And that’s all I see.
Just her.
Because fucked up as she is, ruined as she is, she’s so fucking beautiful I can’t believe I’ve been without her for so long.
My drug?
Fuck that shit.
She’s the blood in my veins. She’s what makes my heart pump, and my organs work, and my skin glow.
And she’s right in front of me. Like a prayer God answered without me having to even get on my knees and utter a single word.
I’m swelling. Bursting with happiness.
Fuck that—with joy.
And here I thought that was only possible when I was high.
We found her.
She’s ours.
The world is suddenly a better place. A place I might decide to live in a little longer than I’d planned.
But then Trinity’s gone.
Someone’s tackling me from the side.
And I realize it was all a trick.
Gabriel used her as bait.
And I fell for it.
My shoulder hits the ground first, and then the rest of my body, the force of the impact driving the air from my lungs and spittle from my lips.
Ha, literally.
So excuse the pun.
Chapter Eighteen
Trinity
4201. Beep.
4202. Beep.
4203. Beep.
I blink sweat out of my eyes and take a second to work my neck with my good hand. I don’t know what’s worse—hoping that I’ll hit the right combination before Gabriel comes back, or wondering if I even have the first two numbers correct to begin with.
Nope! Can’t think about that. Negativity need not apply.
4204. Beep.
4205. Beep.
Thump.
I freeze. If my heart wasn’t pounding so hard in my chest, I might have been able to make out if that sound had been my imagination or not.
Thump.
No. It’s not. Gabriel is back.
4206. Beep.
4207. Beep.
4208. BEEP.
My hand cramps up. Not from pressing numbers, but I’m guessing from the ropes and from the tugging. My left hand aches relentlessly at my side, but I ignore it as much as I can.
4209. Beep.
Thump.
Oh Lord, he’s coming.
4210. Beep.
My heart’s in my fucking throat. Every time I try to swallow, it bobs around like an ice cube in a glass of lemonade.
Fuck, why the hell did I have to think about that when I’m so thirsty?
Thump.
My hand shakes so much, I can barely punch the right numbers.
4221 Beep.
Damn it! I have to remember I’ve already tried that one.
Thump, thump, thump.
He’s right beside me. Which room is that? I’m trying to picture the layout of my own house, but I can’t.
4211.
Click.
Is it the dining room? The living room?
42—
Wait.
I focus on the light above the panel. It’s flashing green now. Was it doing that before? Why do I remember it being solid red?
I grab the handle, and open the door.
It swings inward and bathes me in gray light. As I step outside and turn into the hallway, I figure out what room he’s in.
Dad’s study.
The room right above the portion of the basement I was just in.
No wonder I never heard anything. Dad kept that door locked.
I’m a fucking idiot. I thought my Dad was a God-fearing man with a fully functioning moral compass.
How could I have been so wrong?
The thought makes me nauseous, so I hurriedly stop trying to figure anything out. Instead, I focus on creeping down the hall as quietly as possible.
Quietly…but quickly.
The hall takes a turn and reveals the front door. It’s only about two yards away. My heart kicks into overdrive again, and then I’m running.
It’s fucking idiotic, but I can’t help it. I can’t stop. It’s too close, and I’m too scared.
So I run.
And then I slam into the wood as I’m fumbling for the lock. It turns, the tumblers clicking loudly as they slide back into the door.
I twist the handle. Step back so the door can open.
Behind me, someone starts running.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, THUD!
The door is open.
But I can’t go through because someone’s standing there.
Cass is standing there.
What the hell is Cass doing here?
He opens his mouth as if he’s about to say something. But he never gets the chance. Someone crashes into him, sends him tumbling over the rose bushes lining the front drive.
Cass becomes Zach. Tall, grim, panting.
A second of frozen time. Then I surge forward, delirious with thoughts of escape. Hardly believing my luck.
He’ll save me.
Wrap me in his arms.
Hold me tight.
But none of that happens. He doesn’t drag me out of harm’s way.
Zach surges forward, and then shoves me. Hard.
I crash into the door. My scream is little more than a choked gasp of pain as my injured hand is trapped between my body and the door.
Zach pushes past me. My head slams against the wood. Sparks flash and pop in front of me as I sink to the ground.
And then he’s gone.
My conscious mind drifts, losing track in a deluge of pain and confusion.
There’s a loud clap in the living room, like a car backfiring. There was a young couple down the road who lived here a few years back. Their car would do that sometimes. Always scared the shit out of me.
Grunts and roars from the living room. Then another clap, this one louder than before.
Then legs swarm past me. I tip my head back despite the pain.
Reuben. Cass. Apollo.
They all look down at me, but only as they pass. Then they move on, deeper into my house.
It’s weird having them here.
Weird being back.
I should show them around. But I have to clean my room first. What’ll they think of the basement? Maybe I shouldn’t show them that. They wouldn’t like it.
I’ll show them the picture of the unicorn. It’ll make them laugh.
Awsum.
“Hey, pretty thang.”
I force my eyes open, catch sight of Apollo’s face. He’s pale, eyes jittery. “Everything’s just fine, hear me? You’re safe now.”
And I believed him.
Lord, I believed him.
Chapter Nineteen
Zach
Christ, where are my brothers going in such a hurry? I’m too far away to see who’s driving—all I know is that Reuben was inside the Redford Missions of Love church for a few minutes, and then came out empty-handed but with a speed to his steps I haven’t seen in a while. Not full out running—I guess he didn’t want to draw unwanted attention, but it was obvious he was on the move.
When they slam on the gas and throw the car into a U-turn, I almost think it’s because they spotted me.
But I doubt it.
It seems they have other things on their mind.
I give them a lead before following.
We drive for a few minutes, headed downtown. Our route takes us past a mall, and then almost back the way we came before heading downtown again.
Are they being paranoid? Retracing their steps?
Or are they struggling to find their way in a strange town? Ha, if Apollo’s the one navigating, then we’re all in for a few more U-turns.