Page 5 of Their Deviant Love
The place is eerily quiet. I have no doubt this building is haunted as shit. I just need to get what I came for and then leave.
“Here it is.” Gavin picks up a small metal box and passes it to me.
“That’s it?” I take the box with my free hand. It has a combination lock on it.
“Yep, I’ll, ah… leave you to it then?” he says.
“I’ll take it with me.” I turn and walk back up the stairs after Gavin. I thank him for his time before heading outside.
“What’s in the box?” Patty asks me when I slide back into the car a few minutes later.
“No fucking idea. Drive. We need to get to Aisling’s,” I tell him, putting in the only code I think my father would use. My mother’s birthday. The box unlocks, I open the lid, and all I find is a bunch of old documents.
I pick up the first piece of paper and unfold it. “No fucking way,” I whisper.
“What is it?” Patty asks. He eyes the box on my lap but pulls out into traffic.
I fold the little piece of paper back up and tuck it into my pocket. “The key to my fucking freedom.”
Chapter Three
Ican’t sleep. I’ve been lying in this bed for hours. The lights are on, because I don’t want to be in the dark. I used to love the dark. Now I can’t stand it. I’m doing everything I can think of to take my mind off the nightmares. Tonotthink up every possible scenario that could be playing out with Connor right now. None of them good.
I should have insisted I stayed with him. Why would he want us to be apart? Is he actually coming back?
We’re at his cousin’s house. That little bit of knowledge is somewhat comforting. My Uncle Theo arrived about an hour ago. He gave me a disapproving look before he said something to my father.
A knock at the door has me jumping out of my skin and my fingers clenching around the knife in my hand. “Yeah?” I call out and my father walks in.
“Can’t sleep?” he asks.
I shake my head and release the knife, pushing it under the blanket as he approaches the bed. He sits down. His glare lands on my face, and I curse myself for washing off my makeup.
“What the fuck happened?” he growls, taking my jaw between his fingers. He turns my head from side to side, inspecting every inch of my skin. The bruises have faded, but they’re still there.
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I tell him.
“Did he do this?”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Connor would never hurt me.” I roll my eyes. The idea of Connor being responsible for this is almost laughable. I’ve literally stabbed the guy and he didn’t react, didn’t try to get back at me.
“You better start talking, Aurora, or I’m going to assume the worst,” my dad presses.
“Papa, I’m fine. They found us. On the island,” I tell him.
“That’s why you left?” He really has no idea that I was taken. I didn’t think anything got past my family.
“How did you find me here?” I ask, instead of admitting I didn’t leave the island by choice. My family doesn’t need another reason to hate Connor. Especially when it wasn’t his fault.
“I tracked your calls. Then we ran into Levi, and he knew you’d be at that event tonight,” Dad says before pointing to my cheek again. “Who did this?”
“Papa, I really need you to drop it. Besides, Connor already killed the guy who did this.” I wave a hand around my face.
“His father?” Dad questions. And I nod in response. “You know, taking over a family at eighteen isn’t ideal and usually never ends well, Aurora.”
“It’s not like he has a choice, Papa. Connor never wanted to take over.” I know that as much as he might embrace the leadership that’s fallen onto his shoulders, it’s not the life he wants.
My dad picks up my hand, and then his expression turns to stone. “Tell me you didn’t,” he says, staring at the shiny ring on my finger. “This better be a fucking purity ring or something, Aurora.”
