Page 155 of The Fractured

“All men too. You girls should be ashamed of yourselves.”

“Are the men still in there?” Seb asked.

Susan raised her eyebrows. “And I suppose you’re another one? Shame—”

“Just answer the fucking question,” I snapped.

Seb wasn’t used to me swearing, and his face briefly expressed that, meanwhile, Susan gasped in offense.

She raised her chin matter-of-factly. “There were a few of them, but it was hard to see, yourudegirl.”

“Did you see them leave?” Seb said firmly.

Susan’s eyes narrowed, like she was finally catching on to something. “What’s going on?”

“Yes or no, Susan.”

Offended again, this time by Seb’s curtness, Susan bristled. “Yes, they left.”

It was all we needed to hear, and we pushed through our apartment door, leaving Susan to mutter under her breath.

I felt along the wall for the light switch, fumbling through the dark until my knees collided with something solid. But I found the switch.

The second the light came on, I slapped a hand over my mouth and stared in shock at the mess.

The solid thing in front of me was a turned-over kitchen stool, much like most things in the apartment.

Spilled plants, a broken lamp, and miscellaneous items and books from the bookshelf by Lily’s bedroom door littered the carpet, mapping out a trail from the living room to the hallway.

It reminded me of Aiden’s temper, and I could feel my body wanting to freeze. Everything I had learned in my Thursday meetings was fighting to keep me present.

He’s still injured. I’m safe. I’m stronger than before. Seb is here. Aiden isn’t.

“Dean? Lily? You here?” Seb moved carefully through the apartment, opening doors and turning on every light as he searched for our friends. But they weren’t here. I knew that before he had finished checking.

My eyes were fixed on the blood spots on the floor until Seb pushed open my bedroom door. Bella sprinted out as best she could with a cast on and sat against my foot with her tail between her legs.

I scooped her up, holding her close as she shook. The feeling of her soft fur seemed to regulate my thoughts again, and her shaking eased.

“They aren’t here,” Seb stated, stopping in the center of the mess. He dragged a hand over the top of his head. “Fuck—what do we do?”

Partially numb, I pulled out my phone.

Chapter 54

Dean

Something had dried down the right side of my face, over the dull throb coming from my temple.

I groaned against the tape across my mouth, squinting at the bright lights that hovered above my head as I slowly came to. When I tried to move my arms, I was met with resistance. Restriction. They were strapped to the arms of the chair I was sitting in. I tugged again, but the thick zip ties around my wrists refused to budge.

I blinked a couple of times, forcing the rest of the room to come into focus. Beyond the glow of the bright spotlight above, I saw a mezzanine shrouded in darkness, large wooden crates against the walls, and the lip of the stage I was seated on.

Not a stage, but a platform that once held a glass cube.

Fuck.

I brought my gaze forward, and my stomach dropped.