Page 160 of Lock Up the Darkness

My men? Is that how it was for me now?

I smiled to myself.

I liked that.

I liked that a lot.

32

~Killian~

They were all watching me.

Even Asher who was driving the old inconspicuous black Toyota Corolla we’d acquired for this mission, eyeing me every now and then in the rearview mirror, while he multitasked driving down the winding backroads in the middle of nowhere.

Using my bike, Aurora’s, or her scratched up car hadn’t been feasible. For the same reason that taking Asher’s Beamer or Jonah’s muscle car hadn’t. They drew too much attention. Especially that prized, pimped out BMW of Asher’s. This make of car was seen on the road all the time, one of the most common in the country, it definitely would blend in well.

The plates of this vehicle couldn’t be traced back to any of us either.

It melded into the night really well.

They were all concerned, because of my actions of late, that I was going to screw up and lose my shit. I got it. Of course I did. But this was different. I was focused, more on-point than I’d ever been. Because, this time, I was actually doing something about the fucked-up situation I’d been trapped inside for way too long. I was on the track to freedom—we all were—and I’d do everything in my power to make that a reality.

“I won’t fuck up,” I spoke suddenly through the focused silence, jarring them. Well, except for Asher. It took a lot more than that with him. “I’m gonna follow the plan right down to the smallest detail. This is the chance I’ve been wanting for years, I won’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

“We don’t think you’re going to mess up,” Aurora told me, turning in the front passenger seat to look back at me.

“Then why have you all had eyes on me in a very intense way since we got in this car two hours ago?”

Jonah grasped my shoulder from right beside me. “Because we care about you, Pretty. And after that text you showed us this morning from Samuel, we feel for you, brother.”

“We just want to make sure you’re okay, independent of this mission,” Aurora said.

“You haven’t said a word about it, which isn’t exactly like you,” Asher commented, eyeing me in the rearview mirror again. “You’re usually very vocal when it comes to things that upset you and get under your skin.”

“Huh,” I murmured.

That text.

Yeah, that had been something.

Satan: You ungrateful shit. That beating is gonna look like nothing when I next get my hands on you. Think you’re the big man now? Far from it. You’re a weak little bitch, always have been. All that glory and fame, that image that puts you in the papers and opens so many doors? It’s MY creation. I’m gonna take it all away, I’m gonna break you. You’ll be mine to own, just like your mom. Worse than that poor excuse for a life actually. Watch this space, boy.

“Upset me? It didn’t upset me. I didn’t show you guys because of that, I showed you because it could impact you as well, the fallout, and with us working on this together, you needed to be aware of any moves that my father makes.”

Aurora frowned, still turned in her seat until she was sure that I was okay. “What he wrote was brutal. Are you sure you’re not—”

“He’s gonna cut me off.” A smile spread over my face. “It’s the best news I’ve gotten in years.”

“It is?”

“How do you figure?” Jonah asked.

I met Asher’s gaze in the rearview mirror and I saw the realization set in for him. “Because you believe it will sever his ties to you, get rid of the influence and control he holds over your life.”

I smiled wider. “All this weight that’s been holding me down, these rules and expectations, this existence that was never really mine… it’ll all be over. He thinks it’s a threat, a hardship to be cast out… it’s a relief like no other.” I sank back against my seat. “It’s all wide open now.”

“I’m glad you’re taking it that way, brother,” Jonah said. “But he also made some brutal threats, not only to beat you down real bad, but to make you into a doll.”

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