Page 28

27

WHEN THE MASK brEAKS

DIYA

H is eyes burned with hurt and denial.

“That won’t help you.”

“But this will.” Layne plunged the knife into his thigh and slid out from between his legs, her face dripping with his blood. She punched him in the stomach and twisted his hand behind his back.

A bullet whizzed past me, lodging into the wooden wall. They struggled until Layne finally disarmed him, kicking the gun away. They stood up at the same time, but she was quicker. She lunged, her fingers curling around it.

She turned it around, pointing it at his stomach.

He growled.

“Hiya, little Dicklan , nice to see you again,” Layne purred, kicking him down and pressing her foot on his chest with a grin. “Did you like the gift I sent you? I took my time carving dear Toby's hand. Do you still keep it, you perverted bastard?”

After we killed Toby, Layne made a display out of his hand in bright pink, and sent it to Declan.

“It was you, you fucking bitch,” Declan growled.

“Bingo.”

“It wasn’t you, Diya?” he said, looking up from the floor, still bleeding. “I-I thought it was you, I thought you were goading me…”

I closed my eyes with a sigh. Whatever was in the syringe was already working.

“Should I do the same to you?” Layne said. “But this time, I want to do it when you’re alive. You should have stayed the fuck away from Diya.” I heard a gunshot and a shout.

“You fucking bitch. You’ll pay for this,” he cursed.

“Oops. My finger slipped.”

It was hard to keep my eyes open. Through the blanket of darkness, I saw Declan stumbling up from the floor, lunging at Layne. But he was already wounded and she… she was one of the fastest sprinters on the track team at high school.

Unlike me, she was good at fighting.

“Come at me, Little Dicklan , let’s finish this today.”

“Layne…” I slurred.

“You left us in that place, and I…” Layne growled, and the gun went off again. “We would have died. And then you-you thought you could come here and kill my sister?”

Declan groaned again.

“Run, run, run, but you won’t be going too far,” Layne taunted.

That was the last thing I heard.

When I woke up, I was curled up next to Asher.

“Where the fuck is Layne?”

“Hi there, darling, how are you feeling?” Asher whispered, tracing a finger down my cheek. “I’m sorry I…”

“Where is she? Did she—did she kill him?” I squinted through the dark.

There was a long pause, and he stiffened.

“So what if he died? He wanted to kill you.”

“You wanted to kill me, as well, and I let you live.”

“But…”

“But what?”

“Do you still have feelings? For him?” Asher’s breath hitched, his fingers tightening on my shoulder.

“It’s complicated. Declan wasn’t just my…” I sighed.

The lights blinked one by one until the whole room was bathed in blinding white.

“Declan Hart was our foster brother for four weeks. And then he abandoned us and ran,” Layne gritted out. “When he came home, I finally thought we’d survive. I thought he would save us from Max.”

“She liked him,” I whispered, and Asher’s befuddled gaze met mine. “I told you. Complicated.”

“And he liked her. I didn’t begrudge him for that. But I hate him for leaving us there to rot. After years, Dee met him at St. Anthony’s, he didn’t even remember her at first,” Layne said, sitting next to me, her brows knitted together.

“That sounds quite…” he trailed off.

“Well, we are not normal,” Layne said. “And we needed some information on Toby—that scum, so she used him to get what we wanted. Ultimately, it was about Tobias.”

“Where is he?” I asked again, glaring at Layne.

“Stop frowning,” she said, pushing her finger against my cheek. “I didn’t kill him. It wasn’t like I didn’t try, but the bastard was good. He escaped.”

“He’s going to come back, Layne, this time for you.”

“Oh, pfft, I can deal with little Dicklan.”

Asher burst out laughing.

“I like her,” he said, looking at Layne with a smile. She gave him a cheeky grin.

“I aim to please.”

“Stop encouraging her,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“But…” Asher said, winking at Layne. “I’m a hundred percent for killing Dicklan, though.”

“I approve,” Layne said, placing a hand on her chest.

“You remind me of… Riley. Your sarcasm, your wit… your eyes…” His eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe what he just said.

Layne leaned forward, grabbing Asher’s hand in hers before pulling him in a hug.

He looked startled, his body stiff.

I bit my lips as I watched them, quickly blinking the tears away.

“It takes too long to heal, Asher, but you can lean on us. Trina, too. We’ll be your friends if you accept our friendship.”

Asher pulled back, his smile hesitant. “How can anyone say no to that?”

“As long as you don’t hurt my Dee.”

“I’d never. But…” Asher looked at me. “She’s going to hurt me.” His voice was teasing, but his eyes… oh, the emotions swimming in them.

“I don’t want to.”

Layne stood up and gave me a look before she walked out, closing the door behind her.

“Asher, I meant what I said. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Without a word, he pushed me to the bed. His eyes were honest, and I wanted him to go on, but I also wanted him to stop. “I know,” he whispered, pressing a kiss on my forehead.

My palm was slick with sweat and my heart was jumping like it was trying to get out of my ribcage.

He pulled my legs open, his eyes fervent.

“What are you doing?”

“You promised to let me eat you when I catch you.”

I knew this wasn’t what he wanted to tell me now, but I decided this was for the best as he caressed my breasts, his fingers temptingly gentle.

“But you didn’t catch me.”

“Well, I would have, if that asshole hadn’t interrupted.” His fingers curled tighter around my legs.

He pushed my thighs apart, pressing a kiss to the inside.

“Are you still saying no?” His lips sucked my skin.

“Fuck no.”

He laughed, bunching my dress up, before plunging his tongue inside me, and I…

I fucking love him.

That thought came unbidden as I climaxed, breaking my walls to fit him in, to make a home for him.

He pulled away with a sigh.

“Where are you going?” I asked when he stood up.

He looked at me with a smile that was so beautifully broken.

“You… take my breath away, Diya Sharma.” His voice was soft. “And if I stay, I’ll want to stay forever.”

My heart sped up before it slowed.

He smiled softly and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Dee, babe, wake up.”

I yawned. Layne walked in with two cups of coffee.

“You’re spoiling me.”

She sat down, taking a sip of her coffee with a groan.

“When will we be leaving to meet Tabitha’s mother?”

“I have sessions with Jimmy and Michael. We will go after that,” I said.

“Still thinking about last night?” she asked, grabbing a pillow from the bed.

“How can I even forget that?”

“What were you doing out in the woods… in that…” She sneered. “Dress. Can one call that a dress?”

“Ash and I were… just letting off some steam. It had been a very stressful week.”

He always knew how to help me relax, but the way he looked at me last night, like he wanted that forever…

“You know, Declan is going to…” I trailed off, staring at my best friend. “Come after you. He won’t stop.”

“Like I said, I can deal with him. If and when I see him again, he won’t be walking out on his own two feet.” Layne scrunched her nose.

I shook my head.

“I’m going to get ready.” I emptied the cup and got out of the bed.

I turned on the shower and closed my eyes.

If I stay, I’ll want to stay forever.

Did I want that?

Could I?

My first session was with Michael. We talked about his dead wife who visited him again last night. When the session was over, I had convinced Michael his wife didn’t want him to die, but of course, I knew the conviction would soon fade, and we would have to start all over again.

Jimmy came with Nurse Shelly.

“Hi, Doctor Sharma.”

“How are you feeling, Jimmy?”

We talked about his nightmares, about the creature in his dream.

“Big. It was big. If I go out, it will eat me.”

I explained that the creature in his nightmares was the manifestation of his fear of abusing drugs and alcohol again if he left Hollowhaven.

“You’re worried you’ll relapse again, and the worry is not something we should dismiss. We will talk about it more.”

“It… feels real.”

We talked until his session was over.

He walked out humming a song about a creature with horns that cut into your flesh when it ate you.

Shuddering, I closed the door to my office and walked toward Camille’s office.

“Hey, Diya, are you leaving now?”

“Hi. Yeah. Thanks again for agreeing to take over the group therapy. I owe you one, Camille.”

“Of course, it’s not a problem. You handled most of my sessions when Rosa was sick,” Camille said with a smile. “So, is this the first time your friend is here?”

“Yes.” I smiled. “How’s Rosa?”

“She’s great, thanks. Have fun.”

“Thank you. Bye, Camille.”

When I walked out, I saw Asher in the yard, pulling out weeds along with Oswald and Jimmy. He stood up when he saw me.

Pushing his hands into his pockets, he stalked toward me, his beautiful eyes glowing in the sunlight.

“Going out?”

I nodded. He sighed.

“I already miss you, Little Poison.” He smiled. “Stay safe.”

Layne and I parked in front of the Hollow Inn. Tabitha’s mother had already texted me the room she was staying in.

Rexy stared at me when I walked in with Layne.

“Hi, Doctor Sharma. What brings you here on a Thursday?” Rexy asked. “Do you need a room?”

“No, thank you. I’m meeting someone.”

We climbed the narrow stairs to the second floor, the faded carpet muffling the sound of our heels. We walked to the end of the hallway. Layne rapped her knuckles against the door, and it swung open, the hinges creaking in protest.

She looked at me with a frown. “Dee, is this the right room?”

I pulled out my phone with trembling fingers. It was. “This is the number she sent—” My words died. “Lay, is that blood?”

The curtains were drawn, keeping it dark even in the morning, and the metallic scent clung to the air, thick and suffocating.

Drip. Drip. Drip. The faint sound of water dripping filled the growing silence.

I moved toward the bathroom and pushed it open.

“Fuck.”

There was a large gaping wound on her chest, and blood bloomed down her blue dress.

She looked like she was smiling as if death wasn’t as scary as living.

The water inside the tub had turned crimson, seeping over the sides of the tub, snaking along the cracked yellow tiles, creating a macabre art.

“Fuck, Dee,” Layne cursed.

I stumbled out of the room, pressing a hand to my mouth.

Layne looked at me with worry lines along her forehead. “Does this mean…” she spoke, barely a whisper.

“He knows. He knows I’m looking into the suicide, he knows I’m getting closer—this is a warning. Stay the fuck away, or you’ll be next,” I said, rubbing my temple. “He might have found out it was Asher who killed Doctor T and Tomas Hannigan.”

“What should we do? This looks… pretty damning.”

Layne and I had killed, cleaned, and left a place without a smidgen of evidence, but right now, I could see she was as flustered as I was.

“Call the cops,” I said. “We can’t leave her like this.”

Taking a deep breath, I turned away from the dead woman.

If I hadn’t dug into this, she might still be alive. Living in her broken home, mourning her daughter’s death, but sometimes, death was a reasonable price to pay for something worse.

The bastard had finally come out to play.

I’d catch her daughter’s murderer.

He had played his twisted games with these women, breaking them, pushing them down a deep, dark hole, and he had been doing this for years and no one knew. But now I know.

You’re no longer invisible.

He was scared. Rattled. This was the proof.

If he was as in control as he wanted me to believe, he wouldn’t have done this. He’d have stayed in the dark, untouchable, untraceable.

Layne called the cops and informed them about the murder.

“He’s slipping,” I said when she hung up. “He was never caught because no one else knew except the men he blackmailed into silence. But now that we know, he’s fumbling. When the noose got too tight, he became desperate.”

“He wanted to scare us into backing off. That makes him less smart,” Layne said, licking her lips.

“And when I finally catch him, I’ll show him every side of hell.”