Page 179 of Unspoken Truths

“Where the fuck is Ignacio?”I ask, dropping back on the pool chair.

I don’t know what the hell is going on with him. He’s been distant lately, saying his dad has him working like crazy after Theo shaved off the Little Mouse’s hair. I hate that she’s not at school anymore.

It’s making all of this so much more difficult.

“The school is having a dance today, which means everyone will be busy there,” I murmur. “I heard they’re forcing Ignacio’s dad and stepmom to chaperone under the guise of volunteer work. It would be a good time to do this.”

Headmaster Cooper’s continued reign of excellence hinges on us succeeding, which means he’s pulling strings behind the scenes. It just shows me how much is riding on our bet.

The Kings’ Society expects us to make this work.

“Snatch and grab?” Theo asks, pulling up Google Earth to search Ignacio’s home.

It’s scary how clear the woods leading up to the house are. It even gives us different options to hike into the house. If the asshole wasn’t so busy all of the time, we’d be able to tell Ignacio about our plan. We’re on our last possible day now, and my patience is shredded.

My parents have been home for the last month, which means my uncles and grandfather have been as well. When hiding in my room isn’t possible, I’m forced to listen to my parents give me information about the business and how things work.

Sometimes, that means watching videos of the auctions from private, encrypted videos as they happen live. Apparently, not yet being eighteen, doesn’t mean I can’t watch them from the comfort of my own home.

Every night it happens, I puke until I nearly pass out after I watch them, unable to handle how fucking disgusted I am. I always make sure no one can hear me, because my parents would view it as a sign of weakness.

The level of depravity I’m forced to watch, knowing this is my legacy, isn’t something I’m able to accept. The little mouse has to be exterminated tonight so I can be free. It’s my life for hers.

“We have to make sure we’re able to get into the house,” I rasp, “without getting shot at or caught.”

“On it,” Theo murmurs. “I have a plan I’m working on. We’ll probably need to sedate her as well so that she won’t scream.”

“That feels awfully humane,” Jared snorts.

Her death won’t be even remotely like that.

“We can make sure the sedation won’t last very long,” I decide.

The three of us have been fantasizing about all the ways we want to kill her. Ignacio doesn’t chime in when we whisper to each other during lunch in the cafe as we eat, which doesn’t sour the experience for me at all. It’s even more fun since I can watch Lili as I plot her girlfriend’s death.

Don’t fall in love with a dead girl.

Death isn’t a euphemism in the Kings’ Society. We are fully expected to kill her.

“Can we get syringes with a heavier sedative in case we run into a guard?” I ask. I really am worried about them, which is why I’m fixating on it.

“Yeah, I can get access to it,” Jared says. “Any other medication you think you’ll need to quiet your mind?”

“It’s like a nervous energy,” I explain. “This has to go perfectly, and it feels really fucking wrong for Nacio to be missing in action.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to get worried,” Jared admits. “It’s like he’s only half here, but if his dad is on his ass about the little mouse’s continued health, he could die along with her.”

“I don’t plan for anyone to find her,” I reply. “We’ve gone over a lot of different options over the last few months, fantasizing about how we’re going to kill her. Let’s go with the one where she’s a missing person’s case.”

“Should I write a goodbye note that matches her handwriting?” Theo asks seriously.

“Yes, it couldn’t hurt,” I decide. “She’s had so many difficulties fitting in, after all. We can make it sound as if she decided to walk out of the house to keep everyone from having to worry about her. Keep it vague, but end it so it sounds like she’s planning to kill herself.”

Putting our heads together, we begin to put our plan in motion. We’re going to make a girl disappear into thin air tonight. That gives us until midnight to make it happen.

* * *

RACHELLE

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