Page 38 of We Are Yours

Where are you going?

* * *

He read it, answering, “Don’t worry about me. It’s just a job.”

Something in his tone told me this one was different. If I couldn’t hide from him, then he couldn’t hide from me either.

I texted again.

* * *

Is it safe?

* * *

He arched an eyebrow, peering up at me through the slits of his eyes. I waited on pins and needles for his reply when all of a sudden, Kraven made his presence known by knocking on his bedroom door.

This put an end to our conversation.

It was merely the beginning of mine with Kraven.

Julius

“Yeah?” I hollered as Kraven opened the door.

We must have been quite a sight because it was obvious he was caught off guard by our proximity.

“Am I interrupting?” he repeated the same thing from the park.

“Your timing is impeccable as always,” I mused.

He smiled, and I wanted to wipe it off his face.

Nodding to Isla, he asked me, “Did you tell her?” Unable to resist, he taunted, glaring right at her, “Hey, Kitty, weekend custody belongs to me now.”

A quick, smoldering heat brewed in the space between us, heightening in a matter of seconds. The walls caved in, and little by little, his words took up space. Where there once was smoke, now there was fire.

And his statement just lit a match.

Simply igniting flames that none of us could ever put out.

Bigger and bigger, it engulfed us until we lost ourselves in the pit of hell. It burned us all alive instead.

* * *

Leaving ashes in its wake.

Chapter

Fifteen

Isla

After Julius left Friday afternoon, Kraven made his way into Julius’s bedroom. Julius didn’t say much to me that morning. I could tell he was lost in his own mind, which only worried me more, as I thought he was getting into something illegal. I wasn’t naive enough to think otherwise, and I knew he was aware of that, too.

It was probably why he was quiet. He didn’t want to lie to me and was aware I would know if he did. I was sitting at Julius’s desk, working on some trigonometry homework. To say I was avoiding Kraven would be an understatement, especially when I had no clue what to expect from this nightmare of a scenario that I unwillingly found myself in.

The choices were made for me.