Page 41 of Pretty When She Breaks

His anger had been overwhelmed by the emotional equivalent of TV static.

I took another breath and started to take note of our surroundings. The villa was nicely built, the landing opening to a kitchen with a large island in the center. To the left was a sunken living room. Perhaps it was supposed to be dark and cozy, but it just reminded me of the pictures I’d seen of the Sink. Beyond that was an arched alcove, holding a desk. Two large, Gothic arched doors led to a back patio.

It was exceptionally clean and bland for a home. The counters were spotless, the cushions were fluffed, and there were even a couple of generic household magazines piled artfully on the coffee table.

I needed to make sure the house was clear and we were safe. I pushed away the twinge of guilt as I left Kaos standing in the entryway.

I strode past the kitchen island to check out the rest of the rooms. The corridor led to a bathroom, a closet, and anempty, cold bedroom, all equally neat and devoid of anything that looked personal.

“She’ll come.”

Kaos’s mutter made me jump. He’d joined me as we faced the last closed door together. I opened it, expecting to find a picture-perfect guest room or office. I flicked on the light and stopped, taken aback by what I found. Kaos looked over my shoulder at the proof that the Crimson Duchess did, in fact, have a personality.

The faint smell of solder hung in the air here, and Kaos walked past me to the desk. He trailed his fingers along the anti-static mat littered with wires and burn marks. A heavy magnifying glass was positioned over a partially assembled circuit board. There was a tidy row of hooks and shelves around the desk, all neatly labelled.

Opposite the workbench was a sewing station, a sewing kit open next to a jacket with the seam ripped on one side. Crammed into the corner was a computer station, a monitor with docking cables and headphones unplugged while they waited for the return of their laptop.

This was…not what I was expecting.

Kaos sat in the office chair, putting his bag down on the floor and flicking on the light at the workstation. He peered at the circuit board and frowned.

“What is it?”

“Listening wires,” he said, spinning so he was at the sewing station. He ran his fingers down the open seam and lifted it up to reveal a wire half-sewn in place. “Huh,” he mused, sounding a little impressed. “Seems she has a habit of recording people.”

I saw his eyes flick to the empty space where the laptop would go, his hand twitching.

“Probably on her dad’s orders,” I said, but that didn’t quitemake sense. He really had his daughter make and sew her own wires from scratch?

Kaos started pulling out his tools, fiddling with some stuff on the desk. I put a hand on his shoulder before he got too engrossed.

“Kaos. She’s not here. The cameras will reset in minutes. We should go.”

“We’ll wait,” was all he said, turning back to the circuit board.

Great.

That’s what I’d been concerned about.

Now I had to figure out how we were going to confront her in her own home and get out of here alive.

I didn’t even need my notebook for this plan. I only had one idea.

It was crazy.

Repulsive, even.

Something I’d never even considered doing before this moment. But then, I’d never met anyone who deserved it more.

When we caught her, I’d secure my spot in hell.

TWENTY-ONE

LAUREL

My pulse thundered in my ears as the Lucas pack walked with me. My skin was crawling, and Ineededto be alone.

This evening had shaken me to my core. I had lost the Duchess when the incident had happened, and I was struggling to maintain my composure.