Page 40 of Ends of Being

I cock my head at her in confusion, frowning as I ask, “What?”

I know this isn’t the most eloquent response, but it’s all I can come up with, given how strange it is that I finally get kidnapped by someone other than Dare and it turns out to be this sunny blonde woman who’s happy to meet me.

It doesn’t feel right.

Then again, this is just as fucked up as every other fucked up thing that has happened over the last few weeks, so I guess it’s par for the course.

She laughs, and it is this little musical number that almost has me smiling in response. I squash it down and slide myself as far away from her as I possibly can because, for all I know, she’s going to stab me in the eyeball.

She raises both of her hands as if in surrender and says, “Relax, Antoinette. I mean you no harm.”

I glare at her. “And who are you?”

She smiles again, putting a hand out to me. “My name is Lilith. I’ve waited quite a long time to meet you.”

Tentatively, I reach out and take her hand in mine. It’s soft and warm, her grip firm but not punishing. “Well, Lilith. It’s nice that you know who I am, but obviously, I have no fucking idea who you are.”

She tsks, her lips twisting a little, seemingly in annoyance. “I should’ve known he wouldn’t mention me to you yet. He’s such a shithead.”

I raise my brows at her and ask, “Shithead?”

“Yes, Darius, the shithead. Apparently, he’s incapable of following instructions. I’m going to have to teach him a lesson.”

I huff and cross my arms over my chest in annoyance. “Oh, that’s a fucking understatement. That guy doesn’t tell me shit.”

Lilith’s frown deepens as she replies, “I’m sure he has his reasons, none of which any of us will find out until it’s over. I just wish he’d told you about a few of the people you might come across so you would know when to be scared.”

“Should I be scared now?”

She shrugs. “Perhaps.” Then she beams at me again as she continues, “But no need to be scared today. This is just a brief conversation to force Darius in the direction we want him to go.”

I shake my head and snort in response. “I don’t see how any conversation with me would get him to do anything that he doesn’t want to do.”

“Oh, well, I guess this will be a good test, then.”

She’s still smiling at me like she’s waiting for something. I look her over, getting even more annoyed with her tendency to speak in riddles. “What do you want, Lilith?”

“Call me Lils.”

I roll my eyes, then say through gritted teeth, “What do you want,Lils?”

She turns serious, her eyes narrowing. “I want you to know that I’m not part of the endgame.”

My glare deepens, my hands flailing about in frustration as I practically shriek, “Endgame? I don’t even know what fucking game you are talking about!”

She nods, reaching a hand out and squeezing my leg as she replies, “I know.” She looks at me thoughtfully, then continues, “Think of it as the ends of being—eventually, you have to let go of who you were and accept who you are.”

I start to reply, but she’s already exiting the car, the door slamming behind her with an air of finality. Then the car is moving, and I can only assume I’m being returned to where I was taken.

This “it’s really fucked up” theme of my life lately is getting old. All this talk about endgames and identity riddles, coming from this blonde woman I’ve never met before is enough to make my head spin. For all I know, she wants to warm me up just so she can tie me up and lock me in a basement somewhere.

If Dare shows up in the middle of the night thinking we’re going to have another sexy rendezvous, he’s going to have a rude awakening. No parts of me will be opening up to him until he opens up with all the words he has been withholding. I can’t keep wallowing around here blindly, never having a fucking clue what’s going on. The next time somebody takes me, for all I know, they’re going to slice and dice me and then have sex with my dead body.

I need explanations, I need answers, and I need to know the plan.

Abruptly, the car jerks to a stop, and some commotion erupts outside. I don’t move, just listen intently as I try to figure out what’s happening. I push buttons to see if everything is still locked down, but nothing happens. Loud popping sounds ring throughout the air, then silence, and my mind races as I attempt to make my body and brain work together.

My heart pounds in my chest, and I’m actively working on inhaling through my nose and exhaling out of my mouth. Suddenly, the door is yanked open, but this time, it’s not Lilith, nor is it one of the men who took me previously.

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