Page 18 of Whips and Chains
But it didn’t come. I squinted at them. “Why don’t any of you seem surprised?”
I knew they’d all seen their fair share of dead bodies, but surely men being decapitated in booby-trapped windows and death countdowns weren’t part of their everyday any more than they were part of mine?
Whip sighed heavily. “We need to tell you something now. They aren’t just targeting you. They’re targeting all of us. We’ve been getting letters from them, similar to the one you got last night, for the last few weeks.”
It took a moment for that to sink in fully. But when it did, it brought a cold flush with it that sent goosebumps across my skin. “You knew? You knew there was some psycho out there targeting me and you didn’t think that was information I should know?”
Whip’s gaze dropped to the floor.
Levi cleared his throat uncomfortably. “We didn’t actually know they were targeting you too—”
I held up my hand, not interested in being fed bullshit, and a whole lot of other things fitting together. “But you suspected, didn’t you? Even if they hadn’t directly threatened me, you suspected. That’s why the three of you haven’t left me alone for a second for the past few weeks. One of you has always been with me or sitting out in front of my apartment.”
I suddenly felt so stupid I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized any of this before. I barked out a bitter laugh. “Wow. And here I was, thinking you were hanging around just because you liked me.”
“I would just like it noted I was hanging around you long before Grayson told us to watch you,” X mumbled cheerfully around a mouthful of toast, clearly not picking up on the vibe in the room.
I just stared at him. “Grayson told you to watch me?”
Levi groaned, “Seriously, X. Shut up.”
I whirled on him. “No, you don’t get to tell him to shut up. At least he’s being honest, unlike the two of you. You knew I was in danger and instead of telling me, you three went all freaking macho and decided you knew best. That I was too weak and pathetic to take care of myself and I needed the three of you to do it for me.”
Levi reached for my hand, but I snatched it away before he could touch me.
He sighed, dropping it back to the countertop. “It wasn’t like that. We didn’t have any direct proof they would target you too, and we didn’t want you to live your life in fear, always looking over your shoulder. That’s a shit way to live, and you’d already been through enough, what with everything that happened at that house on Olympic Drive…”
I closed my eyes, remembering the way the owner of that house, Paul Jeddersen, had drugged me, stripped my clothes, and would have done so much worse if X hadn’t been there to stop him.
Suddenly, I could understand why they didn’t think I could take care of myself.
But the fact they’d judged me and formed opinions of my capabilities over that one event sent rage through me. I was more than the terrified, half-naked woman Paul Jeddersen had turned me into. I was also the woman who’d pitched anything in reach at X and Scythe when I’d thought they would hurt me. I was the woman who’d put herself together, alone in her room so I didn’t have to burden anyone else with my troubles. I was the woman who just last night had asked three men to fuck her because I’d needed something and made it happen.
I wasn’t always strong, but the three of them hadn’t seen any of that. And in underestimating me, they’d caused my best friend’s death.
“Get out.”
Whip winced at the ice in my voice. “Sweetheart, we can’t. Not after what happened last night.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You can’t? This is my goddamn home, and I’m telling you to leave. So get out.” My gaze switched to the other two. “All of you.”
“Vi, he’s right. We can’t leave you here alone. We need to work out what we’re doing next.” Levi’s mouth formed a tight line.
Rage rose inside me, and my voice rose right along with it. “I said, get out!”
All three of them stared at me, guilt riddled all over their faces, but refusing to budge.
I couldn’t believe them. My stool scraped along the kitchen tiles as I jerked it back and got off, leaving my half-eaten bacon and eggs behind. “If you won’t leave, then I will.”
I stormed to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
My anger with them only increased when I heard them reassuring each other I couldn’t go anywhere. We were on the third floor, and the fire escape was outside the living room, not my bedroom.
Oh, fuck them. I picked up my phone, made a single call, and then started shoving clothes into a bag. I didn’t even know what I put in there, I was too blinded by rage and hurt and embarrassment, and an ache that wanted to consume me if I let go of any of those other feelings. I jerked on clothes, yanking a hoodie over my head so roughly it caught on my earring and ripped at my lobe painfully.
But the pain only spurred me on. And when I got a text, I was ready.
Bag over my shoulder, I stormed back into the living area.
