Page 88 of Twisted
“Two for two with lovely Order members,” I sigh.“I would say they’re not all like that, but most are.”
“I am sorry you had to grow up in that environment.Your talents should have been fostered, not feared.”
I shrug.“It is what it is.”
He puts his arm around me and we start toward the car.Before we get there, Dale and Randall try to confront us.
“Oh please,” I say, and roll my eyes, holding up my hand to let Xavier know I got this.Twisting my wrist, I conjure a ball of blue energy.Randall backsteps, tripping over Dale.They both fall, but Dale gets to his feet, hiccuping and reeking of whiskey.
“He told me the truth,” he slurs, and to anyone else, his words make no sense.But I know he’s talking about Ryder.“He just felt sorry for you.”Dale lets his eyes wander up and down my body.Xavier growls in response, being possessive.
“Are you deaf or dumb?”he growls, drawing his fangs as he talks and moves in front of me.
“Both,” I answer for Dale and step to the side, holding up the energy ball.Rage burns inside of me and I throw the ball at Dale, hitting him in the crouch.It zaps him like a taser and his body tenses and jerks.Urine drips down his leg, soaking his pants.He stumbles back, tripping over Randall.
“Let’s go,” I tell Xavier, who’s looking at me like he wants to ravish me right here and now.He picks me up and I hook my arms around his neck.He speeds us to the car and opens the passenger door for me.“Can we make a pit stop on the way?I want to pick something up.”
“Where do you want to go?”
My lips curve into a smirk.“The Russo family compound.”
CHAPTER34
Ipunch in the code but the door doesn’t unlock.I’m not surprised it’s changed since I left.Typically, the code is changed every few months for security reasons.We’re standing in front of the back entrance to the compound, and no one is inside.
“I can easily break down the door,” Xavier tells me.
“It’ll trigger the alarm,” I reply and put my hand on the keypad.Dropping my guard, I let my intuition guide me.“Hang on.”My eyes fall shut and I imagine Gia standing here, watching her little fingers push in the buttons.“Three, nine, seven, seven, zero, two,” I say as I punch in the code.The door opens.
“How did you do that?”
I shake my head.“I don’t know.I, um, just pushed what felt right.”
Xavier smiles.“You are so much more powerful than you realize, Wren.”
His words are a compliment, of course, but it makes me realize all over again how much I don’t know.Do I come from a line of empaths and psychics?What kind of powers did my mother have?Would I have had siblings if they’d lived?And my aunt?Was she married?Did she have kids?
I don’t want to believe they’re dead.
“Wren?”Xavier asks.“Are you all right?”
I blink and shake my head.“Yeah, fine.”Swallowing the lump in my throat, I push open the door.“This place isn’t really a house,” I say, turning to look at him.“But I invite you in?”
Slowly, he moves one foot through the threshold, testing it out.He’s able to come inside.
“I don’t get how that works,” I say as I turn on the hall light.Everything looks the exact same.It even smells the same.The faint scent of laundry detergent hangs in the air, as the laundry room is to the right.
“A home is a sacred place.A spell is cast, in a sense, without anyone having to do anything,” he explains.
“Oh, that doesn’t really help.”I shrug and move my hand out in front of me.“But, uh, welcome to my childhood home.”
“This is where you grew up?”
“Most of the time.Like I said, it’s not really a house.It was an old school building that was converted into a compound.A lot of Order members have lived here over the years.The Russos have had it for at least the last twenty-odd years or so.”
“Interesting.”He takes his time, looking at the photos hanging on the wall.Every single hunter who has ever lived here has their photo displayed here.It’s all men until the last ten or so years.Mabel would find this interesting, I’m sure.“What did you need to get?”
“Vivian keeps a journal,” I tell him.“Most hunters are encouraged to keep records.If I can find her old ones, I should be able to find entries about me.”
