Page 82 of The Phantom's Vice

The Sanctum.

I was too blind to realize his loyalty always lay with them. That even if he wanted to be a good man, his programming would not allow it.

Even as I sit here, waiting for the ax to break through the door, a part of me still cares for him. Still wants to help him.

That’s how bad they can get you.

Brett—I was a shitty mother. You deserved so much better, and I wish I could write out all the ways I would make it up to you. But the fact is, in a few minutes, he’s going to burst through that door, and I am going to die.

I will never get to take you prom dress shopping. I will never get to see the smile on your face when you get married. Will never get to hold your hair when you cry, or nurse you through your first heartbreak. For that, and so much more, I’m sorry. And I hope you can forgive me.

But if I can give you one last piece of advice, it’s to never, ever trust a man in a mask. No matter how good he makes you feel.

I love you, sweet girl. Goodbye.

I flip violently through the rest of the book, trying to find something—anything else. But there’s nothing. Nothing but a few splatters of blood toward the end of the pages.

No. This can’t be all. It can’t.

My stomach churns as images of her body, bloody, beaten, and limp swim through my mind. I remember the picture on my laptop I saw all those weeks ago at what became of my poor mother. Whathedid to her.

I look down at the little brown book, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.This is why he didn’t want me to see this. He saw her warning and knew it would have an effect on me.

Well, it did. And the fact he lied to me about itonly makes me more suspicious. If something like that could happen to my mom…

I shake my head. No—no, that’s not Ghost. I’veseenhim. Iknowwho he is, and I know he would never harm me. My mom chose the wrong man, and in the back of my mind, I secretly wonder what would have happened if she had chosen Maverick.

As I look down at her scrawled words, I realize what I have to do. As much as I’ve come to adore Ghost, I know he’s so protective of me, he won’t let me do what needs to be done. This needs to be taken to the FBI, and I know if I tell Ghost he’ll just drug me and tie me to the bed in the basement or something.

My legs are over the side of the bed before I realize I’ve made up my mind.

I need to escape.

I scramble throughout the whole house, trying to find something that looks like it would unlock the door. I’m sure it’s some sort of magnetic locking device, but for the life of me, I can’t find a single thingthat would work.

I’m about to call it quits—maybe this is the universe telling me escaping is a horrible idea—but then Venom’s insistent mew breaks out to my left. I raise my head from my hands, noticing Venom perched on the shelf next to the Ghost’s father’s head.

“Venom! Get away from that thing!” I cry, trying to shoo him away from the horrible abomination. Venom’s yellow eyes narrow, and he reaches a little paw out and nudges the side of the heavy jar.

“Venom! Don’t you dare!”

But hedoesdare. In slow motion, the jar slides from the shelf and falls to the ground. My mouth opens wide in horror, knowing there’s nothing I can do but watch as glass and murky, acrid-smelling liquid splatter all across the floor.

I hold my hand to my mouth, closing my eyes from the sight of the bloated head rolling across the ground. It hits the edge of the cabinet with a dullthunk,and I have to breathe through my mouth to stop myself from vomiting.

As if things weren’t bad enough, Venom jumps down to the ground and makes a beeline for the head, careful to step around the puddle of disgustingness.

“Oh please, no,” I moan, placing my hands on my knees as my stomach turns over. “Venom,why?”

He lets out an irritatedmew,plopping his fluffy butt on the ground next to the head. When I don’t move, he looses several more calls and a hiss, the latter of which finally gets my attention. Against everything inside me screaming not to, I step over toward that hideous pale head, keeping my eyes trained to a spot just above so I don’t have to look directly at it.

Venom howls, reaching a paw out and swatting the back of the head. I screech, reaching down and attempting to scoop him up away from that thing, but he easily escapes me.

“Meow!” Venom circles the head, his haunches raised.

“What the fuck is up with you?” I wonder, trying and failing again to grab him.

Venom raises his paw and swats at a spot just below that head’s ear, and that’s when I finally notice it. A tiny bulge in the skin, just like the one on Ghost’s wrist.

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