Page 91 of Heirs of Havoc

It’s what Chaya picking up that card reveals.

My shoulders ache, my muscles tensing. But it doesn’t stop my heart from pounding.

The black frame in the box answers one of my questions. It tells me where Dominik is because his photo sits inside.

I move towards the frame as Chaya finishes the note.

Ever see one of those torture videos from army troops? Where they gather around the body and cheer at their captor’s demise? This is that. But ten times scarier.

Dom sits against a brick wall with rope tight around him, a gun to his head. His bloodied face looks blue and bruised, but my father’s goons stand around him like it’s a fucking party. Vodka and cigars in hand.

“Mia?” Chaya asks.

I’ve seen this before. This intimidation tactic. My dad uses it on his targets, except this time, the target is me.

“I need to go home,” I tell her. “And if I don’t, my father will kill Dominik.”

* * *

“Think about this.”

“He’s just trying to scare you.”

“Please, don’t do anything rash.”

Chaya’s voice replays in my mind the next day. If it wasn’t for her giving me a sleeping pill from someone in our dorm, I would’ve left last night.

I'm relieved Dom's okay and alive. For now. But Chaya's right. I’d be stupid for going home. There’s no way Martin Merlo will let Dom off the hook. So I need to do something. I can’t let Dom go down on my count again. I need a solution. And if I’m gonna get answers, things will have to get uncomfortable.

Staring at the framed photo, Chaya’s voice warbles in my head, my back against the dorm mattress.

“Why don’t you talk to Milo and Lucie?”

Chaya's onto something but it’s a risky choice. I’ve seen them hold their own at the church. While I thought they welcomed me, they let the twins’ mom bully me out of the church at gunpoint. I’ll risk my life should I return. But laying in my old dorm isn’t gonna help. I need to think. I need to figure out my next steps.

To do that, I need to go for a run.

Rummaging through Chaya’s closet, I find a baggy hoodie and a pair of joggers. Tying my hair behind me to hide my long coils, I push the hoodie over my head and grab the shades from Chaya’s dresser. Pulling the front of the hoodie over my mouth, I know I look like what this school thinks I am, a criminal. But I’m not risking anyone seeing me on campus.

Pushing open the dorm door, I peek into the hallway. A couple of students appear and I lean in, hoping they don’t see me. They pass, laughing about none other than yours truly. Once they're gone, I take my leave. Staying close enough behind them keeps me undercover, but not too close that I look sketchy.

Eve’s girls sit in the communal area of the building, her cackle filling the air. Moving to the door, I keep my head down all the way out into the open Clementine air. After holding up in Chaya’s dorm for days, the first breath of fresh, crisp air brings some life back to my body.

Finally dropping my hoodie below my mouth, I take off. My sneakers to the concrete, I chase my thoughts. Each idea gets easier to handle as I move further and further away from the dorms. I know not to go too far, but I need to be far enough that no one notices me. I don’t get that feeling I usually get on campus, that someone’s watching me. I don’t feel protected or cared for either. And while my guard is up, my stomach twists.

Having the guys here was far from ideal. On paper. But it stirred something inside me again. It made me feel like I had an actual family. And now they’re gone.

Was that all my fault? I slept with Feliks and hooked up with both of the twins like some horned up teenager.

Then I ruined them.

Coming up on the ravine, I push the tears out of my eyes as I near the water. The path turns into gravel, but that’s not slowing me. I’m still on campus, and while I'm not as safe as I used to be, I know the area.

At least I thought I did.

The path in front of me closes, arrows directing me elsewhere. With orange pylons lining the different path, it’s new, but I’ll take it.

My mind races as fast as my legs, all my time with Dom’s men in my mind. Their hard demeanour. Their soft touches. Feliks’ care, Lev’s charm and Vlad’s strength.

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