Page 16 of Harbinger

I didn’t, but I still let my guard down. But what other choice did I have? I knew it was a risk. I knew that there were evil people out there—bad people who would possibly come after me. Bad people most likely associated with my parents. I should have just gone home by myself. I shouldn’t have told him a goddamn thing.

We all have regrets in this life, and this one may get me killed.

It occurs to me that my lack of self-preservation doesn’t seem to extend to real-life or death situations. I’ve been chasing a high most of my life now, and although I think I want danger and destruction, what I really want is the threat of it—without the actual life or death possibility.

Ronan’s smirk paired with Jerry’s steely gaze lights a fire in me. I’m unsure where it came from, but I feel it creep through my body, lighting me up.

They look at me like I’m weak, but I’m far from it. I’ve lived through worse than getting kidnapped by someone.

I’m better than this.

I straighten against the back of the couch and my shaking hands start to slow. My shoulders roll back.

The least I can do is become their worst nightmare.

“I haven’t talked to my parents in years,” I tell Jerry, ignoring the fact that she said we’re twins. I’m curious, but not curious enough to let it show.

“I know,” she replies, flicking a fuzzy from her black cargo pants onto the floor. “That doesn’t mean that you don’t know anything.”

“I know very little about them. I’ve worked for years not to have any association with them.”

“But you share their blood.”

“You do too, apparently.”

Jerry is silent for a moment, her head tilted to the side as she studies me. I can feel her eyes piercing mine, and for a moment I want to look away. “You spent your childhood with them. That means something, and I’m sure you know more than you’ve told Ronan.”

I shake my head, a plan forming in my brain in real-time. “I’m not going to tell you guys anything unless I get some answers, and even then, I won’t lie, I’m not sure how much I’m going to be able to tell you. I really don’t know a ton.”

My muscles coil as Jerry turns to Ronan, annoyance written across her face…

And I bolt.

Running as fast as I can toward the back of the warehouse, I’m pleasantly surprised to find that it’s darker behind the kitchen wall.

Weaving between the cars, I hope they either underestimate me or are just slower than Ronan was outside.

Whipping open a car door, I slide into the backseat, the cool leather feeling soft and welcoming under my touch. I don’t dare to sit on the seat and instead curl up in the footwell, looking up through the right window as I hear Jerry and Ronan walk around.

“Where is she gonna go?” Jerry laughs, and here, without looking at her, a shiver runs down my spine at how similar we sound.

“I don’t really think you want to risk it, Jerry,” Ronan tells her.

“She’s gotta come out at some point. Let her be.”

“It’s not going to take that long to look through the cars—”

“Let her be. The place is locked down. No one is getting in or out without us knowing. She’s not going anywhere; she’ll be here later. You may just want to lock your door tonight so she doesn’t creep in and slit your throat for betraying her.”

“I betrayed her because you made me,” he says, venom in his voice. Like he cares. He didn’t.

“You were going to betray her whether you had more time for her to trust you or not, Ronan. I’m not sure why you’ve been so pissed about this. She would hate you more if you had more time with her.” It occurs to me that they have to know that I’m not that far and can hear them; they just simply don’t care.

“Maybe we wouldn’t have even had to bring her in. Maybe she would have come willingly.”

Footsteps retreat, echoing through the space. I make a mental note to ensure I’m not making too much noise when I leave and to keep my steps light.

The two continue to bicker back and forth. I don’t care what they have to say, or what they think about me or their betrayal. I just want to go home.

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