Page 115 of Diem

“Diem doesn’t tell me anything,” I repeat woodenly, my heart in my stomach. What if this was my last chance? What if I’m sending my dad to prison for something he didn't do? But I can’t throw Diem under the bus for this. I can’t and I refuse to analyze why. It is what it fucking is.

Skull taps my forehead and says, “Not my problem. Get the goods or I’m taking it out of your skin.”

With that, he stalks away while I stare after him. Shit. What happened to exchanging information? Now I’m beholden to the fucker anyway?

With dismay, I search the crowd for Bone and find Penny instead. She looks away as soon as I meet her gaze, but I march through the masses. Except when I get to the other side, she’s gone.

When I turn, I find Hate looming over me with a scowl. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I’m leaving,” I say heavily, but he grabs my arm.

“This ain’t the place for you. I catch you here again and McCafferty will be all over your ass.”

I’m tempted to argue but freeze at his forbidding frown.Luckily his attention is turned, and I slip away while he speaks animatedly to some dude.

With a sigh, I exit into the parking lot and stalk to my car. When I arrive, I pause to find something on the windshield. My heart sinks to my toes though when I pick up the scrap of fabric between two fingers and find a pair of panties with ‘hottie’ emblazoned on the back.

Glancing around with my heart in my throat, I crumple the fabric in my hand. What the hell does this mean? And can it possibly be coincidence it’s in the same place as the rabbit's foot Penny found on her car?

Wait…these look suspiciously familiar. Holy shit, are these my mom’s panties? Why?

“Mae? What the fuck are you doing here?” Diem barks and I jump, turning around.

“I…” I say as his eyes drop over me before pausing on my hand. When he grabs my fingers and uncurls them one by one, I stare at the fabric dumbly.

Who the hell put these on my car? Was it Diem? No way. No fucking way. He’s a complete bastard but he’s not sadistic. Right?

“What’s this?” he rasps, dangling the flimsy panties in front of my face.

His nostrils are flared like a bull, and I can see he’s gearing up for a lecture or to freak the fuck out. Forestalling him, I wave at his hand and blurt, “I’m in trouble.”

“You sure as shit are.”

∞∞∞

Diem insisted he drive and with a sigh, I left my car behind, hoping his promise to get one of his guys to return for it is the truth.

Now, we’re standing in my room after Diem snuck through the window. Luckily, neither of my parents are around but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be home at any minute. I’m sick to my stomach at Skull’s threats but even more so the anonymous message.

Leaving those damn panties on the car implies that whoever was in the woods that night, knows I was there. Is this a shot off the bow? Or a promise? Does it matter, I’ve crossed from possible prank to holy shit, someone is out there watching me.

Diem glances around the room and his brows furrow before he turns to me. He’s been in my room countless times over the years, the twin-sized bed with purple flowers is the same. The rundown carpet with footwear and stains the same. But now every memory that eats at my soul is gone including the wall I hand-painted one summer.

The pictures that used to plaster my walls are gone. Even the poems I wrote, of silly shit that I thought were a part of me, have been packed away.

What’s left is an empty room with the ghostly specter of dust and worn spots where those pictures used to hang.

He looks me over with a mercurial expression, and I back away on shaky limbs, only stopping when my back hits the dresser behind me and the perfume bottle I left tinkles under the movement.

“Maeve?” he says, searching my gaze. I have no idea what he sees, but he narrows his eyes before saying, “What’s going on?”

I know I started this when I went to Fight Club, but I can’t stand opposite him and not think about the shit he’s spewed from his delicious lips. Not to mention Hailey and her new medical condition, which of all this, eats at my burning soul.

Unbelievable.

Shaking my head, I rasp, “Nothing.”

Chuffing, he holds out his hand and the panties drop, mocking me from his fingers. “Really? How about we start with this. Where did they come from, sweet? You show some dick my pussy?”

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