Library

35. June 18th-19th

JUNE 18TH-19TH

Sylvan

The minutehe ordered her to the bathroom, her eyes flew open, and she saw a whole new TB in front of her. The one who earned him his nickname. A total bastard. Cold. Cruel. Emotionless. A killer.

She flew up the stairs, into her room, into her bathroom, shut the door, and locked it. Heart pounding, she stepped into the bathtub, pulled the curtain around her, and made herself into the smallest possible shape she could.

Minutes later, he knocked at the door.

"Flame, it's safe to come out."

She heard him, his voice faint, as if coming down a long hallway, but she couldn't make her body move.

"Flame, open up, it's safe now."

She was so cold. There was more noise, but she was physically locked in place, knees hugged tight to her chest, face planted into the tops of her thighs.

Air rushed past her skin, and she was moving through space without the benefit of her body being in control.

Then she was still, settled into a smaller space, not as tight as she had been in the bathroom but firmly enclosed in warmth. There was a gentle wave of noise in the background, and though it was soothing, it was unintelligible. She felt pressure against the top of her head and something stroking through her hair.

It was some time before she opened her eyes. When she did, she was in her room, but in the extra-wide Victorian armchair in the corner. However, she wasn't sitting directly in the chair. She was in TB's lap, and he was talking to her softly. Nonsense, really. Even though she heard him, she was still too discombobulated to process it. She closed her eyes again and burrowed in closer to his chest, one palm over his heart.

When she swam up to reality the next time, she was in the same place. It must not have been too much later, but she was still embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she apologized, trying to get out of his lap.

He refused to let her go. "Stay." He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and his arms pulled her tighter to him. "It's fine."

"Who was it?" she asked quietly, afraid to hear his answer.

He paused. "No one."

Now she knew she didn't want to know the answer, but she asked anyway. "Then why did the doorbell ring?"

"Someone left a package."

"What was inside it?" Her voice was barely audible.

He hugged her closer still and pressed his lips to the top of her head again, but this time, he left his lips next to her hair as he spoke. "You don't want to know, princess."

Then the tears started. She couldn't stop. If he didn't want to tell her, it was bad. It was really bad. TB had never sugarcoated anything with her. He might not give a lot of details, but he'd never out-and-out refused to tell her anything.

He held her all through the sobs, including the body-wracking ones.

Eventually, she cried herself out. She didn't know how long they sat there, but it was a long time.

"You should get some sleep. You're exhausted. Here or upstairs?"

"Upstairs."

She held her breath in the silence.

"I'll be up in a minute."

This is never goingto end.

She had changed into her nightgown and turned on the gas fireplace. It was summer, but she needed the comfort, and it burned without giving off too much heat.

She had just sat down to check her email when she heard him start to come up the stairs. That had been a mistake. The words in front of her blurred. Email after email. All different email addresses. All sinister.

Did you get my present?

They cried.

They screamed.

They begged.

But they weren't you.

This latest one is like you.

She's not afraid.

She'll be a fighter.

I can be patient a little longer.

And eventually, I'll get the real thing.

I'm coming, Jolie.

More and more, all the same type of thing.

It was time to give up.

She wasn't sure if it would help free Fleur, his latest victim, but she couldn't bear it if another girl suffered because of her. Hopefully, if she gave herself up, it would end. But she needed something first. Something for herself.

TB stood in front of her desk, a concerned look on her face. "Flame?"

She turned her computer around to face him.

He looked over the emails, and she could see that each one made him angrier than the last. He tapped on his watch. "Call Midas."

She heard the phone ring on the other end, and then a groggy voice came over the line. "I'm waiting on the DNA from their hair, TB; I can't make it run any faster. I'll call when something comes through."

Sylvan gasped, her eyes going wide. "Their hair?"

Of course the hair. It was always the hair. Even though you knew it was the hair that called to him, you just couldn't cut it. Now, it's causing that pain to other girls. Your stupid pride!

"I'm not alone, Midas."

"Shit. Sorry, TB. What do you need?"

"I need you to access Flame's emails. He sent a bunch of them, all from different email addresses on Google. Can you trace them?"

"Yes, but if he's bouncing them, which he probably is, it's going to take a while. And even then, it's not a guarantee. If he's smart, he also set them to send at specific times, like a chain. I'm on it."

Midas disconnected, as did TB. He held her gaze. "He cut off their hair. There were six braids in the package."

It's too much.

Strong arms swept her up out of the chair, then laid her in her bed. TB lay between her and the edge of the bed, his arms around her, curling her close to his chest. "I'm not leaving you. With my last breath, remember that."

She snuggled into his chest.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.