Tommy
Ipull up at home after running for hours at school. I rev the engine once, letting everyone know I’m home. I’m tired, grumpy, and need a beer.
As the sun dips into the horizon, casting a red glow across the sky, I gaze at my reflection in the window. A knot forms in my stomach as I take in the face staring back at me—one I barely recognize anymore.
They ruled the fire as an accident via a circuit breaker in the utility room. The university will not entertain any rumors about Shadowface, calling it once again an unfortunate accident.
I’m officially an arsonist.
A couple of cars pull up behind me, and I remember that Talia is throwing a party tonight. Taking a deep breath, I pull out what’s left of my cocaine and snort it. Wiping my nose, I blast Aerosmith, letting the drug do its thing.
It’s been a slippery slope with this shit after Remy introduced it to me in high school. I haven’t been able to stop, nor have I wanted to. It helps turn it all off, and it’s also the only way I can feel anything.
From the outside, we live a perfect life of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. The life Talia created for us. Attending Kinsmen helps us hide in plain sight, but none of it matters. Everything we do outside of the Order is a facade.
The Order is all that matters.
“Hey, Tommy, you coming?” Someone pounds on my window as they walk by, though I have no clue who it is. I wonder if they know they are about to party with the killers.
I sigh and head outside, staring up at the massive estate I live in with Talia and Remy.
Bax stays here a lot, too. I’m pretty sure Bax is Talia’s favorite.
The Vital family has owned this old Victorian house for generations and was gifted to Talia once she became a full member of the Order after she brutally slaughtered Daniel.
Creed IV: Each member must sacrifice their one true love.
I head to the fire, where a few people are already gathered. I have a ton of studying to do, but that means nothing to Talia. She lives by her own rules and spits in the face of authority.
I spot Talia at the fire, sitting next to Bax and Remy on a blanket with her legs crossed, the flames dancing around her. A flower headband crowns her head, and her dress has flared sleeves, and beads flow freely down her neck and slim torso. She’s stunning.
She sways back and forth with deadly darkness, and just seeing her reminds me that everything has changed. I sit across from her and run my hand through my shaggy hair.
When I open my eyes, I find Talia is watching me across the fire and seems to bleed into the night. She gives me a little wave.
She’s watching me the same way she used to, back when I was her conquest. Almost like she needs to hunt me all over again.
Talia Vital is a pure predator.
I haven’t spoken to her since the other night at Rollerland. I’m not sure where I stand with her now. Didi’s sudden reappearance after all this time has brought all my buried feelings flooding back, and I’ve been avoiding everyone.
After getting back from Rollerland, I was so angry that I punched a hole in my wall and stayed in my room for the rest of the night.
I push my way around the fire and take my place next to her. She curls her legs beside me and settles in while I rest my hand on the ground behind her.
Someone across from us plays the guitar, and eventually, she leans her head on my shoulder. Her breath is calming as my heart adjusts to the drugs.
“I missed you,” she says, and I hear the slur in her voice.
I turn and kiss the top of her head. Her pupils are delirious—radiant pools of darkness.
A smile hints at my lips. “I missed you, too. Can we talk?”
She hands me a cup—a mixed drink inside that smells like whiskey. “Here, Tommy, drink this and don’t worry your pretty head about anything tonight.”
“Talia…” I warn.
She smiles sweetly and runs her hand along my arm. “Seriously, Tommy. Relax. Tonight is a celebration. We can discuss our issues later.”
She squeezes my knee and runs her hand up my thigh before pushing herself up and sauntering off into the darkness.
I swallow hard and take a sip, drinking the burning liquid down in two gulps, and nearly spit it out.
It’s putrid.
Shit…what the hell did I ingest?
Acid…Talia gave me acid. Which means she probably spiked the entire party.
I tilt backward as heat touches my face, preparing myself for the ride. I was doomed before I even got home.
Despite worshiping chaos, Talia meticulously calculates everything she does, and the way she is with me is no different. I’m a means to an end. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t turn me on.
I sometimes wonder what caused the depths of Talia’s darkness, or if her behavior simply stems from being drunk on power.
Most members kill when they have to, but Talia’s mission is different.
She wants to expose the darkness in everyone, and she won’t stop.
Killing is just one part of it. Her scars run deep, fueling an obsession that even Remy may not fully understand.
“Hey, man,” Bax says, nudging me and hands me the guitar. “Play for us, dude.” He’s blasted and out of his mind already. I grab the guitar out of his hand and begin strumming mindlessly.
I glance over at Remy with Lucy curled up next to him. He’s not paying attention to her. He’s staring into the fire with a dark expression, sweltering in his leather.
Talia pushed those two together after Didi died, though they aren’t actually together. He’s studying to be a lawyer, and she’s the housemaid. He’ll fuck the living daylights out of her, but he’ll never love her.
We haven’t spoken since Rollerland. I don’t know how to talk to him about Didi arising from the dead.
As mad at Talia is at me for lying, I can’t imagine the rage of betrayal between her and Remy. But sibling spats aren’t my damn problem.
I pull out a smoke and light it, letting it hang down my lips and cross my legs in front of me as more people show up by the minute. I pull a deep drag and when it’s done, I flick the butt into the fire and get ready to play.
As I do, a sensation hits my face—my vision blurs at the edges. The tingle runs down to my fingers and my toes. My acid trip is kicking in, and since I have no idea how much Talia gave me, I get ready for the ride of my life.
I grab the guitar, close my eyes, and play a few songs along with the crackling of the fire. I play fan favorites, like Hotel California, then Stairway to Heaven, and I can feel the energy of the group shift as I sing. The early part of my trip helps me let go.
Across the fire, a light flickers in the dark. I drop my guitar, and Didi stares at me, her beautiful eyes widening as we meet each other’s gaze. Her dark wig falls just above her shoulders.
I rise and walk over to her, and I half expect her to dash away. She wraps her arms around herself as I approach, and I rake my gaze over her body of pure perfection, and my insides turn to pudding.
Damn, I’m screwed. I’m crazy about her. My feelings for her were getting real before she was ripped away from me.
“What are you doing here, Didi?” I ask her.
She takes a sharp breath. “I was invited.”
My jaw tightens as I look around and realize the trees have branches that reach out to me. Everything here is a death trap. “You should go… You shouldn’t be here.”
She purses her lips. “Why would I do that, Tommy?” She says my name with an edge.
I cross my arms and flex my muscles. “Because I know you, and this isn’t a place for you. If you want to talk, meet me tomorrow.” She won’t be able to handle what Talia has in store for her tonight.
She pauses, her angelic features unflinching. “I don’t want to talk to you. Believe it or not, I didn’t come here for you.”
Damn. I thought Talia’s eyes were cutting, but nothing could prepare me for the look I’m getting from Didi right now. She’s hardened, and unbelievably sexy. I barely recognize the shy, innocent girl she was only a few months ago.
“Fuck, firefly,” I whisper, grabbing her hands with mine. “Just turn around and go.”
The trees behind her start to shift and morph, and in a few minutes, I’m not even sure I’ll remember my name.
“Tommy, she just got here,” Talia says, walking up and linking arms with Didi. She glares at me. “That’s no way to speak to a guest.” The two girls give me matching cat-eye glares, their eyelashes incredible…and I’m left speechless, watching them side-by-side.
Double damn.
Didi shoots her eyes up to Talia and gives a tentative smile. These two girls are going to be the death of me.
“Come on, Diana,” Talia says. “I’ll show you around our home.”
Talia flashes me a smile, and Didi gives me a vacant stare that nearly kills me. Her eyes aren’t empty; they hold so much unspoken emotion and depth. There’s a lot she’s not telling me.
Everything about what we were is broken, but it’s not over.
It was never over.
After Didi turns around, Talia looks at me.
“What are you doing, Talia?” I ask, resting my hands on her hips.
She gives me a feline grin and kisses my cheek, nibbles on my ear and whispers, “Who doesn’t love a sexy little sacrifice?”