Page 61 of Seduce & Destroy

Even when she held a knife to my throat, I still thought she was the most beautiful woman alive. A sentiment I knew I was itching to tell. My knee bounced in trepidation at the thought, but deep down, I knew it was fantasy. She told me to leave.

It’s strange. For my entire life, I lived without attachments. Even the older woman I bedded was a play, a strategy to find relief in that dull house. Still hurt when she used me too, but I got over it. It was always a means to an end.

This, however. Laney, however. Was something more.

My blood drummed in her presence. Be it last night at the threat of her violence or in that dark school bathroom, we were shaped from the same thought. Mother forbade me from crying, but wetness collected in my eye, drawing a path down my cheek as I stood in the courtyard that meant so much to her.

I had to fix it. But to do that, I had to strip bare. The Ravencrofts didn’t deserve such candour, but Laney did as she always had with me.

A sharp trill erupted from my back pocket. When I pulled the burner phone out to see the caller ID, I audibly groaned.

“For Fuck’s sake,” I muttered but wanted to scream.

I stepped into the woods to find a quiet area. After twenty minutes of crunching leaves under my boots, I sat on a tree stump and returned her call.

“Leave me alone.”

“Kilina! That’s no way to speak to your mother. What’s the fucking hold up?”

“Nothing.” I said, my voice reminiscent of my teenage self. “It’s a waiting game. You know this.”

“No, you’re a sharpshooter, Kk. Get your head up from between her legs long enough to do it.”

God fucking dammit, Sorren. Who else had he told?

“Don’t get distracted like you did last time or so help me God, I won’t trust you again–”

“I killed her, didn’t I? Job done. What more do you want?” My heart raced. “And what about your trust? This was my operation.”

“Your brother killed Edward in three days of surveillance.” Somehow, I didn’t believe he did it. It was too neat to be one of us. Karsteins always threw a stick in the mud before we made our mark, we were stubborn, and we wanted to be known. I was taught to hate the Ravencrofts at the same time that I was taught my ABCs, we didn’t allow a single bullet mercy to be the final demise for Edward Ravencroft. It was too easy.

“A two up, two down house in the Scottish Highlands is a different ballpark to an entire estate, mamma. This place is crawling with cameras.”

“And he did it all alone.”

“So can I! Trust me.” I pulled the phone from my ear and aligned the microphone with my mouth as I gritted out, “There are others here. Why?”

“Because. “Your” operation got derailed by a girl.” I wanted to interject, but she didn’t give me the chance. “The daughter must be real cute, huh? She wasn’t before. Puberty hit her hard?”

I stayed silent and shook my head repeatedly.

She only laughed. “Typical, Kilina. Wait until I tell your father that it’s true. And he wanted to believe in you.”

I ignored her. “Get these other men out of my operation, mother.”

“I sent one in for reconnaissance before you arrived, sure, it’s not my fault you got so slow I had to send in back-up. That’s on you. Sloppy fucking operation, your father taught you better than this. Does this name mean nothing to you?”

“It means everything.” I conceded. “But trust me. I can do it.”

“Edward Ravencroft’s funeral has been scheduled.”

“Yeah, I know, there’s a whole procession in town.”

“Don’t let me down.”

“Won’t.”

“Fine.”