Page 47 of His Deadly Devotion
It’s been a week since we arrived here. I can tell Aurora is itching to get out of this house. I can’t say I blame her. Being trapped isn’t ideal. For the most part, her brother has left us alone, though.
Levi and Bray split two days ago. Bray had told me to call him should I need anything, that he’d also try to keep low-key track of my parents’ movements. I’m hoping we get some warningbefore they reach the conclusion that we’re in Australia. As of now, my parents are in Dublin.
The search for Aurora and me continues—although it’s not me I’m worried about. As insane as my parents are, I really don’t think they’d kill me. No, they’d do worse than that. They would make me watch as they broke the woman I love.
There is only one way out of this mess, and that’s for my parents to die. I don’t know if I could do it, if I could actually pull the trigger. They might be monsters, but they’re my parents.
Then I look at Aurora. A few weeks ago, I hated her. Even then, I chose her over my family when I lied to them about who was responsible for Kenny’s death.
I make the sign of the cross and send up a silent apology. Guilt eats at me, but I push it down. I can’t let it consume me. I know Aurora wasn’t in her right mind. It wasn’t her fault.I know that.It doesn’t make the images of her knife sticking out of my cousin’s neck go away.
My arm wraps around her body tighter. Holding her closer. I’m not letting her go, even if I have to live with the weight of this guilt, of being a traitor to my own blood for the rest of my life. As long as I have her, I’m going to be okay.
Aurora tips her head back and looks up at me. We’ve been sitting outside in the weird fucking hedge maze for an hour. She’s in front of me, nestled between my legs, with her back against my chest. “You okay?” she asks.
“Mhmm,” I murmur.
A look crosses her face but she doesn’t push as she turns back around to peer out at the garden. “Would you rather eat a spider or a scorpion?”
I chuckle. “I’d rather eat you.”
“That wasn’t an option. Spider or scorpion?” she tries again.
“Scorpion,” I tell her. “Would you rather me eat your cunt or your ass?”
Aurora stills in my arms. “I think we should go back inside. It’s hot as hell out here.”
“That’s not the question. I answered yours. It’s only fair you answer mine.” I raise a brow at her. She’s still not looking at me.
“If I told you that, you’d only focus on the one you thought I wanted most. And honestly, I like both options. My father taught me to never answer a question that didn’t benefit me, so… I plead the fifth.” Aurora stands.
“You know, you’d make a great attorney.” I sigh. “You’re really good at arguing your point.”
“I’d kill the opposing counsel for not agreeing with me.” She snorts.
“Yeah, probably. Maybe you should become a mortician. You can’t kill people who are already dead.”
“Maybe I’ll become the world’s best hitwoman,” she counters.
“The world is your oyster, babe.” It’s the truth. I don’t care what she does. To an extent.
When we make it back inside, we come across a younger version of Kyla. “Zara, you’re allowed to see daylight already?” Aurora asks the girl.
“Not really. I came here looking for you,” she replies as her eyes bounce around the space.
“Follow me.” Aurora drops my hand and takes hold of Zara’s. And, of course, like the lost fucking puppy I am, I follow them into a living room. “What happened?”
Zara looks at me over Aurora’s shoulder. “Oh, I get it now. He’s cute.” She smirks.
“Heiscute. Now, what’s going on, Zara?” Aurora presses without bothering to glance in my direction.
“There’s a party, tonight. I’m going to be there. Here.” Zara hands Aurora a card. “If you can get out, come. No one will know who you are there. Well, no one but Ares.”
I roll my eyes. I can live without seeing Ares De Bellis again. The cocky motherfucker needs a good knockdown.
“You’re going to a party with Ares?” Aurora tilts her head to the side.
“No, I’m going to a party that he will be at. I’m not goingwith him.” Zara scrunches up her nose in disgust. “I would never go to a party with him.”