Page 20

T he cottage getaway lasted way too short.

After a week, Cove drove me back to my apartment. It was bittersweet. I wanted to spend more time with him, but I knew we’d have to return eventually. Mom and Dad knew I was with him, so they didn’t pester me. Arlo, on the other hand, messaged me six times per hour. His messages ranged between random things such as what he and Blair were up to, asking about my well-being, and threatening Cove if he didn’t return me safe and sound.

Arlo knows that something’s happening between Cove and me. Evidently, given that he actually hit Cove. But he’s not questioning it for now. It’s better this way. We have more important things to deal with than to discuss my love life.

Once I’m back in my apartment, I take a deep shower. Using Cove’s shampoo and shower gel was nice because smelling like him brought a sense of safety, but fuck, my hair and body hated it. My hair is very thick, and if I don’t use my conditioners and masks often, it dries out, and it’s hard to detangle it.

It takes me an hour to wash my hair, do a full-body scrub and wash, using all of the lotions and products to make my skin feel alive again. I make a mental note to send all of the products to his place just to have them there in case I ever need them.

I’m dressed in a pair of leggings and a basic sports bra. My apartment complex has a gym in the basement, and since I’m yet to fulfill the training regime, I decide that it’s time for me to start working out again.

It’s empty, aside from Blair and me.

She decided to join me, and for the first hour, it’s silent. She’s on the treadmill while I’m working on my leg workout. I’m listening to an audiobook, completely unaware of Blair trying to get my attention. It’s only when she stands in front of me that I remove the earphones, letting them hang around my neck.

She hands me a towel, and I wipe my forehead, panting slightly. My muscles will be sore tomorrow, but it feels great to finally treat my body nicely. My eyes flicker to hers, and I nod in gratitude, putting the used towel on my lap.

“Join me on the treadmill?” She offers, and I nod.

Once we start at a slower pace, she starts speaking.

“I’m assuming Cove filled you in on the Wyatt situation fully?”

I nod.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m not sure,’’ I admit. “When Arlo banished him, it took me a while to stop being suicidal and to think positively about life itself. I didn’t think I’d have to encounter him ever again. Wyatt definitely found out about what my parents do for a living, so I’m not sure if he’s stupid to try and come at me or if he has a death wish.’’

Blair changes the pace, jogging steadily, her long ponytail swishing behind her back. “While you were gone, we did a lot of research on the new gang. Arlo even contacted Aleksei Kalashnikov.’’

I raise a brow and give her a quick glance. “Cove mentioned the gang wanting Aleksei’s approval.’’

“Yes, so Arlo scheduled a meeting. Man, I’m not sure if Aleksei is hot as hell or scary as hell.’’

I laugh. “He’s definitely both.’’

The man is nearly twice my age, closer to my parents age than mine, but he’s a looker. He has a big scar going from his eye down his face and chest, but that just makes him more appealing. Their entire bloodline seems to share that dark gaze, intense and murderous.

“Anyway, the meeting went well. Aleksei reassured us that he wouldn’t even look at the gang, mainly out of respect for Hudson and Noelle, given that they worked together in the past, and that Noelle helped them back in the day.’’

I nod. “Which means that Wyatt doesn’t have many options.’’

“Well, maybe. Depending on what his goal is. If he wants to try and eliminate you, that means going against the Bratva and your family. It’s a suicide mission. But there are other bigger crime organizations that would jump to help them if it meant throwing Aleksei and Hudson off guard.’’

“It’s odd,’’ I sigh, turning off the machine. I sit down, and Blair follows suit, turning hers off and sitting down. We stare at the wall mirror in front of us, both being messy, sweaty, and red from the intense exercise.

“What is?”

“Why now?” I ask. “It’s been three years since Wyatt was banished. Why wait three years to come back? Why start with Cove? Everything that happened between Cove and me happened after the incident in the ring.’’

“Except for the past, where you confessed to Cove,’’ she adds.

A frown appears on my face. “Even that happened two years ago. It was my birthday party. How would he even know? There was no one in the room except Cove and me. And Cove definitely didn’t tell anyone because Arlo would’ve known then.’’

“Are you sure that you two were alone? You were pretty drunk.’’

I nod firmly. “I was, but Cove wasn’t. One of us was bound to see Wyatt in the room. More importantly, it was my bedroom.’’

Blair pauses, her shoulders slightly tensing. She’s silent for a couple of minutes, and I see her mind going into overdrive. Her brows narrow; she bites her lip, being deep in thought about everything.

“Back then, if my memory serves me correctly, you lived with Arlo, right?’’ She asks, and I nod. “Your birthday party was in his old apartment that we used while I was on the run from the police.’’

I nod, slowly this time. “Yes, what are you getting at?”

“That apartment wasn’t the most secure place. As I said, I was on the run from the cops, so we needed something that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. It would’ve been easy for anyone to sneak in while we were out.’’

“Go on,’’ I urged. I’m definitely not following this conversation.

Blair turns to me and looks straight into my eyes. “I’ll be blunt. Have you ever checked your home for hidden cameras?”

I raise a brow. “You think there was a hidden camera somewhere in Arlo’s old place and that Wyatt could’ve possibly snuck into my current apartment and hid a few?”

Blair nods.

“That’s far fetched.’’

“Think about it,’’ she sighs. “There was no reason for Wyatt to send Jackson after Cove. Cove is Arlo’s friend, not yours. So, it would’ve been easier to go after your friends. Rose or even me. So, why Cove? Unless he somehow knew you had a thing for Cove and that made him the first target.’’

My blood runs cold at the thought. It’s a small possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. Wyatt was always obsessive. He’d often tell me how he’d kill any man that ever dared to even look at me, and after the ruin that our relationship was, I know that he wasn’t lying. His obsession runs deep, and he’d definitely be capable of something so heinous.

“No time like the present then, eh?” I chuckle and stand up. I’m trying my best to hide the anxiety and fear behind the laugh, but Blair notices. She’s right by my side as we leave the gym and head back to my apartment.

“Sit down,’’ she instructs, “I’ll check it.’’

I nod and sit on the couch, burying my face in my hands. This whole thing is fucked up. The more I try to push Wyatt to the back of my head, the more he resurfaces. My body trembles, and the fear creeps up my neck.

It takes Blair around fifteen minutes to come back to the living room. I lift my face from my hands, and the look on her face tells me everything I need to know. She opens her palms, and at least ten little bugs and cameras are inside her hands.

My eyes squeeze shut, and she’s right next to me, pulling me into a hug.

I’m not crying; it feels like I’ve run out of tears entirely. But my body won’t stop shaking, and no matter how much she’s trying to console me, it’s not helping. My mind goes into overdrive, trying to make sense of this all.

Wyatt is back.

He’s back, and he wants me. I’m not sure what scares me more — the thought of him wanting me for himself or him wanting to kill me. Either way, I haven’t felt this violated since he was banished from New York. A lump forms in my throat, and I struggle to breathe.

Whatever it is, I know one thing for sure.

The fear is crippling, paralyzing even. Until I work through that, I won’t be able to face him. Cove will gladly deal with Wyatt in my stead, but I don’t want that.

If anyone kills Wyatt, it will be me.

I deserve to get back what he took from me.

The basement is crowded with people. It’s so packed that Blair barely managed to secure three seats for her, Rose, and me. She had to bribe a few people so we’d get our usual spots near the ring. It’s the best seat, for sure. It gives the best view of both fighters, yet still at a safe distance.

For the most part, Arlo and Cove seem to be doing just like before. There are dirty glances from Arlo, but overall, they’re still as tight. Right now, Arlo’s helping Cove with the usual pep talk in the locker room.

Rose is excited. It’s her first time attending an illegal fight. Her smile is wide, and she’s tapping her foot against the floor. It’s kind of cute. She’s holding a bag of popcorn and a bottle of water, ready to watch the first match.

I can’t lie and say I’m not excited, either. Cove’s back to fighting, and tonight all the bets are on him. I don’t doubt that he’ll win, not even for a second. He’ll just leave this place a couple of grand richer, and I’ll enjoy the perks that come with that.

“Cove better win,’’ Blair states, eyes glued to the ring as we wait for the first match to begin. Cove’s scheduled to be the second and fifth one.

“Why?”

“I bet two grand on him,’’ she hisses. “If I lose my money because of him, I’ll be very, very angry.’’

I snort. “Since when do you gamble?”

“Since Cove hasn’t been beaten.’’

The last time Cove fought with Jackson, the fight ended up being ruled out. The evidence against Jackson was too much, and he was disqualified. You’d think that would give Cove an instant victory, but no. Since Arlo interfered, the entire fight was ruled out, and a lot of people lost a lot of money, Cove included.

Rose laughs. “I should’ve bet some money, too. Lord knows I need it right now.’’

My eyes snap to her. “Why?”

“Attorneys are expensive as fuck, and if I want James to be out soon — which I do — I have to use the best ones.’’

“If you’re short on money, I’ll give you some.’’

“Or you could let me move into your spare room so I’d save money on rent?” She offers with a sheepish smile. With a snort and an eye roll, I nudge her with my shoulder, causing her to laugh softly.

“Consider it done. Move in whenever you want.’’

She thanks me with a beaming smile.

I can’t tell her that I’m terrified of being alone. Her asking to move in lifts a weight off my shoulders. Blair agreed not to tell Arlo about the hidden bugs and cameras until I’m ready. Well, it’s been a week, and I’m still not ready.

To make it less obvious, I spent every night at Cove’s place. He didn’t push as to why I was there, but I could tell he was curious. By nature, I was never too clingy. Sure, spending time with Cove is amazing, but I like my own space, too.

Yet, for the past week, I was glued to Cove’s hip. If he went to the store, I followed suit. If he went to train, I was there with him, just watching him. He’s curious, and he isn’t prying, but there’s only so much he can tolerate before he gets the answers out of me.

Blair gives me a side glance but keeps her mouth shut. I try to ignore the way she looked at me, but I know it’s filled with worry. She won’t push me to speak out before I’m ready, but we both know I need to tell Arlo and Cove soon.

It’s been keeping me up at night.

I’m just grateful the nightmares haven’t returned.

The first fight comes and goes. I don’t pay too much attention to it; my mind is elsewhere. Rose, on the other hand, is loudly cheering. She’s cheering for whoever the crowd cheers on louder, her opinion changing with the crowd.

“I’ll be right back,’’ I say, standing up.

Rose and Blair both nod. There’s a fifteen-minute break before Cove’s match starts, and I make my way through the crowd, going to the bathroom. It’s fucking filthy, it stinks, and I’m contemplating whether or not I actually want to go inside or not.

The line isn’t as long. With a sigh, I lean against the wall right outside of the bathroom, waiting for the two girls in front of me to go in first. It takes them a while, but once they’re out, I push myself off the wall and head to the bathroom.

My phone slips out of my back pocket. Slowly, I turn around and crouch down to pick it up, but I don’t get the chance to do so.

A hand reaches and picks up the phone. I slowly rise back to my feet, taking the phone from the stranger’s hand. I put it back into my pocket before smiling slightly.

“Thank you.’’

“No problem, baby.’’

My entire body goes rigid, blood draining from my face. Slowly, hesitantly, I lift my eyes up to see the face of the man who’s spoken, and my heart all but leaps out of my chest. The smallest hairs on my neck stand straight as I stare, wide-eyed and paralyzed with fear.

I didn’t expect it would happen so soon.

My breath hitches in my throat, hands trembling by my side. His nose is a bit different than I remember. It’s smaller. His cheekbones are higher, his teeth shining as he smiles. He has veneers now, brightly smiling at me.

His curly brown hair is now straight, cut shorter than it ever was before, in a deep shade of black. He may have undergone a couple of procedures to change his face; he may have dyed his hair, but he couldn’t change his eyes.

The pure evil and sadism inside make my body recoil in fear and disgust. I take a small step back, forcing my feet to move. That’s as much as I can move. My body is frozen in place, and it won’t listen to my commands.

Wyatt flashes me his signature smirk.

“Fancy seeing you here, baby,’’ he murmurs, stepping closer to me.

I blink, and a tear rolls down my cheek.

A thick lump forms in my throat, squeezing and restricting my air. My heart is hammering in my chest. My hands are trembling next to my body, cold sweat washing over me. A couple of droplets slide down my forehead, dampening my hair.

He lifts his hand up, and I flinch, stammering backward a little. My hands immediately fly to protect my face, just like I’m used to when it comes to Wyatt. In response, he laughs. The deep, bone-chilling sound makes nausea build in my throat.

“Oh, baby,’’ he laughs. “Still overreacting, I see.’’

“What do you want, Wyatt?”

My voice shakes and cracks, and it’s barely above a whisper. One look at him and I know that he can hear me perfectly, the sadistic grin widening on his face. He steps back, as if to give me personal space, but it makes me feel so much worse. I’m uneasy, and I’m trapped between him and the wall I’m almost touching with my back.

His eyes flicker all over me, pausing at my hair. “I like your hair. It suits you. But… you know… it attracts a lot of unwarranted attention, baby.’’

The pet name makes me want to throw up. He used to call me baby all the time. I was a whore while he was letting his anger out on me; I was his baby the next moment while he was apologizing, promising it would never happen again.

“What do you want, Wyatt?” I repeat.

I find the strength to make my voice louder, but the whimper and the crack are still there. He cocks his head to the side, one eyebrow raised. He hums, still inspecting me.

The outfit I have on clearly shows the love bites Cove left on me. Some are fresh,and some are from the week we spent together at the cottage. Half my neck is covered with them, and my collarbone and cleavage aren’t in a better shape, either.

His eyes darken in anger, focused on my upper chest area. He chuckles, shakes his head, and takes a step back.

“I haven’t decided yet,’’ he hums. “Maybe I want you to suffer, baby. Or maybe, I want you back. Who knows? Maybe I want both.’’

I’m no longer the naive sixteen-year-old. I understand the threat behind his words perfectly. The menacing promise and the dangerous glint in his eyes make me quiver slightly. He doesn’t say much more, stepping backward, creating a false sense of safety.

“I’ll see you around, baby.’’

He flashes me a bright smile.

The same smile that I once loved.

The same smile that haunts me.

The same smile the monsters in my nightmares carry.