Page 16 of Vengeful Rotten Casualties

“Because before you magically appeared,” he replies, “I had plans to meet Dean and the others there to discuss…” He trails off, his fingers gripping the steering wheel in a strangling hold. “Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

I sit back and consider his words. More has changed than I ever thought. “So, you and Dean Carter are … friends now?” I ask.

He scoffs. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends, but we’re no longer enemies.”

My mind races with this new information. Good, this is good. Luc’s connection to the Carters—and knowing how the Carters feel about Thomas—can help with my plan. A minor piece of me twinges at the thought, knowing that I’m about to use the man I used to love—the man I still do in a lot of ways—but it’s for the greater good and sometimes, sacrifices need to be made.

“I’m not sure if what I have to say should be shared with your new non-enemies just yet,” I say.

“Then you better start talking,” he replies, “because they don’t live far.”

“I’m serious, Luc,” I snap.

“So am I.” My nails dig into my legs at that comment and a growl threatens to erupt from my throat. Luc tosses me another look. “What’s wrong, pretty girl?” he asks. “Scared to tell me the truth now?”

Pretty girl.I close my eyes, relishing in that nickname. It’s been so long since anyone has called me pretty beyond something sexual and depraved. I know I don’t deserve such a moniker, not after everything I’ve done, but it warms my soul nonetheless.

“I came back for a reason, Luc,” I say. “And it’s a big one. We have a problem—you and I.”

“Oh,wedo?” He shakes his head. “As far as I’m aware we haven’t had shit in the last five years. You left. You disappeared.”

“You and I both know I didn’t go of my own volition.”

Silence. “Maybe not,” he agrees. “But … you’re over eighteen, you’ve been over eighteen for a few years now. Whatever happened, you should’ve been free to come back after that. You should’ve come back to me, but you didn’t.”

I close my eyes and this time, when I part my lips, I tell him the truth. “I wanted to,” I whisper.

The Porsche jerks beneath me and I open my eyes as he slams to a stop at a stoplight and turns toward me. When he looks at me, his eyes glitter with pain, with confusion. “Then why didn’t you?”

I smile at him, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. Instead, it’s a smile full of sorrow and hopelessness. I want nothing more than to touch his cheek, than to pull him in my arms and tell him that I would have always run back to him had I been able to. “We can’t always have what we want,” I say instead. “And I wasn’t free at eighteen. Your father made sure of that.”

Luc’s hand leaves the steering wheel and stretches out to me. He’s almost there, his fingers midair when the car behind us honks, stopping him. The beat it takes for him to freeze feels like it lasts an eternity. Finally, though, he reaches back for the wheel and the Porsche eases forward.

He swallows roughly and I prepare myself for this next question, knowing exactly what it’ll be. “What did he do, Micki?” His voice goes low, lower and deeper than I ever remember hearing from him. Something dark and dangerous trembles along the vibrations of it. “What the fuck did he do to you?”

I turn my face to the windshield, watching out the front of the car even as my mind catapults me back in time.

“He destroyed me, Luc,” I tell him. “He took everything inside me and he broke me. I couldn’t come back to you because I wasn’t me anymore. I might look like MiKayla Michaels now. I might remind you of the girl you once knew, but I’m not. I’m not her anymore, and I never will be again.”

8

LUC

I shouldn’t be shocked.In fact, I’mnotshocked. I’d known that the bastard did something to her, but without power—without connections—I’d had no way to find her and to find out what exactly he’d done. I’m terrified of the answer I know I’ll get from her, but I suck in a breath and shove down my own fear. There’s no place for it here.

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time,” I tell her. “Dean has a hacker on his payroll—well…” I don’t know if I’d consider Rylie exactly on the payroll anymore considering her circumstances, but it’s not like Micki needs to know all the details. “I was meeting with them tonight to talk about you.”

“Me?” She tilts her head as I turn a corner at a stop sign. “What about me?”

“They had some information they wanted to give me,” I say, glancing at her before returning my attention to the road in front of me. “They’ll wonder where I am if I just don’t show up.”

“So theyareyour friends.”

“No.” Dean and his crew don’t consider me anything more than a nuisance. A useful nuisance, but still a nuisance. I don’t want to tell her that. It would merely make me look weak. Five years apart and still I’m no closer to having good solid allies than I was when she left.

“They must be if they’ll care whether or not you show up,” she replies.

I don’t answer. It’s best she thinks whatever she wants for now. She’ll learn soon enough about my place in the Eastpoint world. I’ve carved a secret hole for myself and burrowed deep so they can’t extract me without bloodshed, but I’m still unwanted.

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