Page 200 of Bad for Me

The Duke tries to grab my arm, but I shake her off and race toward the room. Sinister’s eyes widen, and he screams into the gag, shaking his head. He struggles against the bonds, the muscles in his arms standing in relief. It’s enough to warn me when a shadow appears from behind the door.

Richard steps out from behind it with his gun raised and pointed at my head. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the little bird, alive and well. I have to say, I was surprised to discover you were still alive.” I freeze in place as childhood memories slam into me with the force of a tidal wave. My teeth clench as I force them back into their box. I don’t have the luxury of spiraling.

“That both of you are still alive,” he goes on. “So imagine my surprise when I got word of Jack’s and Evan’s deaths, followed by Chris’s, Leo’s, and Thom’s disappearance. You two have been busy, haven’t you?”

“We have,” I agree. A smile lifts the corners of my mouth. “All to draw you out, of course. Thank you for making it easy for us.”

Richard’s features twist with unease, and I take that moment to drop to the ground. The Duke steps forward and shoots him in the leg but not with one of her rubber bullets. His knee explodes in a shower of blood, and he drops his gun when he crashes to the floor with an ear-piercing scream. The Duke steps over me and kicks the gun away before heading toward Sinister.

“You can take the trash out,” she says, tossing me a grin.

I crawl to my knees and straddle Richard’s waist, placing one knife to his throat. “Who do you work for?”

He sneers at me, even as he writhes in pain. “Go fuck yourself, you little cunt.” My arm whips out, and I stab it through his hand, pinning him to the wooden floor. His back arches beneath me, trying to buck me off him as he lets out a pained shout.

“Who do you work for?” I scream back at him, pressing the other knife tighter against his throat. A slick line of blood appears, and Richard’s eyes bulge.

“Governor White,” he grits out, baring his teeth at me. “He’ll roast you both alive. He’s better guarded than Fort Knox—you don’t stand a chance against him.” The last of his words come out gargled as I plunge the knife into his chest. Years of suffering and hatred pour out of me as my arm swings down over and over again. Hot metallic blood splatters my face and obscures my vision, while tears stream down my cheeks and pool on his chest.

Time ceases to exist as I exorcise my demons on the man responsible for it all. His heart stops beating long before I’m satisfied, and I only stop when Sinister pulls me off him and wraps his arms around me.

I sob into his shoulder, hot desperate tears of relief. He’s okay. He’s alive. The pain in my chest eases as he whispers in my ear. “It’s okay. Shh, Wren. Sinister is here, and no one will hurt you again. You’re safe.”

EPILOGUE

SINISTER

One month later

I lean on my elbow,staring down at Wren. My hand runs up and down her back, soothing her while she sleeps. I’ll never forget the way she looked the day she came to rescue me, all fierce and murderous.

It still irks me that Richard got the jump on me, but he came with a team of men that he dismissed after he took the compound. My chest aches with the memory of Aidan’s passing, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. I wish he hadn’t suffered such a violent death, but it was a quicker and perhaps more merciful one than the one that awaited him.

Wren shifts and mumbles under her breath before burrowing into my chest. She’s the lone light in the dark, the whole reason I continue to breathe. She’s stood by me every step of the way—planning and executing Aidan’s funeral, cementing my place as the head of his organization, and coming up with plans for our future.

Because, let’s face it, there is no future without her.

* * *

We stand outsidethe door leading to the restaurant’s kitchen with our backs pressed against the wall. Inside, chefs bustle about, finishing the five-course meal for the group of eighteen men gathered inside. They booked the entire restaurant for their party, and their obnoxious laughter rises above the clatter of pots and pans.

I lean over Wren and place a staccato of knocks on the door. Moments later, the five chefs exit with their heads turned down and file into a waiting bus. Carlos, after surviving the attack on the compound, wanted in on our little adventure, and offered to drive the chefs home.

Wren and I slip inside, the scent of spices and cooking meat assaulting our senses. I pull out the glass bottle The Chemist gave me. Inside is an odorless, tasteless poison that induces terrifying hallucinations, followed by bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears. As it works through your system, it destroys your veins and melts your organs, leading to an agonizing death within twenty minutes of digesting it.

I add it to every dish, and for good measure, dump some into the water pitchers too. When I’m done, I signal for the seven waiters to come in. The Duke allowed us to borrow some of her men, who were all on board with dressing up in tuxedos and moonlighting at waiters.

Six of them disappear into the restaurant with their trays of food and water, while the seventh slips around to the front and bolts the doors with heavy chains. Once they’re served, we leave out the back and secure those doors as well.

Wren whoops and does a little happy dance before flinging herself at me. “We did it.”

I chuckle and bop her on the nose. “We did. Want to watch?” She scoffs and grabs my hand, entwining our fingers. We take a leisurely stroll around the outside of the building, coming to a stop at the front where large picture windows dominate the walls.

Governor White stands in front of the table with a glass in his hand as he gives a toast. The seated men raise theirs in return—some of whom were frequent visitors at Grammy Lockwood’s Home For Girls.

We watch as they spoon their poisoned soup into their mouths, and it isn’t long before the first sign appears. A man throws himself out of his chair, his mouth open on a scream, pointing at the opposite wall.

The hallucinations have begun.

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