazy.”
“We know,” Lauren said, looking bored. “One of us will go with you.”
Rory waved her hand over her face. “I’m pretty sure people will recognize me, and I refuse to take shapeshifting potions every time I leave the house. I can take care of myself, and if I can’t, you two will be there.”
“Wear a hat,” Sam said flatly. “Everyone thinks The Butcher is in Vincula. Say you are a cousin.”
Dume nodded. “He’s right. Your sentence has been all anyone can talk about.”
She blew out a long breath. “Fine.”
“I’m hungry,” Lauren said out of nowhere and pulled her phone from her pocket. “I’m ordering food.”
“I can go pick it up,” Patrick offered, standing.
Rory eyed Sam’s large body. “Dume, you should go too. I think it’ll take two grown men to carry it all.”
Everyone sat around the table eating and catching Rory up on everything she’d missed over the past three months, but she barely heard them. Her mind raced, wondering why she was released early and obsessing over her missing memories.
Lauren insisted Vincula was not the horrid place everyone believed it to be. Had Rory been happy there? Did she make friends, or was she ostracized?
The black hole in her memory was unsettling and bothered her more than she wanted to admit to the others.
Lauren sat beside her, quieter than the other three, and after glancing at Rory, pushed her chair back and stood. “It’s time for you to leave,” she said to Dume. “Rory had a long day and needs to rest.”
Rory looked at Lauren, silently thanking her. It was strange. She’d been gone for three months, but she didn’t miss her friends. In her mind, she had seen them earlier that day, not three months ago, and it only added to her distress.
She was relieved they didn’t hate her, but she needed space. Guilt nibbled at the edge of her mind. Her memory might be flawed, but theirs weren’t. They dealt with her absence and the fallout of her crimes. Were they mistreated for associating with her?
Dume didn’t argue, and he approached her with a big hug and whispered, “I’m glad you’re home.”
Home. She didn’t feel at home. “Me too,” she lied, hugging him back.
Her father patted her on the shoulder. “I’m headed to work. I figure you could use some time for yourself.”
Rory hugged him. “Thank you for still loving me,” she murmured.
“Your mother isn’t the only one who loves you, no matter what.” He kissed the top of her head and left.
“Can I speak with Rory privately?” Dume asked the two guards, who nodded and stepped outside.
Rory fought the urge to fidget. “Dume, I—”
“Don’t,” he cut in. “I don’t need your apologies, but I owe you mine.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat, wondering what he had to apologize for.
“I should have known.” His voice was pained, and she hated it. “I’ve known you almost my entire life, and I should have questioned your motives from the beginning. I couldn’t believe you’d do something like that, and I kept telling myself it wasn’t true.”
Humiliation colored her cheeks because it was true.
“I know you, Rory, and I know you wouldn’t kill someone without reason,” he asserted. “That you actually had a reason never occurred to me until Sera.”
“I never expected you to second guess my crimes,” she replied. “No one looks at a serial killer and thinks they have rational thoughts, and even though I believe I did the realm a favor, it doesn’t make my actions any less heinous.”
“But I should have,” he argued. “I should have known. I’m sorry.”
She reached forward and placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t; it will only make me feel worse.”
“Keith thinks you’re a supermystic, you know.” Dume rolled his eyes, but his mouth curled into a half-smile.
Rory busted out laughing, and her chest warmed at the thought of her friend. “Keith is an idiot.”
Dume’s smile spread across his face. “That we can agree on. I’m going to let you rest, but I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Rory gave him one last hug and watched him leave. The moment he stepped through the door, Lauren and Sam filed back inside.
She sighed and forced a smile. “Take me to my cell, please. I’m beat.”
Sam was closest to her, and his hand moved like he wanted to reach out. “I must leave, but I will return in a few days.” He nodded briefly, not waiting for a reply, and left without a word.
Rory blinked, impressed with how fast he moved. “You’ll get used to it,” Lauren said, breaking her trance. “Come on. I’ll show you your room.”