Page 92 of Back In the Shadows

Cami snorted. “It took you getting kidnapped for me to learn the truth.”

I laughed. “Yeah, it’s because I love you and wanted to keep you safe.”

“How are you doing? Like really doing? So much has been going on, but no one has forgotten what you lived through. I’ve just not had time with you to grab our favorite ice cream and crawl in bed for a talk and cry day. I’m sorry. I should have done that as soon as you came home instead of falling apart on you about Death. I was a shitty friend, and I’m really sorry. I love you, and I need to know how you’re doing.”

My eyes misted over with her apology and concern. I swallowed over the lump in my throat.

“No matter where I am, I don’t feel safe unless I’m at the penthouse. Since it’s such a high-end building, the security is top-notch and no one can even reach the elevator without first getting past the doorman, then the security at the entrance, and getting past the desk is difficult. Not to mention you have to have a keycard to access the elevator. We’re tucked away, and I’m with the guys, but I hate to close my eyes at night, even with Sebastian next to me. The nightmares are intense.”

“Do you think it will help if Death … uh … disposes of the man that held you captive?”

I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her we had Xavier. If he died, then Cami would be an accomplice, and I didn’t want to add to her growing list of criminal activity. “Maybe. I guess if it happens, I’ll see how I feel then.”

“I’m always here, even in the middle of the night. I will be glad when you come back, though.”

“Me too.” My mind raced with anticipation for Sebastian’s return, but a sense of unease gnawed at my gut. A nervous energy pulsed through me, making it impossible to calm the churning in my stomach. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.

47

DEATH

“They’ll tell tales of the lamb that strayed, but none will speak of how the darkness sang it sweetly home.” ~ Anonymous

“If this is true, then why are you telling me all of this now?” I asked, suspicious of his every word.

“Because you deserve to know the truth.”

“I don’t buy that,” I growled.

“You have no choice. But let me continue with Emma Jo and Martin.” He crossed his legs before he continued.

“Over the years, my appetite grew, and I became known as the Pied Piper. It fit, so I was fine with the nickname. Emma Jo struggled with what my work entailed, though.” He flashed me a sly grin. “Not many can understand the bloodlust and fascination with what we do, Death. But …” He pointed at me. “There’s a little twist here. She appreciated what I did enough to blackmail me into killing your father.”

“For what he did to me?” I asked, my voice low and deadly.

“Yes. She hated him for it, and she hated herself for being a coward and not standing up to him. Emma Jo couldn’t afford my services, so she threatened to turn me in for the backlist of my victims. Since our tight-knit group held our dirtiest secrets,she had access to a few of the names, but not many. Clearly, I couldn’t have that. Not to mention that if I ended Martin’s life, she would hold that over my head as well. If she was willing to blackmail me once, she would do it again.”

“So, you killed her first.”

He winked at me. “Exactly.”

“Why did you use me to help kill my father … Martin?” I spit out the word “father” with venom, refusing to give that title to Martin any longer. He was a despicable creature, capable of unspeakable acts against innocent children. “Why did you manipulate me into helping kill that monster? I was just a kid,” I said, my voice shaking with rage.

“You were at a perfect age for me to train. Emma Jo mentioned there was something dark about you. She at times was more terrified of you than Martin. Poor woman really stepped in shit when she stole you. No offense, but she was trapped and terrified of the man she slept next to and the young man she’d taken in as her own son. It all turned out to be a little fucked up if you ask me.”

“Why was she scared of me? I never laid a hand on her even if I wanted to.” I stared at him, trying to read his expression, but he was an expert at masking his thoughts.

“She said she began to see the moment that you weren’t yourself. Emma Jo said she sensed an unspeakable evil lurking within you, a darkness that made her skin crawl. And yet, you were always a good young man, never causing any trouble. However, as you grew older, she noticed a change in you. You started watching her while she cooked dinner, your face turning cold and calculating, twisting into something sinister. She actually said that your eyes turned from blue to grey. I couldn’t ignore the signs anymore. When I finally killed your parents, it confirmed my suspicions. You carried the same darkness as me,but yours manifested itself differently … as Death. I may be just one man, but you … you are two.”

I didn’t know how to process this information, but deep down there was a small sense of gratitude for being freed from the clutches of the monstrous man who raised me. The Pied Piper had unwittingly set me free from his cruelty. And yet, even in death, Martin’s spirit haunted me with memories seared into my mind like branding irons.

“So, there you have it. Those are the answers to your questions.” He slapped his leg as if he was announcing that our conversation was over. It wasn’t.

“And what happened to Xavier?”

“Oh, your brother?”

I nodded, not willing to claim him as my blood.

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