Chapter Fifteen
What the hell were our parents doing? My mind reels with everything we’ve unraveled in the last twenty-four hours as the sound of a door opening down the hall echoes.
Lila is the first to appear. Her liner smeared under her eyes.
Cam trails after her with his shirt inside out, the collar stretched like he lost a fight putting it on.
A slow grin spreads across my face. “Morning, lovebirds. Sleep tight?”
Cam groans. “Don’t.”
Lila cuts me a look sharp enough to stab as she lunges for the coffee pot and pours the black liquid like it’s morphine. She takes a long drink, then eyes me over the rim. “Speaking of missing beds…where were you, Ki?” Ohh, she’s in a mood this morning.
“I was with Sterling. We talked, then passed out.” I arch a brow at them, propping my elbows on the counter. “Good thing, too—someone occupied the guest room.”
Cam lets his forehead fall against the granite with a dull thunk. “Can we skip the play-by-play?”
Deciding to get in a few jabs, Sterling chimes in. “Why skip? It’s been months since Cam entertained company.”
“Fuck. You.” Cam’s words come out muffled against his arms.
Lila doesn’t show an ounce of embarrassment; she never does. She’s always been confident, perfectly content in her own skin. “Okay, enough teasing, Cam. What do we do next?”
Sterling and Cam trade silent looks, having an entire conversation passing between them without a word.
Sterling speaks first. “We keep everything steady. Same tone, just a different meaning. If Wade sniffs any change, we’re all as good as dead.
” Lila and I both nod. “Cam and I will lay the first breadcrumbs, make him believe Asher’s the shadow haunting him.
” Sterling’s locks on mine. “Ki, what was your endgame?”
“I was going to drive him mad, make him question his own sanity, and then end it,” I say, not a shred of remorse in my voice. “He will not survive his.”
No one blinks. Judgment requires a soul, and we left ours in that basement months ago. “Fine,” Sterling says finally. “We table the finale. For now, we sell Asher as Judas.”
“Okay,” Lila and I say together.
Sterling’s next words drop like a blade. “You’re not going back to your dad’s apartment. Either of you. Not tonight, not ever.”
“No, that’s not happening.” I snap. “Dad can’t get into my apartment.”
“He can, and he has,” Sterling says quietly. “I didn’t mention it because, at the time, I didn’t know you were the person we were looking for.” This can’t be real.
“And how would you know that? Stalking much?” I toss him a mischievous grin, letting the accusation curl like smoke between us. Of course, he is. I already knew that, though.
Sterling just smiles, unbothered. “Seriously, you can’t stay at your place, and it’s not safe for Lila to go back either.”
The reality of everything sets in, heavy and cold. I always knew this was going to end one way. What I didn’t expect was for it to drag my best friend down with me. I tried to keep her out of it. “So, Lila’s collateral? And where are we supposed to go?”
“She always was,” Sterling says firmly. “The moment he finds out it was you, the ones that you love the most will be used against you. You and Lila are staying with us.”
I swallow down the urge to go and kill Dad right now and take a slow, steady breath. “Okay, but we have to go get some of our things.” I turn to Sterling. “Is that okay, caveman?” I ask sarcastically.
Sterling checks an invisible watch, then thumps on his chest, making light of the situation. “Go. Be back before dusk.”
I snag my keys from the counter, the metal biting into my palm like it’s hungry. “Come on, Lila. Let’s go collect the evidence of our old lives.”
I pull into a spot and kill the engine, the quiet roaring in my ears.
We already hit Lila’s; now it’s time to gather my shit.
I lean back, letting my head thump against the headrest, eyes closing as I drag in a deep breath.
“Are you okay? We can figure out something else if you don’t want to do this. ”
I turn my head to face her. “I never meant for you to get dragged into this.”
Lila grabs my face and pulls it close. “Bitch, I would have willingly gone into this. I know what Wade did.” She lets go of my face, eyes softening. “I love you, and I’m here by your side. No matter what. What I was asking, though, was…are you okay with staying at Sterling’s?”
I sigh. “No. You know I’m not good when people get too close. But if it keeps you safe and I’ve got more eyes on you, then I’ll do it.”
Lila nods, understanding where my head is. “Let’s go then. We’ve got a few more hours before dusk sets.” She slips out of my car and heads toward the elevator. I jog to catch up, and we make the rest of the walk in silence. A chill skates down my spine. Something's wrong.
I freeze as I reach my apartment; the door is cracked.
I didn’t leave it like that. “Wait!” I grab Lila’s arm, pulling her back.
“Go back to the elevator. Now.” With a confused look, she does what I ask.
I pull out my phone, pull up my security app, and look through the video logs.
Someone enters my apartment, moving through my things, clearly searching for something.
The next clip shows them leaving. My stomach drops.
I exit the app and fire a text to Sterling, letting him know someone’s been in my apartment.
His reply comes almost instantly: he’s on his way.
“Come on, Lila. Let’s make this quick.” I slip inside first, every nerve on high alert.
The open floor plan helps—nowhere to hide, nowhere for anything to jump out at us.
I beeline for my closet and drag my luggage down, tossing it open on the bed.
Leggings, shirts, bras, underwear—I shove them in by handfuls, adding a couple of pairs of jeans.
I’m already in my favorite jacket and Converse, so at least that’s handled.
After my clothes are packed, I move between the bathroom and bedroom, sweeping stuff into a toiletry bag.
I’m wedging it into my suitcase when I hear heavy footsteps storming down the hallway.
My blood goes cold. I dive for the knife under my pillow, fingers closing around the familiar handle.
Spinning, I swing, blade cutting through the air toward whoever’s rushing me.
Sterling clamps around my wrist, stopping the blade just shy of his skin. “I love a little blood play, but now's not the time.” He smirks at me, a wicked grin that melts me from the inside out.
I pull my hand back. “Well, don’t charge me like that.” I shove the rest of my makeup and hair products into the suitcase and drag the zipper closed.
Sterling grabs the bag off the bed. “Why didn’t you wait? I said I was on my way.” We walk toward the living room, his shoulder brushing mine.
“I can’t just depend on you. I could deal with it—I just wanted you to be aware of the situation.” I shrug and cross to the couch, grabbing my favorite throw blanket and Kindle.
“Just because you could doesn’t mean you should,” Sterling mutters. Lila and Cam sit on the couch, silently watching everything unfold.
“It’s bad enough I have to stay with you and drag you guys into this. Now I need your protection twenty-four seven? I don’t think so.” I stalk out of my apartment toward the elevator. “Just because you fucked me a couple of times doesn’t make you Prince Charming now,” I call over my shoulder.
Sterling cages me in; his palms are braced on either side of my head, the cool elevator wall at my back.
“Oh, Thorn, I never said I was the good guy,” his voice dropping into a smooth smoke filling the elevator.
“I’m the villain that gets stuck in your head.
” My brain screams this shouldn’t be happening, but heat pools low in my stomach.
“I’m not good,” his voice a dark promise, “but I’m good for you. There’s a difference.”
Lila clears her throat. “Are you two done pissing on your territory? Cause I’m fucking starving.”
Cam snorts at her commentary and presses the button to the parking garage.
He steps in beside Lila—close enough that it’s not just about fitting in.
Someone’s interested in her. I grin to myself.
When the door slides open, I dart for my car.
I toss the tote bag into the backseat, and Sterling heaves the suitcase on top of it. “Watch it!”
He shoots me a confused look, eyes scanning the lot for a threat. Lila bursts out laughing. “Her Kindle. She’ll die without that thing.”
I shrug and slide into the driver's seat.
“What can I say? Book boyfriends just hit the spot.” I slam the door before he can fire back, and Lila climbs into the passenger side, still grinning.
“See you back at your place,” I call, throwing the car into reverse and backing out of the garage before speeding away.
Once Sterling catches up, he tailgates me all the way back to his place, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.
I roll my eyes as I climb out of the car.
“If you’re going to ride my ass, dick, at least pull my hair and call me a good girl.
” Lila starts laughing so hard she can’t breathe, and Cam bolts into the house.
Oops. Sterling is still by his truck, so still he could pass for a statue.
Then, in a blur, he’s charging me. I yelp and take off running toward the back of the house, feet pounding the grass.
“Going to have to be faster than that, Ghost.”
Apparently, that wasn’t as fast as he could go, because he shifts into another gear.
I hear his footsteps pounding closer—and then, suddenly, they’re gone.
The silence makes me slow, frowning as I glance back.
Where the fuck did he go? I smack into something solid and drop on my ass.
Pain jolts up my spine. I snap my head up to find Sterling in front of me, annoyingly composed.
“How?” I wheeze. “You were just behind me.”