Page 204 of Captive Omega

“I was the big guy in charge?”

“Yeah, actually.” My parents live deep in suburbia and I couldn’t imagine Blaine driving out this way. Vaughn, I can see him driving this way, but not to sit outside my house. He’d walk right in, juggling those stars I kept thinking would kill him.

“I’m just here on an errand.” He reaches behind my seat and pulls out a thick padded white envelope he thrusts my way. “Here.”

“What is it?”

“A bill.”

“A bill?” I eye it curiously. It has my name on the front and nothing else.

“Yep. You remember how you trailed bloody footprints all over expensive carpet? Well, Vaughn said it’s for a deep cleaning. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get blood out of wool.”

I struggle to believe he came all this way to bring me a cleaning bill. I know I said I would pay for it, but I never saw any blood on the carpet.

“You’re lying.” I hope.

He pushes the envelope into my hand, forcing me to take it or drop it. “There. My job is complete. Out you get.”

“But I?—”

“Out, out, out.” He shoos me away. “I have someplace I need to be.”

I get out of the car, grumbling as I slam the door shut.

He tears away in a squeal of rubber, and I back up before he runs over my bare feet. I glare after him until his car disappears at the end of the road, then I look at the envelope.

“Resa? What is it?” Mom calls from the house.

I tear into the envelope as I walk toward her. “A cleaning bill.”

Her brow furrows. “How big of a bill is it? That looks thick. Are they threatening to sue you?”

My steps slow. She’s right. It does look too thick. Scarily thick.

Bracing myself for the worst, I tip the envelope upside down, the contents spilling into my hand. I catch the papers but miss the key that hits the front lawn.

I ignore the key. I’m struggling to believe what I’m seeing.

“Theresa? What is it? You’re white as a ghost. Was it a lot of carpet? Will we have to re-mortgage?”

My laugh is shaky, and I suddenly need to sit down before I fall. “No, Mom. Just… This doesn’t make sense.”

“And the key?” She bends to pick it up and throws her arm around my shoulder, guiding me into the house.

“I’ll explain inside.”

Behind me, a car beeps its horn.

It’s the gray Audi parked in the same spot.

“He must have driven around the block and come straight back,” I mutter.

Frost lifts his hand in a cheery wave.

I give him the middle finger.

“Theresa!” Mom hisses.

---