Page 7 of Mistress Mayhem

When I woke up the morning after Mayhem, it was to find Charlotte dead in my arms. She hadn’t made it through the night, and that had done what Cary and his friends had wanted to do but failed—it had broken me.

I’d dragged her cold, dead body through the forest until I made it back to the edge of the city. I’d left her body outside of a store while I went in to use their phone. I’d called both her parents and mine. Her parents came to pick up her body while mine came to take me home. Only, it hadn’t felt like home anymore. I knew there was no way that I could go back to being Avery Wellington—she was dead and gone, along with her best friend.

My parents begged me to tell them what happened, but I couldn’t—I wouldn’t. I knew that this vengeance was mine and mine alone. I would make them pay for what they’d done to me, what they’d taken from me. I almost slipped out of the house that night, but I hadn’t been able to do that to my parents. Instead, I sat down with them the next morning and told them I had to leave. I couldn’t stay here anymore. I needed to get away from the reminders of what happened to me. Neither of them had been happy about it, but what were they going to do? They either helped me or never heard from me again.

Because they love me, they helped me. They managed to get me a new identity—something I didn’t dare ask about at the time. They set up a bank account with way more money than I could ever need, assuring me it couldn’t be traced back to them. Then they watched me walk away.

I never saw Austin, Cooper, and Fox again, even though all three of them called and came to the house. I couldn’t face them after I failed Charlotte.

So I’ve spent the last ten years honing my skills, atoning for my sins, and planning my revenge.

I’d arrived in Lockwood under my new identity, and no one besides my parents was any the wiser. I had a moment of weakness and asked my mom about the guys, and she gave me a sad smile before telling me they’d left town as soon as Fox graduated from high school and hadn’t been back since.

Yet another reason for me to get my revenge. Not only had they ended Charlotte’s life and ruined mine, but they’d also destroyed the lives of the three men who have always held my heart. That isn’t something I can stand for.

But it will all end tonight.

The scene has been set, and vengeance is within my grasp. Tonight is the night that Lockwood gets introduced to Mistress Mayhem.

Not only do I have a new name and a new identity, but I also have a new persona that only comes out during Mayhem. I’ve spent the last eight years hunting down men and women who think they’re above the law. Those who are involved with illegal activities outside of Mayhem. In other cities, people would shake in their boots at the mention of my name. Because everyone knew that if you broke the law, then Mistress Mayhem would pay you a visit during Mayhem. There wasn’t anywhere they could hide—she always found them.

And by she, I mean me.

I might not have been prepared to take on those who wronged me until now, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t take out others like them.

But now I finally have the resources I needed to make them pay.

It had taken me a few years not only to get stronger but to figure out the names of the other men I hadn’t known. I’ve been keeping my eyes on them over the years, ever since I found out their names seven or eight years ago. I can’t say for sure that they’ve been kidnapping young girls and selling them on Mayhem—they’re really good at covering their tracks. But I’m assuming they are, even if I can’t find proof. But that’s fine because it all ends tonight.

Cary Van Buren.

Howard Fenwick.

William Kensington.

Lawrence Dupont.

They’re the four men who I’ll kill tonight. Well, I won’t just be killing them, but they will all be dead before sunrise.

Now, I just have to wait for the alert to go out, and then I can get this party started.

As soon as I arrived in Lockwood, I bought a house not too far from where I grew up. And by house, I mean mansion. This place is massive, and I had to have a lot of renovations done so that it was everything I needed. I’ve been here for about eight months, and while a few people have seen me around town, no one has officially met me. I did this on purpose.

I needed to build up a mystery around myself so that when everyone who is anyone was invited to my Mayhem party, they had a reason to show up.

And it certainly seems they have. I laugh as I flip through my tablet, seeing that everyone invited has shown up. Their names are all checked off, including the four most important ones. There are some additional names that have been added to the list, but I figured that would happen. Leo is one of my guys, and he’s running the door for me tonight. In order to enter, they must show their ID so their name can be checked off or added to the list. I told him not to turn away anyone who shows up—unless my parents decide to show up.

The last thing I need is for them to show up and see what I’ve become.

I’m hoping that after tonight, I’ll be able to return home. I’ve seen my parents a handful of times over the years, but it’s not enough. Talking on the phone or doing video chats isn’t enough. I miss them.

But tonight will change everything.

A glance at the time tells me it’s almost showtime. I stand from my chair, moving to the full-length mirror.

I straightened my hair, letting it fall down over my shoulder and halfway down my back. The front is swept back from my face, held back with an ornate clip that’s been handed down from mother to daughter for generations on my mom’s side of the family. It’s the only part of Avery that will be here tonight.

The midnight blue dress I wear is the same color as the negligee I was forced to wear ten years ago. It’s strapless, cut low enough that my ample breasts are being proudly displayed. It hugs my body to my hips before flowing out to the ground in a flow of excess material. Both sides are split nearly to my hips, revealing a glimpse of my legs and the daggers I wear strapped to my thighs with every step. I’m barefoot because there’s no way in hell I’m wearing heels tonight. I think it lends itself to the idea of me being some eccentric, rich bitch.

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