Page 7 of Little Nightmare

I should be used to the coldness, but my dad had always been warm—my family was a lot of things, but we were family, loving, loyal, tight. It was one of the reasons I wanted to go home. I knew I’d be surrounded with love not chilled by Ace’s silence.

Eyes stinging, I stared down at my folded hands. My skin was turning white from clutching them so tight in my lap. “Thats it, then?”

Ace cleared his throat as the car rolled to a stop at the light. He swiped across his phone. “We’re staying in the East Wing townhomes—two floor, corner master King. Best vantage point. Your morning classes start at 7:30, 9:15, and 11. I arranged for early drop-offs and private entry routes. You’ll have the day to spend with family and then we’ll need to go back to normal, you never know who’s watching.”

“Does it matter?" I snorted. “He’s dead.”

"And you’re alive.” Ace finally turned to me; his dark hair kissed the nape of his neck, curling at the top of his shoulders. “I intend to keep you that way. We have no idea why someone was after you of all people.”

“Because I’m not important?”

"Did I say that?" He said calmly. “We’re still looking into it, but the point is, until we know why you’re a target. You’re stuck with me and with that dorm. Ten death threats have been reported against the families in the past week. Your safety, regardless of how you feel at the moment, is my only focus.”

I shrugged. “We get threats all the time.”

“One was written in glitter pen; I still flagged it,” he felt the need to say. “You’ll have the day to mourn, and then we’re back at class. I think you’ll find the townhome on campus a lot less crowded than the dorms. Besides, it’s your senior year.”

I didn’t want him reminding me it was my senior year because I’d made plans for after.

Next week I had a doctor’s appointment that I’d be going to alone, and now I had to figure out a way to get Ace to wait outside or keep my secret—at least for now.

It had to have been the longest stoplight known to mankind. Ace reached across the console and opened up the glove compartment and pulled out a black contraption. “Taser, military grade, don’t get cute with it. It’s a weapon as you know. You’ll have a lot of eyes on you on campus and we have a strictno gun policy ever since your sister thought it would be funny to hunt down all of the geese.”

I shrugged and took the heavy taser into my hand. “We had a serious geese problem.” I pointed out. “And the dogs they set loose were exhausted from chasing them away.”

“It’s illegal to hunt within city limits.”

I snorted. “Are you really lecturing me on the legality of things? What’s your kill count at this point?”

"One more than my biological age, then again adding might be difficult for you.”

“So eighty-eight? Interesting.”

“Cute.” He nodded to the taser. “Put it away, use it if only necessary, point it at me and we’ll have even bigger problems than your inability to stop crying and sleeping with your own bodyguard.”

I flinched. “It wasn’t just sex, you asshole.”

"It wasn’t just business either, was it?” He pulled into traffic again. “Put the taser away. I won’t tell you twice.”

"Sure, I’ll just shove it in my panties.”

"Shove it up your ass for all I care, just put it away and try to focus on the next few hours before we go back to campus. We all have jobs to do, don’t make mine any more difficult than it already is.”

Tears burned the back of my eyes. “Real nice bedside manner, Ace.”

"I’m not your friend.” He said it so quickly and with such finality that the last shred of dignity I had in my body simply disintegrated the minute he ended the sentence. It’s not like I was expecting more but to have him say it out loud, to hear it did something to me.

I had my sister.

I had my cousins.

My parents adored me—I loved them right back.

But what do you do when you have a secret you can’t share? What do you do when you’re still mourning and trying to come up with a game plan while also trying to keep it all together?

My birthday was officially tomorrow.

We’d planned on celebrating.

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