Page 106 of Caged

Maybe I should have slit her throat. Lord knows I’ve fantasized about it. Bringing her to Sigma as Kieren wants would be the ultimate form of payback. Gabi’s not cut out for what happens in the basement. It would break her, and I would relish in watching her crumble.

49

GABI

Present Day

“Hold on. I don’t think so,” Ele reprimands as I try to leave the apartment without being noticed. “What happened last night?” she insists, stalking up to me.

“Is there any coffee left?” I inquire, intentionally deflecting her attitude when I notice the mug clutched between her hands.

“Only if you tell me why I heard a male’s voice coming from your room this morning and why you were shouting.”

I glance down at the phone in my hand to check the time. Nine fifteen. Deciding I can spare fifteen minutes, I drop my backpack to the floor and head to the coffee pot.

“It was Jace,” I admit.

“What the… holy shit,” she stammers. “Did you two…”

“No,” I say firmly. “He’s an asshole and broke in through my window to, shocker, threaten me again.”

Ele looks visibly shaken, but I shrug as I pour vanilla coffee creamer into my mug. “What’s new?” I scoff.

“Well, that’s disturbing that he’s stooped to breaking and entering. Did you find anything at Sigma?” Ele inquires.

I shake my head and blow on the steaming coffee. “Just, more of the same,” I lie. “You and Viv are right. But of course, Jace managed to see me, hence the lovely visit.”

“I’m sorry,” Ele offers, looking down at her feet.

“It’s fine. I’m over it,” I say with a wave of my hand. “Anyway, I’m headed to the library.”

“If you can wait forty-five minutes, I’ll go with you,” Ele says.

“Would you mind if I went ahead? I need to clear my mind, and walking helps.”

She gives me a sad smile. “Of course. I’ll meet you there later. Maybe I can even rouse Viv. I think she is back with Sophie,” Ele whispers, jerking her head in the direction of Viv’s room.

“That makes me happy,” I say with genuine sincerity.

I rinse out the half-consumed cup of coffee and place the used mug in the dishwasher before discretely calling an Uber. “I’ll see you later,” I call to Ele who is halfway back to her bedroom.

Sometimes I feel I should be more concerned with my ability to lie with ease, but then again, I deserve a medal for maintaining a two-year lie. Even though fuckboy Jace didn’t show it, I know it got under his skin. I let him think the reason why I broke up with him was because he just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. Not feeling good enough is his Achilles Heel, and I hope, no I pray, Jace felt as heartbroken as I did. But I’ll never know, and he’ll never tell me, which I suppose now is for the best, because I plan to obliterate him along with the rest of Sigma’s squad of villains. They’ll be no mercy, motherfuckers. We’re coming for you.

Well, this place is in the middle of nowhere, I think to myself as I exit my Uber. If Monroe needs to hide a few dead bodies, she picked the perfect spot. Down the road, I noticed an old church and several dilapidated houses, your typical rural structures.

Gravel crunches under my sneakers as I walk down the driveway toward the storage facility. It’s unclear if there is an office, and Monroe didn’t give me the number of her unit, so I keep walking until the silver Audi she was driving last night comes into view. It’s parked in front of a blue garage door that is halfway up, which I take as an indication that I’m in the right spot.

“Monroe?” I call as I approach.

A head of blonde hair appears in the gap of space. “In here,” she motions with urgency, and I trot over to the partially opened storage unit. Getting under the door requires more crouching than I initially thought, but once I’m fully inside, the reason for the partially closed door becomes clear.

“Whatisall this?” I gape, taking in my surroundings. Monroe closes the garage-like door the rest of the way before walking to my side.

“Impressive, right?” she asks with earnest pride.

Apprehension and perhaps a slight bit of concern ripples across my mind. Monroe looks physically the same as I remember, but there is a hardened edge to her face and a crazed hunger in her eyes. Her irises are the same shade of deep blue, but now that I see them in the light of day, they have a terrifying twinkle, churning like an unhinged ocean tempest ready to swallow the ship whole.

“I guess. Did you buy these guns?” I gawk.