Page 68

I thought through everything I had heard about this elusive Nik.

There were only a few things I knew about him. One, he was autistic. Two, he loved music. And three…

Nothing. I didn’t know anything about him.

“Nik!” I bellowed. “Adelaide sent us!”

I didn’t know what I was hoping. The door to be thrown open and Nik to come hurrying out? For him to pop his head over the couch?

“Nik!”

Tommy gave me a reproachful look, shouldering me out of his way. He cupped his mouth to amplify his voice.

“Nikky boy!” Tommy called. “Your crazy ass sister sent us! You know which one? The insane girl with brown hair? Talks to herself? Ring any bells?”

There was the sound of footsteps upstairs.

“Stay here,” I instructed Tommy, though I doubted he would listen. Of course the little shit immediately ran up the staircase, ignoring my curses as I hurried to keep pace. “Damn it, Tommy.”

We raced down the hallway, stopping in front of an opened-door bedroom. Spaceships on the blankets. Framed photographs on the walls. Everything was immaculately displayed, as if the owner had a keen eye for cleanliness. My eyes latched onto a small photo sticking out of the gilded edge of a mirror. The boy I recognized as Nikolai was staring down at an iPod. A young girl, maybe thirteen, had her arm wrapped around him, smiling brightly at the camera. She was so young. So innocent.

Adelaide.

Instinctively, I took the picture down and shoved it into my pocket. When Addie woke up, she would want this memory of her brother.

“Over here!” Tommy screamed - seeming to forget or ignore the fact that I was only inches away from him - and I turned towards where he was standing.

He was looming over a figure huddled in the closet. His hair was greasy, smeared with blood, and dirt streaked his hollowed face. It appeared as if he hadn’t eaten in days, and his body was beginning to display such malnourishment. His cheeks were sunken, and his skin was pasty.

Slowly, as to not scare him further, I crouched down to his level.

“Nikolai?” I asked softly. He was exactly as Addie described him, down to the red headphones. His eyes rested on my shoulder. “Addie sent us. Your sister sent us.”

The only indication he heard me was the slightest twitch of his head. His hands twirled the black cord of his headphones, around and around his finger. They weren’t plugged into anything, but I imagined he kept them on solely for comfort.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” I continued. Slowly, I reached into my pocket and grabbed out a beaded necklace. It was one Adelaide wore frequently back at the resort. A gift from her father, she had said. Nik’s eyes widened in recognition. “My name is Fallon, and this is Tommy. Over here is…”

I paused, glancing around the room with narrowed eyes.

“Where the fuck is Declan?”