Page 97 of His Property

I pull into Mae’s driveway, put my car in park, and turn off the engine. I was in a hurry to get here, but now I take my time getting out of my car. The closer I get to Mae’s door, the slower my feet shuffle.

Maybe I shouldn’t tell her. I mean, I plan on dealing with Cora as soon as she shows back up at her place—if you can call it that. I can scare the kid off too. Maybe let him watch me beat the shit out of Cora.

But the fact that he’d be ballsy enough to smash a brick through my window shows that scaring him won’t work. Cora has her teeth sunk into him deep, and I can’t blame him for being an idiot. She’s a master manipulator.

It’s her I’ll have to convince to leave TJ alone. He’s eighteen so there’s no legal threat I can make, but there has to be something I can do. I just haven’t figured it out yet.

One more reason to take my time before telling Mae.

The light is on in the living room, so it looks like she’s up. I knock on the door but don’t hear anyone moving inside.

“Mae, let me in,” I say, knocking again. “Look, I don’t know if you’re pissed at me or what, but I found out who that kid is, and I need to tell you about it. It’s important.”

Still no movement.

I look over my shoulder at the figurine Mae uses to hide her key, and I go to retrieve it.

I put the key in the door, but there’s no click. It was already unlocked. I twist the knob and slowly open the door, glancing around as I step inside.

There’s no one in sight.

“Mae?”

I walk to her bedroom entryway and see the bed is made.

“Mae?” I call, louder this time, and walk to the kitchen. Melted ice cream has overflowed from a cartoon and makes a thick, solidified stream on the tabletop.

My eyes narrow, and I frown.

I walk farther into the kitchen and spot Mae’s phone on the floor. I retrieve it, and pieces of the broken screen fall onto the floor.

What the fuck?

“Mae?” I yell, my blood pumping faster.

I hurry into the living room, whipping my head from side to side. Fear nestles itself inside me and starts to claw at my chest.

Something happened.

Cora?

I squint and try to think.

Would Cora really take Mae? Why?

Surely not.

But if not her, who?

What the fuck is going on?

My phone pings, and I yank it from my pocket and look at the picture that just came in from an unknown number. My spine steels, and my jaw clenches when I get the answer to what happened to Mae.

She lies on a floor with her hands behind her back and her ankles bound. She must’ve been knocked out because her eyes are closed, and her lips are slightly parted.

My fingers fly over the keys, and I hit send.

Who is this?

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