The sound of Francescaโs heels rebound against the ceiling, sending my heart flying into my throat. Daya glances upward, unsettled by the sound but used to Parsons Manorโs shenanigans.
I, on the other hand, am having a silent heart attack. Iโve been hearing those sharp footsteps since Iโve been home, and though theyโre not actually Francescaโs, I think the wicked ghosts in this house know they haunt my nightmares and enjoy bringing them to life.
I curl my hands into tight fists to abate the shaking, racking my brain for something to distract me.
โMaybe I should just become a nun,โ I announce, causing Daya to pause mid-pour. Sheโs filling up a glass of red wine, and it feelsโฆ weird. Like I shouldnโt be standing here enjoying wine when Iโve murdered people and escaped sex trafficking.
Weโre sitting at my kitchen island, and I canโt help but bask in the nostalgia. I was gone for two and a half months, but it feels like years. Itโs weird, but it feels good, too. To be here with her again, drinking like no time has passed at all.
Daya blinks at me, thrown off from my declaration, and slides the glass over to me. โI love you, but you wouldnโt even last a day.โ
โRude,โ I mutter, taking a sip of the wine. I cringe, the bitter taste invading my taste buds. I like my wine sweet, but itโs what Daya had in her fridge.
โYou want to become a nun because you canโt tolerate touch in general, or touch from a man?โ
I pick at a hangnail. โMen, which is proving very difficult with training. He has to touch me, and every time he does, I fucking panic, then waffle between freezing up and going ballistic.โ
After Zade and I agreed to take down the Society together a month ago, I felt something shift inside my chest. A purpose was born, and it serves to get me out of bed every morning and train.
But itโs not a magical fix-all. I look at Zade, and I feel everything I felt after giving in to him. The magnetism, the connection, and the love. Heโs given me the space I so desperately need, even though I can see that itโs killing him inside. While I feel guilty every time I pull away, I also feel relief.
But now I feel other thingsโthings that I know have nothing to do with him, but with sex. The thought of it makes me want to vomit, and thereโs this fear ingrained in me that every time Zade shows me any affection, thatโs what itโs going to lead to.
It played such a huge part in our relationship before I was kidnapped; itโs difficult to train my brain to think itโs going to be anything else. Zade is a flirt, and while heโs made plenty of sexual remarks, he hasnโt made a single attempt to seduce me.
โAnd then I get angry,โ I continue, frowning into my Merlot. โI lash out at him and say horrible things, and he just fucking takes it.โ
โBaby girl, itโs going to take a while for you to work through your trauma. You have PTSD, as anyone would. Donโt rush yourself.โ
โI think itโd be easier if I wasnโt in love with him,โ I admit, circling my finger around the glass. It creates a soft sound that is soothing to the turmoil in my head.
โI still feel attraction, ya know? Like every time he touches me, Iย wantย to enjoy it. I just canโt. He hasnโt even made any advances. Nothing sexual, but thatโs where my head immediately goes, and then Iโm right back in that house with Xavier.โ
โDid you talk to Zade about him?โ
I take another gulp of Merlot before responding, โYes. After we agreed to work together, we sat down, and I told him everything. Wellโฆ notย everything. Not the gruesome details. But he knows the CliffsNotes of what I went through, and he explained how he found me. Talked about some brotherhood and told me all about Max.โ
A sadness cloaks her sage eyes, and I can tell sheโs anxious because she starts fiddling with her nose ring.
โYeah, heโฆ saved me, too. From Luke.โ
I reach over and grab her hand, squeezing tightly. Zade told me what happened with Daya, but I was waiting for her to bring it up to me first. If thereโs anything I understand, itโs not wanting to relive certain things.
Weโve all been suffering in very different ways, yet the source of our pain is the same.
The Society. Claire.
Daya was the decoy to draw me out of Parsons Manor so Rio and Rick could kidnap me. Of course, Luke was the one to put her through hell, but none of that wouldโve happened if it wasnโt for Claire leading Max to believe that Zade killed his father, and then putting a target on my head. One that Max immediately jumped on, angry and intent on getting revenge.
โIโm so sorry, Daya. Iโm so sorry he did that to you.โ My voice cracks by the last word, an unexpected rush of tears blurring my vision.
Daya covers her face, trying to hold in her own tears. โGoddammit, Addie,โ she snips without heat. โDonโt you dare make me cry.โ
But itโs too late, a sob hiccups from her throat by the last word. I scoot my chair closer to her and pull her into a hug; my own demons be damned. Her arms circle around my waist, and we both let go.
Grief pours out through the cracks while we hold each other, like two pillars falling together, both incapable of standing without the otherโs support.
By the time we pull apart, snot is running down my splotchy, red face, and I just know mascara is running down my cheeks. Sheโs got drool on her cheek and makeup circles around her eyes. With how bloodshot they are, coupled with her dark brown skin, her light green eyes are almost startling.
Regardless, we both look ridiculous, and immediately we burst into laughter, which fades into another round of tears. In the end, neither one of us can tell if weโre laughing or crying, but it feels good either way.
โMy head hurts now,โ I croak, wiping my blackened tears away, and then I grab a tissue and loudly blow my nose.
โDrink more wine, itโll make it worse, but at least youโll be buzzed.โ I laugh, taking a sip as she also blows her nose.
โWhere is Zade, by the way?โ she asks.
โI donโt know, actually. After our training session, he dipped out pretty quickly, saying he had to take care of something. He didnโt say what it was about, and I was too sweaty and mentally exhausted to care at that moment.โ
We both shrug it off. He couldโve realized we ran out of toilet paper and needed to replenish for all I know. I think if it were anything important, he
wouldโve said.
For the next hour, Daya and I finish off the bottle of Merlot and Iโm pleasantly buzzed. I also decide that Iโm going to have to be very careful with drinking from now on. It feels a littleย tooย nice, and I refuse to use it as a crutch.
Iโd rather work through my trauma the healthy way. You knowโby murdering Claire with my bare hands.
Weโre in the middle of laughing over a stupid video someone posted on social media when the front door bangs open, and two voices are snapping at each other.
One is Zadeโs. The other is a girlโs.
Sage and caramel eyes meet in a collision of confusion, andย what the fuck.
With a slight wobble, I stand up and make my way toward the front door. And then turn right back around, rushing for my friend when I see who Zade brought home.
โDaya, thereโs a crazy chick in the house. Run.โ โWhat?โ she asks, alarm in her tone.
โDonโt call me crazy!โ the girl screeches from the front, and I grimace. Iโve never had the pleasure of meeting her, and I was okay with living life without that pleasure.
Shoulders hiked up to my ears, I slowly pivot and watch Zade stalk toward me, appearing exhausted and annoyed. Behind him is the murderous girl who lurked behind the walls in Satanโs Affair.
Sibel.
โBaby, we have a guest.โ
Glancing at the girl, I shift uncomfortably, unsure of how the fuck to respond.
Clearing my throat, I settle with, โI can see that.โ
Sibel is staring at Daya and me with a broad smile on her face. The last time I saw her, she was dressed as a doll with makeup that made it appear like her porcelain face was fissured.
While her chocolate brown hair is still piled high in pigtails, her face is bare of doll makeup. She would be beautiful if the unhinged look in her eyes wasnโt so distracting. She looks exactly how she did on the TV after she was apprehended for murdering four politicians.
With Zade.
Except he was never caught for those murders.
โLadies, this is Sibby,โ Zade introduces tiredly, waving a hand at her before coming over to my side. I tense as he nears, splitting my attention between watching the space between Zade and me close while keeping an eye on the crazy girl.
The four men she murdered doesnโt even begin to scratch the surface of the number of people sheโs killed. For five years, she stayed in that haunted fair and went on a spree. Whoever she deemed as evil was killed in very gruesome ways.
Iโve had enough experience with murderous girls, and I really, really donโt want any more.
She waves her hand animatedly at us, excitement twinkling in her brown eyes. Then she turns them to my house, slowly taking in Parsons Manor.
โWow,โ she breathes. โItโs creepy in here. This is so perfect.โ Her head whips back to me, and Iโm not proud of the not-so-subtle flinch. โI hope you donโt mind my henchmen and me staying for a bit,โ she says.
โThereโs more?โ I ask Zade, turning to him with pinched brows. He sighs.
โSome people say theyโre not real, but they are,โ Sibel explains, not looking the least bit ashamed of admitting she sees people that others canโt see.
Zade meets my stare, a grin on his face. โSibby is crazy,โ he says.
She stomps her foot, shooting a glare at him. โIโm not crazy, Zade. Just becauseย youย canโt see what I see, doesnโt meanย Iโmย the weird one.โ
I cock my head, completely baffled at how sheโs even here. Last I heard, she was locked up in a psych ward awaiting trial.
โShe escaped,โ Zade supplies, noting the confusion on my face. โOh,โ I say, because I have no idea what the hell else to say.
โThatโsโฆ good?โ Daya chips in, sounding wholly unsure if that is actually good.
Zade sighs for the millionth time. โSibby is on the Most Wanted list. She took matters into her own handsโโ Zade pauses to send a scathing look her wayโ โand broke out of the psych ward. Considering she took the fall for
something we both did, I felt that it was only fair I gave her a place to stay.
Temporarily.โ
She nods once, as if Zade summed up her entire life story perfectly.
โIโm going to take her back to my place. Iโm not expecting you to let her stay hereโโ
โBut itโs so creepy here!โ she exclaims, as if thatโs a good reason to stay.
And wellโฆ it kind of is.
โโso, Iโll be dropping her off soon. I just wanted you to properly meet her since Iโmโฆโ he trails off, glancing at her. โStuck with her,โ he decides, turning to look back at me. โIโm most definitely stuck with her.โ
Sibel frowns, opening her mouth to say something, but Daya cuts in.
โUh, wait a second, took matters into her own handsย how?โ she questions, sending Sibel a suspicious look.
โI killed my therapist,โ she answers, her smile dropping. โI didnโt want to kill her. She smelled like pine trees, so she wasnโt a demon. The first and last person Iโve ever hurt who wasnโt deserving, I promise.โ
My mouth drops. โZade,โ I whisper, my discomfort growing. Sibel looks to me, noting my deepening fear.
โPlease donโt be scared of me. You smell like the most wonderful flowers. I wouldย neverย hurt you.โ
โSheโs not going to hurt you, baby,โ Zade reassures quietly. I look up to meet his gaze, mismatched eyes full of sincerity.
โI wouldโve discussed this with you first, if I had any idea this was going to happen,โ he swears. โI was meeting up with Jay when the news broke that Sibby escaped. She happened to be hiding out in the area. Helicopters and shit everywhere. I went looking for her and found her trying to get into a sewer drain. It was a split-second decision.โ
โOkay,โ I say, offering a tight smile to let him know Iโm not angry. Despite Sibelโs presence being a little disconcerting, I understand why Zade made that decision.
She took all the blame for what they both did, and she never ratted him out. Thatโs something very few people would do, especially when they owe you nothing. And that, I can respect the hell out of.
Sibel holds up a wicked, pink knife. โAnd he got my knife back! The police had it as a murder weapon, and Zade got it out for me.โ
โShe was literally losing her mind over it, and didnโt give me much choice,โ he clarifies dryly.
She shrugs, content with having her knife back regardless of how it happened.
I stare at her and toss around an idea in my head, a little hesitant but deciding itโd be easier for Zade to only be in one place. Heโs pretty much moved in with me, and itโs been oddly comforting. The selfish part of me doesnโt want to give that up.
โThereโs plenty of room here. Sibel can stay.โ
She yips loudly, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands like a little girl. Her reaction makes me feel slightly better, only because itโs a little cute.
โMy friends call me Sibby,โ she says, and based on the eager look on her face, it seems like she’s hoping Iโll consider her as one.
โOr demon slayer,โ Zade cuts in. She pins him with a sassy look in response.
โOkay, Sibby. Welcomeโฆ home.โ
Her dark eyes snap back to me, pure delight radiating from them. A wide smile takes over her face, resuming her bouncing once again, and it eases my concern a little more.
โAddie, you donโt have to do that.โ
I wave a hand. โItโs fine. She said sheโs not going to hurt us, and if you trust her, thatโs enough for me.โ
He looks like he wants to kiss me, which makes me a little nervous, but he quickly smooths out his expression and offers me a simple, appreciative smile.
โThe second you want her gone, sheโs out. No questions asked.โ While Sibby doesnโt look too thrilled to hear that based on how she stops bouncing and glares at him, Zade clearly gives no shits.
I nod, the last of my tension bleeding out.
โSibby is already really good at fighting. Partly because sheโsโโ โโNotย crazy,โ she cuts in, narrowing her eyes.
Zade shoots her a look, one that says,ย yeah, okay, and Iโm Jackie Chan.
โRegardless, she can fight. She could help you with training.โ My heart softens, hearing what heโs not saying.
You canโt stand my touch, so hereโs someone who can give you what I canโt.
โThank you,โ I whisper. Now more than ever, Iโm frustrated with myself. I will take him up on that offer because I recognize it wonโt change overnight. But I vow to try harder, so I can give Zade what he deserves, too.
All of me.
Zade plops an ice pack on my shoulders, and I groan both from the freezing temperature and how good it feels. Training has been taking a toll on my body, but also in the best of ways. Iโm stronger than Iโve ever been, and that feeling is addictive.
Since Sibby arrived a couple of weeks ago, Iโve only gotten better. Sheโs smaller and moves with a quickness even Zade doesnโt quite possess, and sheโs far more unpredictable.
Weโve been sitting around my kitchen island for the past several hours, working out the kinks of drawing Claire out of hiding. Not only did everyone in Francescaโs house disappear, but she did, too. And now that Zade has me, thereโs not a damn thing in this world thatโs stopping him from finding her.
Zade believes the best way to locate her is through her lawyer, Jimmy Lynch. Heโs been working for Claire and her late husband for twenty-seven years, making him a trusted friend.
He also has a taste for children.
Last week, Zade was able to hack into his phone, noting the copious amounts of child pornography he has downloaded. So, he started pushing ads on the child porn sites Jimmy uses, waiting for him to take the bait. Unsurprisingly, he did, both on his phone and laptop over a period of three days.
Of course, Zade designed the virus, so unbeknownst to Jimmy, it was released on his devices as soon as he clicked on the ad. Within seconds, Zade was able to infiltrate his system and implement spyware on them.
From there, he watched the email interactions between him and Claire. While he could try to implement a virus onto Claireโs computer through a
phishing email, sheโs too intelligent for that, so Zadeโs only other option is to manipulate her into putting a drive into her computer, which will contain the virus. And our best way to do that is to create a massive lawsuit against her. Itโs common practice for lawyers to transmit information through drives, especially if thereโs a mass amount of evidence stacked against them.
Unfortunately for Claire, since sheโs gone into hiding, sheโs fired a lot of staff whoโve worked at her estate. Cleaning crew, a couple of chefs, and a groundskeeper. Evidently, she has no plans to return to her mansionโor to keep it.
Zade has spent the last week contacting these staff workers, asking them about their experiences, and ultimately encouraging them to sue Claire for workplace harassment as well as assault.
In return, Zade will offer his protection and money. Thankfully, they all agreed. Because honestly, their lack of safety and resources was the only thing keeping any of them silent. Mark sexually assaulted many of his employees and threatened to harm them and their families if they spoke out. And Claire was physically abusive and prone to getting violent when something didnโt meet her standards.
They’ve already filed their lawsuits, so tomorrow, weโll be putting the second step of the plan into action by replacing Jimmyโs drives with Zadeโs.
Once Zade has access to Claireโs laptop, heโs going to take his time watching her. In the meantime, weโll be focusing on our other goal.
โFrancesca and Rocco are slimy little snakes,โ Daya informs us, ire in her glare as her fingers fly over the keyboard. โAnd Xavier is a pussy.โ
Daya is assisting us with tracking down my former captorsโand rapists
โwhile Jay continues to focus on Claire.
โSatellite image showed a red pickup truck parked in their driveway under Roccoโs name. That hasnโt been seen anywhere?โ Zade asks, adding extra shredded cheddar on the mac โnโ cheese before sticking the casserole dish back in the oven to crisp. Seeing him doing something so domestic isโฆ odd.
I never thought Iโd see oven mitts on a stalker and professional killer, but here we areโฆ All he needs is an apron, and Iโd be convinced Iโve fallen down the rabbit hole and hit my head on a tree root.
Shit, I think I already have because now all I can imagine is Zade in nothingย butย an apron. Thatโฆ shouldn’t be enticing, yet it is.
โWe found the truck abandoned in Northern California. From there, we lost track,โ Daya answers, unknowingly saving me from traveling down that dangerous road. I have a feeling that fantasy would’ve only gotten weirder.
โNo street cams nearby?โ I ask.
โNope,โ she replies, popping the P. โThey havenโt made it this long by dumb luck. They know how to avoid cameras. I imagine the car they switched to has also been abandoned by now.โ
Zade nods, keeping silent as he processes the information. From here, I can see his inner gears turning.
โSince we can assume theyโre driving, look at cameras in gas stations in the surrounding area to start with. Itโll take time but check in on anyone you deem suspicious. Itโs possible that they will stay hidden in the car and use a decoy to pump and pay. Iโll get a few more of my men on it to help you. And while theyโre probably paying in cash only, it doesnโt hurt to check if they used credit cards as well.โ
โFrancesca is eventually going to have to use the bathroom,โ I chip in. โI mean, I honestly canโt see her squatting on the side of the road or using a porta-potty. So facial recognition would be valuable.โ
โIt would,โ Zade agrees, shooting me a small smile. I wrestle down the pride that wants to bloom throughout my body. My inner feminist doesnโt need no manโs approval.
โYou can set up a facial recognition bot thatโll alert you if any cameras spot her. Whether itโs from restaurants, stores, or gas stations. We canโt rely on it, though, because while Francesca is the one most likely to appear in public, she also has the advantage of disguising herself better than men. Facial recognition is advanced, but itโs not foolproof.โ
I tip my head side to side in aย you have a pointย gesture. โIf anyone knows how to use makeup, itโs her,โ I concede. Sheโs had a lot of practice bringing the dead to lifeโwith her own face and with the girls she held captive.
Dayaโs hands continue to fly, following Zadeโs directions without hesitation.
Sibby has her chin in one hand and drums her fingers on the table with the otherโclearly bored. Her interests lie more in taking action than the planning aspect.
โIโll track down Xavier Delano,โ Zade says, shooting a loaded glance my way. โWe should be able to find him easily. I have a good feeling heโs not as smart about covering his tracks as the others.โ
โThatโd be awfully egotistical of him. Itโs not like he didnโt know that I wasโฆ uh,ย withย Zโฆ or whatever.โ Zade smirks over my stumble. I roll my eyes, intent on ignoring him, but then Daya betrays me and snorts, flicking her gaze at me with amusement.
Assholes.
The lot of them.
โShut up,โ I snap. โI donโt know what to label it.โ
โFuck buddy?โ Daya provides, but that doesnโt sound quite right. The brow cocked on Zadeโs forehead tells me he feels the same.
โLover!โ Sibby chips in cheerfully.
My lip curls in disgust. Hate that label.
โOh, admirer,โ Daya says, snapping her fingers as if she hit the nail on the head.
โOne true love,โ Sibby sighs wistfully. She glances off to the side, seeming to listen to something before she rolls her eyes. โOkay,ย fiveย true loves.โ
My eyes pinball between the two idiots as they continue to toss out words that could define mine and Zadeโs relationship.
โHow about just stalker,โ I cut in dryly.
โCome on, baby, thatโs not what you were calling me when you were screaโโ
โShutย up,ย or Iโll start screaming other menโs names and I promise I donโt need your dick anywhere near me to do it.โ
Challenge sparks in his eyes, signaling that this conversation is quickly taking a nosedive.
โYou really want to cause mass extinction for those names? Moan them, little mouse, I dare you. Whichever ones you choose, not a single man by that name will fucking exist anymore. How about we start with Chad? We can definitely live without the Chads in the world.โ
My mouth pops open. โThat is soโฆ excessive.โ
He shrugs, turning to take the mac โnโ cheese out of the oven, โDoesnโt change a damn thing.โ
My wide eyes drift back down to Dayaโs, hers equally as rounded as mine. I give her a look that says,ย you see what I have to deal with?ย in which she returns,ย good luck, Sister Susie.
I look at Sibby and find her staring off into space, whispering to one of her henchmen about unsanitary ways to use the popsicles in the freezer.
Oh my God. Iโm living with nothing but psychopaths. I knew this but fuck me.
Hey, God? Do ya mind sending down some medication to correct your gross mishandling of these two demented souls?
Shaking my head, I turn to Zade, who is now serving the mac โnโ cheese on plates for us, alongside the steaks he cooked on the grill. Something I was surprised to learnโZade can fucking cook.
โHow long do you think itโll take to locate Xavier?โ
โIt depends on how accessible he is. I may find him within an hour, but if heโs stationed on a remote island with an army surrounding him, itโll take time to get to him. Keep in mind that this man is stupid rich and has nothing better to spend his money on, so this is entirely possible.โ
I tilt my head in curiosity. โRicher than you?โ
โAbsolutely. I have no interest in collecting more than whatโs necessary. Money is an illusion, and a powerful one. It turns men into spineless assholes with no real regard for human life except their own. Xavier will use his money to protect himself. Especially because heโs a little bitch and, wellโฆโ he peers up at me with a savage smile. โIโm pretty fucking scary.โ
He serves dinner, saving me for last. The hairs on the back of my neck rise as he approaches me; my body warming as he draws near. He crowds over me when he sets my plate down, the heat radiating from him sinking beneath my skin. Then, he leans down, and my brain short-circuits. I canโt decide if I want to embrace the darkness or run from it.
Hot breath fans across my ear as he whispers, โNot only am I scary, baby, but Iโm really, really angry. And when Iโm angry, Iโll make them pray for Hell.โ
A shiver rolls down my spine, and goosebumps spread across my body like the Black Plague. I tip my head towards him, meeting his stare. My
pounding heart climbs into my throat, creating an erratic pulse in my neck, and a palpable tension circulates the space between us.
Against my better judgment, my eyes slide down to his mouth, thickening the tension. Deliberately, he skates his tongue across his lip, and like a magnet, my gaze latches on to the slow and sinful act.
By the time I force my eyes back up to his, my mouth is parted, and my lungs are deprived of oxygen.
โI hate to cut into this beautiful moment, but Sibby is taking her clothes off.โ
Dayaโs voice snaps me out of whatever trance Zade has pulled me into, and almost violently, my head whips towards Sibby.
Sure as shit, sheโs in the process of slipping off her neon green tights.
โSibby!โ I shout exasperatedly. โStop taking your clothes off, we are not having a fucking orgy!โ