Page 64 of Redemption
Oh no.
I’m pretty much possessed by a demon at this point, and that bitch is filled with vengeful rage. I lost my guys to a pack of delusional, culty fucks; was hunted like a wild animal through a fucking historical garden; my ex came back from the dead; we got attacked by a swarm of zombies and then marched throughthe woods all fucking day while I waited patiently to get some freaking answers the entire way only to be supremely let down. I’m bloated, in pain, and in serious need of chocolate or cake or something drowning in sugar. So, dammit, after all that, I’m gonna get some answers right this fucking second if it kills me!
“Don’t forget about my glorious incarnation...,”a psychotically cheery voice chirps from behind me.
MOTHERFUCKING FUCKITY FUCK!
I extend my arm in Dare’s direction and point my finger as if it were a harbinger of doom. “Don’t youlittle honey badgerme, you fucking asshole. You owe me! Something. Anything! I need fucking answers, and I need themnow!” You’d think I’d be too tired to fight after everything that’s happened, but agitated frustration consumes me, causing me to pace the length of the living room.
I see him take a deep breath, about to start his own little story, but he’s taking too long. Which means he’s probably just trying to fix a story together instead of telling me the truth. Well, fuck that shit. I cut him off before he gets the chance to spew some more distorted fabrications or deflections. “You originally said you wanted me to get as far away from that town as possible. To run away and never look back. But it only took a little bickering on my end for you to finally cave and back down, agreeing to join me to find my guys. Said if it was the one thing to make me happy, you’d do it. You’d lead me right to their doorstep.” A rogue tear falls down my cheek before I smack it away.
“And me, being the lost girl at heart and missing you so much after all these years, I decided to look the other way when everything in my gut said to not listen to you. Not when you’ve already hurt me so much. I should have listened. I should haverealized that you’d been holding a fucking bomb this entire time. The fact that youworkfor them.” I’m forced to look away when my anger gets the better of me. My eyes glaze over with the unshed tears I’m straining to keep back, but, in the span of an instant, my mind clears as a thought enters my mind.
I stop pacing and look directly at Darius, daring him to look away and show his guilt. “Back at Tryon, it seemed a little too convenient that you just so happened to be in the same exact place at the same damn time as me. The odds of that happening by chance are astronomical.” I tilt my head the other way, eyes narrowing as his breaths quicken, knowing I’m on the right track.
“How did you know I’d be there, Darius? To wait in that particular garden? At that entryway? How is it possible that you, out of every fucking person left on this godforsaken continent, knew to be right there at that exact time?”
“He did say he works for them... just never said what hedoesfor them...”
My gaze finds my imaginary twin behind Darius, and instantly, my hackles rise once more, my mouth dropping open with shock and betrayal. She points her fingers down to his bag. To the odd shape concealed inside that I hadn’t noticed until just now.
In a swift move, I blow past him and bend down to rifle through his pack. The son of a bitch doesn’t move as I tear it apart. Doesn’t speak. Doesn’t stop me either. He knows what’s in there. Knows what I’ll do if I so much as find what I think might be in there. He also sees the scorned look on my face when I find the damning evidence of his betrayal.
Lifting the tiny drone, my hands shake with barely restrained anger. I press the power button, and music fills the air.
Bob. Fucking. Marley.
“You motherfucker! You led them right to us! They could be fucking dead because of you! How could you?! HOW COULD YOU?!” I shake my head in disgust and drop the drone, waving to Sadie to follow as I head for the exit.
That rat bastard. It wasn’t a hallucination after all. He used that damn thing to spy on us the entire time, letting the others know where we were theentirefucking timeso they could take us out one by one. And then he wanted me to just leave my guys to rot after those assholes stole them away?! Wanted me to run away into the sunset and forget all about them?
Well, fuck him.
I lift a hand to the doorknob, about to leave his ass in the dust, but that’s not enough for me. Instead, I turn around, march right up to him, and punch his good-for-nothing face right in the eye.
Back when we used to date, I was the epitome of a pacifist. I never even wanted to kill a bug, let alone hit someone out of anger. Oh, but how the times have changed. The shock of all this violence coming from the least violent person he thought he knew is enough to render him speechless, allowing me to do it again... and again. My fists fly as I take my anger out on his pliant flesh.
And it feels magnificent!
After a few more good hits, however, he finds my wrists and pins them down to my sides. Doesn’t matter; he got the point and two black eyes to boot.
“Goddammit, woman, stop it!”
Working up some saliva, I spit right in his backstabbing face. “Don’t call mewoman, asshole! I’m so much more than that. In fact, right now? I’m your worst fucking nightmare.” I lift my knee and aim straight for his nuts, but he manages to keep his head enough to dodge my attempt at the last minute.
Damn it all to Hell. Of course it wouldn’t work a second time.
Fed up with my assault, he doubles down, pulling me into a tight bear hug, forcing me to surrender. “Goddammit! Listen to me! It’s not what you think!”
“Oh? And what is it? You tripped and fell into their cult? Or are you—?”
“I’m helping people escape!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dare
“I’m helping people escape!”
