Page 41 of Dangerous Deviance
“Everyone has enemies,” I offered, trying to downplay it.
“But this has to be a big one.” He speared a piece of honeydew, then stared at it, marveling at the shades of green. “Leaving bodies like that. Chopped up.” My heart clenched. I had remembered that. He had made the connection between my nightmares of my sister, and the murders of his men in the woods. “No one’s claiming it,” he said. “Maybe because they’re afraid of us.” He laughed, then ate the melon.
“Do I have any reason to be afraid of you?” I asked hesitantly.
“Not since you learned the rules,” he grinned. “But seriously. Everyone in this state knows you don’t mess with an Adler. We conquer. Annihilate. Rule. That’s just what we do.” He sighed. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if—”
A sharp ringing noise pulsed through my brain, making all other sounds fizz out. I dropped my fork, watched it fall on the plate, but I couldn’t hear it clatter. All I heard was that wiry noise, pushing everything else away. I held my forehead.
Wil mouthed my name, but his voice was muffled as if he were speaking through a wall. He put a hand on my back, and suddenly, the ringing stopped. I blinked my eyes, trying to make sure that it was really gone, and when I confirmed that, I turned to Wil, out of breath.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I said. But something was off inside of me, like I was going to be sick. I could hardly move without wanting to puke.
But I decided to ignore it. Things were finally going right with Wil; I didn’t want to ruin it with my paranoia. The ringing must have been in my imagination. Tinnitus. Too much loud music. Everything could be easily explained.
Just like I could logically explain my trust for Wil when I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him at all.
But that didn’t seem right either.
What the hell was going on?
I picked up my fork, stabbing a bite of eggs, but I wasn’t hungry anymore. Still, I wanted to be normal. To pretend. To move on. To look forward for once.
“What were you saying?” I asked. “Something about your brother?”
“Well, it’s not just my brother,” he said, eager to get back into the conversation. “You see, we’ve got a reputation,” he smirked. “The legacy follows us. So whoever is messing with us, knows that we’re the Adlers and that our name carries weight. We can’t be scared easily—”
The ringing was sharp, as if it could slice through the tissue of my brain, shredding it until it was mush. I grabbed my head, the fork dropping again, and this time, everything went white. My vision. Wil’s voice. Everything was gone.
Kill him.
I blinked it out, trying to wish away the voice, but it was louder. Warmth landed on my back, a hand was holding me there. But then I heard it again.
Kill him.
“Ellie!” a man shouted.
I blinked my eyes. It was Wil. He was holding me against the wall, shaking my shoulders. Trying to wake me up.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked.
I stared at him, trying to find the proof that I knew was there. Who was he?
“What did you say your last name was?” I asked.
“Adler,” he said slyly. “You hear about us in Pebble Garden too?”
I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to get everything back into focus. Yes, I had heard things. I had seen things. Knew the carnage his family had wrought on innocent lives.
Hack his body—
The voice felt as if it were coming from inside of me, building in my heart and bursting through to my brain. Wil furrowed his brows, forcing a smile.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked. “Do you need to lie down?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t lie down. Not now.
