Page 80 of Brightness

The thing is, I should be taking this all in. I should be paying attention to my surroundings, taking notes about how to make an exit strategy…

But I can’t.

I can’t think.

I’m finding it hard to simply breathe.

I saw these assholes light the bungalow on fire with Void inside, and now I’m sure he’s nothing but a pile of ash.

When they dragged me away, kicking and screaming, I’ve never felt so much pain in my life.

Splintered.

Now, I’ve grown numb.

I completely understand Void and how he got his name, because right now, that’s exactly how I feel.

Like a void.

Emotionless.

Unfeeling.

Not willing to fight for anything, because now, there’s nothing left to fight for.

“So, you see, we’d been tracking Cade for a while using his cell.”

My ears click into what he’s finally telling me, and my head snaps to the side. “Wait, what? You were following us?”

Wyatt lets out a huff. “Have you not been listening? Yes, from the moment I got out of jail, I had my tech guys hunt him down. Then we tracked his movements. When I saw he was stationary on Van Dyke Road, we went to check it out. Needless to say, that accident helped us in so many ways.”

I tilt my head. “The photos?”

A devilish glint lights up his face. “Not just that, darling Ivy. Cade was so off his face he had no idea my disciples were on his side of the road. He called for backup, then threw his cell on the ground and spaced out. We had the accident planned, but he made it so much easier being so out of it. It gave us ample time for my guys to move in and put all the software we needed on his cell.”

My muscles tense as I stare at him. “Like what?”

“We could hear everything. Track everything. And from that, we knew everything. And we also got lucky. Just once, darling Ivy, you turned on your phone, leading us directly to the safe house.”

“Jesucristo!” I whimper. This is all my fault!

“He won’t help you here, darling Ivy. I’m disappointed Cade never continued my work while I was wrongfully incarcerated, but I’m out now. We’ll get the plan back on track.”

This guy actually believes he was wrongfully jailed. Douche!

“I taught Cade everything he knows, so I know he will be perfect for running our farm.”

I can’t hide my scoff. “You’re delusional. Void isn’t like you at all. You’re a sex-crazed lunático!”

Wyatt stops walking and turns me to look at him. “It’s not about sex, Ivy. It’s about control. I want to hold power over women. They submit so beautifully. You’ll understand once you’re cleansed.”

I jerk my head back in confusion. “The fuck are you talking about?”

Wyatt’s eyes dance with a sinister glint, his lips turning up with an air of evil. A look he must have mastered well over the years—a sight to send the blood in your veins shattering into shards of ice. My adrenaline spikes as I swallow hard.

His hand moves to my lower back as he leads me toward the door of the main house. “You’ll see. It will all become clear in time, darling Ivy.”

Everything in me screams to not go inside the fucking house, but all fight has left me. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m being led up a giant circular staircase by three women. It’s like I’m blacking out and losing spaces of time. I can only put it down to the stress I’m feeling over losing Void after everything we fought so hard for.

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