Beautifully Twisted (Devoted In Darkness #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

LOLA

I'm frozen, trapped behind bushes that meet an old, small shack near the diner, just back from the side of the road.

But something else claws at me.

It makes me bleed acid and fire.

And I stay, unable to move.

What if they catch me?

I hold my phone like a dubious lifeline as I try to listen to Enzo and Cade, trying not to breathe.

I don't want them to see me.

I can't let him get me.

They move off.

I try to move, to calculate the viability of reaching Enzo's car before he and Cade return. Before I'm caught.

Maybe I could make it.

Adrenaline is up, pounding hard in my pulse points, a drumbeat against my skull. Everything in me is stretched taut.

Maybe I could reach the car before I'm seen. Maybe he left the keys in the ignition, and I can slam the door shut and take off.

But what are the chances?

I don't know if the keys are there.

I don't know if he has a gun and would shoot.

Would he?

I don't know. I don't know a thing. I don't know him. Not like I thought I did.

Pervert. Stalker. Dangerous. Gangster.

The words won't stop and grow louder with every breath.

Go, go.

He can't find us. That app he hid on my phone, the one to track me, I disabled everything. Dumped the lot.

The asshole didn't even try to hide it too deep. Because he probably didn't think I'd know what I was doing.

Still.

As soon as I can, I'll get a burner.

Just in case.

The thing is, he and his friend are genius hackers. I'm not at that level, obviously, but I'm smart, and I can utilize my knowledge as best as I can...

Right now, the phone is fine. Later? I don't know, and I'm not willing to take that risk.

Shit.

Is Lyndall okay?

The scary man didn't seem to care that much about her, she seemed to be collateral damage, extra insurance, and all he has. And I've seen him.

He had to be mafia. Which would mean Lyndall's name should protect her.

Right?

Damn, I pray so.

I try to gulp down the lump that's growing, try to settle the burn in my chest and numbness in my extremities.

At first, when it became clear I couldn't catch the car with Lyndall locked away in it, I thought everything in my world had crashed.

That Enzo's words were all true...someone was after me...

Only, I let them snatch his innocent little sister.

And then, as fear swept through me for Lyndall, for Alex, I called him.

But there is no Alex.

I hang on to that.

It makes the anger rise, and anger is more useful than fear.

There's no Alex.

Or...what if Enzo got him?

But...me being in Enzo's dad's townhouse? Alex encouraging me to sleep with Enzo?

No, Alex and Enzo are the same person, and it makes my anger flare higher and hotter.

"What the fuck, Enzo?" Cade says, his voice suddenly way too close. "This makes Cancun look like cake."

Cancun? What is he talking about?

Enzo growls. "Leave Cancun out of this. Okay?"

It must mean something. Big, ugly, highly illegal, I'm sure.

"You're the one who couldn't do things the right way."

"Pots and fucking kettles, Cade."

"Vi's not applicable," his friend snaps. "Let me check out my car, and you can tell me your plan."

The blood drains from me as they move off, bickering, but behind that bicker is something else. Stress, fear, concern, and from Enzo, a darkness I put down as anger.

Clearly, they're looking for me, for us, for clues.

Maybe he'll think we're both gone—taken.

But that's not why the blood drains.

If Cade is checking out his car, then the keys from the rental in my bag are useless.

I'd hoped to get in the car and drive off before they arrived, but I spent too long after somewhat recovering from the news about Alex's identity, too long standing here, trying to get my numb mind into the game.

I could have jumped in the car and taken off after Lyndall. But what would that have accomplished? We'd both be taken. And maybe that's what got her killed? Myself?

Or I could have driven off, put distance between me and Enzo before he turned up like I knew he would.

Except I'd been expecting a good man to show up...not the man with the gun, and certainly not my sick stalker.

I clamp down on a sob.

It's my fault. That's clear.

My fault someone took Lyndall. After all, I convinced Lyndall to come with me. But how could I leave the girl with a stalker, even if that man was her brother?

I don't think he'd do anything untoward, but...what if he hurt her, used her as leverage?

No, I had to get her to come with me.

I just didn't know Alex didn't exist.

Like I didn't know a stranger with a gun would show up.

But what was I meant to do? I had no one to turn to.

Apart from Alex.

Who was also Enzo...

My head pounds, and my stomach heaves.

Pretending to be someone else makes him even more unhinged than I ever thought.

It was bad enough to discover Enzo was stalking me. And now this discovery...that he's Alex, makes it all so much worse.

Who does that?

Who pretends to be someone else to infiltrate another person's life? My life?

God, all the things I told Alex, the way I bared myself to him figuratively and literally makes me hate him with a passion that tightens my guts and makes my blood sing.

I trusted Alex.

Trusted him.

And he betrayed me by being fucking Enzo.

Finally, the car doors slam, and they drive off.

One car. Then the other.

I breathe out something like relief and give in to the shaking, going from crouch to sag on the ground in seconds.

For a few minutes, I draw my legs up and bury my face against them, wrapping my arms around my knees.

"Shit," I whisper. "Shit. What do I do?"

A bird calls out, and cars go by on the road.

There isn't as much traffic as I thought there would be, but then again, that's why I chose this place.

Because Harry's has a look of safety, but it's a 'looks can deceive' thing. It's slightly isolated this time of day, this time of year.

And I was stupid, desperate, and fell for someone I thought was real.

Alex.

Enzo. Because like it or not, I fell for him.

And I couldn't even blame this on Enzo because whoever it was that called me pretending to be Alex had clearly hacked the number Enzo had been using for Alex.

I'd laugh, except there's nothing funny about this situation.

Fuck him.

Bitterness coats my tongue, and panic beats inside.

I need help.

But I don't know many people.

Ruby's out of the question. She's a good person. And she's so far removed from this wild and dangerous world I'm not dragging her into it. Let her think the CEO of the company is just some hot business guy who will, no doubt, breeze out of the business sooner rather than later.

I don't know his plans for Barwon, or even if he has any, and right now I don't have the bandwidth to think about that.

Enzo is also out of the question, obviously.

If I go to the cops, then I'm in trouble. I'll be dragged in, made to give statements.

Though that's the smartest choice for anyone else in the world, it isn't for me.

The police are, at best, problematic and, at worst, a way to get a price on my head.

My real name will come up.

And someone in the police station is going to be on the mob payroll.

There are a lot of crime families in New York, but among the Polish, Italian, and Russians, a small handful of families hold major clout.

Marino is one of them.

Even I know not to mess with the Marinos.

Besides, even if nothing comes down on me with a visit to the cops, my name will end me getting work.

And I don't mean Lourdes.

This time, I mean Lola.

Fuck, I know that's not true. I'm done in New York under either name now, too. Even if I don't go to the law. Because Enzo knows me.

I have to disappear.

But not until I do things as right as I can by Lyndall.

I'm going to have to call the last person who might be able to help.

Silas.

I'm not a fool. I don't think Silas is about to help me or is on my side. If he knows Alex, then chances are he knows Alex is Enzo.

Chances? He must know.

But honestly, I don't care.

At this point, I don't even care if he happens to be Simon.

I'm not calling him for the kind of help that means trusting him or even seeing him.

Nope, I want to do my part for Lyndall.

I don't know how cell phones work in regard to hardcore tracking, so I promise myself to keep it short and sweet.

I find his number and press call.

He answers immediately. "Lola? Where are you—"

"Silas—"

"Listen to me. You need my help. Don't ask me how I know, I just—"

"I'm not playing that game. You listen to me. Lyndall has been kidnapped, and I know Enzo is Alex."

There's a beat.

A sigh. "Look—"

"No. This is the number plate." I rattle it off with him. "It was white and a sedan, I think. I'm not up on cars, but it wasn't an SUV."

I take a breath to try and relay it as concisely as I can. "He had a gun and forced her into the trunk."

"Are you—"

"I tried to stop it. I tried. But she stepped in, and I couldn't pull her back before the man..."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "He was big, broad, brown hair, needed a shave, but...I don't remember...I just remember the gun."

And I can see it. Big and black and pointed at me.

He keeps his tone calm. "I know you're scared. But I can help. We can—"

"Can you pass that on to Enzo?"

"Look, let me know where you are."

I snort a laugh. "So you can tell Enzo?"

"Damn right. It isn't safe, Lola. He can pick you up and protect you."

"Not happening."

"You know him," Silas says, voice low, "I know that."

"No, I don't. He's a stalker asshole and dangerous." I swallow. "Nothing good will come of me speaking to him right now."

Nothing good will come of me speaking to him ever again.

"You had a shock—"

"Just pass on the information."

And then I disconnect the call.

I drag deep breaths in, horrified and proud of what I just did.

I've cut myself off from help with strings or perhaps a fate worse than death.

And maybe I've saved myself.

Thing is, it's not just Enzo I need to hide from. It's from the man with the gun. Because no matter how I try to twist it, I don't think he had anything to do with Enzo.

All it does is drive home the realization I not only need to run, I also need to disappear.

I have some cash. But I know I need to find an ATM and then get out of here in the opposite direction. As far and fast as I can.

I need wheels, a disguise, maybe. But first, I need to get away from this spot.

So, I start walking toward the town closest to the diner.

There'll be a thrift store, a pharmacy, an ATM. But if I play it all right, I just need to make sure that ATM visit is the last one.

I want a car, but short of stealing one, it'll be as easy to track me by that as it would be by the ATM. Unless I do them both and steal the car.

How long until they call the cops?

Maybe it's best to take public transport. Or better yet, hitchhike.

I make a list of what I'll need, and I think it's my best bet to drain my bank account and hole up somewhere.

What I need are caps, hoodies, sneakers, and jeans. I've got the dress I'm wearing, but that'll have to do for now.

Maybe I could dye my hair red or get a wig.

And then?

Then I need to get as far away from Enzo as possible.