Page 64 of Ends of Being

I frown at her. “Exit strategy? What does that even mean?”

She gives me a patient look, but Tony chimes in, “All she means is that if you feel you’re not suited to the type of life that we lead, then we’ll help set you up far away from it. You have a chance for a completely clean slate here, Nettie. You have the opportunity to remove yourself from all this darkness and keep your hands free of any more blood. And if that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll provide for you.”

I sigh, looking down at my hands as I whisper, “And what of Darius, then?”

No one says anything for a few moments, and I glance up to see the three of them looking at each other, but then, finally, Tony replies, “If Darius makes it out of this alive, and that is a very big if, he’ll want you to do whatever is best for you. He won’t fight it.”

I lick my lips and take a deep breath, blinking against the stinging behind my eyes. “That’s not what he said. He said there was a hard way and there was an easy way, and regardless of which path I chose, he’d be at the fucking end of it.” I lift my head, meeting Tony’s gaze as I continue, “And I’m gonna fucking hold him to it.”

Both Tony and Matt give me relieved looks, and Lilith beams at me gleefully as she says, “You don’t remember a lot about your past, but I bet you remember more than you think you do, and when push comes to shove, I have a feeling some of those life skills may just come popping right back.”

I can’t help but give her a pained look as I say, “Please define life skills.”

Her smile widens and she stands up from the couch, holding her hand out to me as she says, “I think I’d rather show you.”

I give her a skeptical look, then shrug my shoulders and reach my hand up to take hers. “By all means, lead the way.”

Lilith was not kidding when she said she would show me some life skills, and Tony and Matt were all too happy to assist.

The first thing they did was take me down into the basement. I’m not entirely sure if it can be called a basement, considering it’s more like a maze of very specialized rooms. I had never taken a good look down there before as the only room I had been in was the locker room where Dare marked me like the animal he obviously is.

While Lilith got herself situated with which skill she wanted to show me first, Matt filled us in on some of the conversation he had with his so-called reliable source. Matt figured that the source may be correct, but there’s always the possibility that people are being fed misinformation simply to lead us all into a trap. Both guys agree that the problem with the majority of the places where he is likely being held is that there aren’t too many ways out once you go in.

It’s in the middle of a random conversation about tracking devices and microchipping that I feel a little shock in my brain, and I stand there for a few minutes, trying to puzzle it together. I’m unsure if I’m remembering something that’s true or something that’s irrelevant, like a movie plot line. Am I recalling a favorite book, or have I suddenly remembered one of my earlier sneaky deeds?

Tony’s voice breaks me out of my thoughts. “Nettie, are you okay?”

I glance up, asking, “Does anyone recall what Dare was wearing in that warehouse?”

All three of them are now giving me a puzzled look before Matt eventually replies, “I’m not entirely sure, but what would that have to do with anything?”

I nod, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but I press on. “I think at some point in the past, I may have given Darius a watch. Do you think he was wearing the watch?”

Tony and Matt look at each other, then both return their gaze to me and reply at the same time, “Yes, he never takes that fucking watch off.”

My heart skips in my chest, and I bounce a bit with excitement that I may be onto something. “Do you think they would let him keep it?”

Matt shakes his head slowly as he replies, “I don’t fucking know. Probably not. But if they took it from him, then somebody who knows something would have it.”

I pull my phone from my back pocket and start scanning all the random folders that I always create for no real reason other than the fact I refuse to have more than two pages of apps. Of course, this just means I have files inside of files instead of files. Finally, I find an unlabeled app that just shows a bullseye, and I click on it, my eyes widening as it opens up to a map. I stare at it, holding my breath as it updates, not daring to move until suddenly, I’m staring at a blinking green dot.

I hold the phone up in the air, practically squealing with delight as I do a little victory dance. I stop and look around, and all three of them are now looking at me like I’m a complete fucking maniac.

“I found it!” I practically scream.

Tony walks over and yanks the phone from my hand, staring down at it in shock. “What the fuck is this, Nettie?”

I grin at him, then look over at Lilith as I say, “Apparently, a while back, I gave Darius a watch. A watch that just happened to have a tracking device in it.”

Lilith’s mouth drops open, and she gazes at me proudly. “Oh, that’s my devious little sister, right there.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Toni

Itfeelslikethemetal barrier in my brain has acquired little pin-prick holes, starting with the initial rush of memory from the warehouse. As time has gone by, I’ve gotten small bits that fall out of nowhere, and then, occasionally, those bits shift into a feeling that eventually takes on a shape.

The downside of this is that not all the bits that come back to me are ideal. I’ve spent the last short while believing that beneath my tendency to be a bratty little bitch, I’m a good person, but if these new bits are any indication, then it turns out my earlier belief is entirely false.

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