Chapter 16

The cops comethe next morning with questions. I am so thankful to have Nicci. She’s my rock and without her I don’t know what I would do. She told me when I woke up that she got rid of the truck by parking it in the airport parking lot. My girl is smart. She also gave me a rundown of the story she thought up right before the cops arrived.

“So, you just ran off with a boyfriend?” They say it like it’s hard to believe when they literally came up with it themselves. Nicci told me about their questioning when I was kidnapped. That they gave out these excuses as to why I would have run away. So we went with it. No use in making up a story they’d think was impossible.

“Yep! That’s right, Officer...” I squint my eyes, looking at his badge, which I don’t need to do, but I’m playing the part here. “Daniels?”

“You didn’t think to call the police station or your roommate to let her know where you ran off to?”

“I honestly didn’t think anyone would be looking for me or had been. Also my phone was completely lost at the music festival.”

“You didn’t think to call your roommate?” He looks skeptical.

“Who remembers phone numbers anymore? All my contacts were on the phone I lost at the festival.”

He sighs and rubs his head and runs his hand down his face. “Okay, Miss Viceroy. Thank you for your time.”

Nicci and I walk with him to the front door.

“Thank you for your concern, Officer Douglas,” I say with the fakest smile I can muster.

“It’s Daniels.”

“Ah, right, sorry. Forgetful me.”

He walks out and we shut the door behind him. I walk over to the window where Nicci is standing, watching the cop get into his cruiser.

“Did you really have to give him that jab?”

I smile at her. “I was pissed. They never listened to you or attempted to find me. My dad is still a worthless piece of shit. I knew he wouldn’t even try because then he wouldn’t have to pay for my tuition.”

She huffs out a sigh. “Well, at least that’s all over with.”

We end up spending the day hanging out in our PJs binge-watching trash TV. It’s the best time I’ve had in a long time.

That night, when it’s time for bed, we resort to cuddling up in bed together. I didn’t want to sleep alone, so Nicci offered to come sleep in my room with me. It makes me so happy that I’m finally in her arms again. She kisses my forehead and holds me close, playing with my hair until I fall asleep.

***

The weight shifts on the bed and I don’t want to open my eyes yet.

“Nicci, what are you doing?”

“This isn’t Nicci.” A strong hand presses over my mouth and heaviness is weighing on my chest.

My eyes spring open to see a shadow with a black hood on. I begin to thrash and scream in his hold. The panic I feel has my heart beating out of my chest and my lungs burning from how fast I’m breathing.

“Uh-huh, little butterfly. I’m guessing you thought you left me for dead, right?” He chuckles a bit because he can see it written in my eyes. “You actually saved me, but I guess you didn’t mean to do that either.” He pauses, grinning down at me. “You’re always so beautiful when you cry.” Then he leans over, licking a hot trail of spit up the side of my face. “And tasty. Back to what I was saying. I didn’t choke on my own vomit because of you. That seizure was pretty bad but, princess, don’t you know Delphinium is less potent the longer it sits out?” He laughs in my face then gives me a little slap on the cheek. “It was a good try though. A damn good one too.”

He leans into my ear and whispers, “But you didn’t have to kill my mother.”

I scream under the weight of his hand as loud as I can, and I thrash around, trying to throw him off.

“Hey, hey. Calm down, little butterfly. I only wanted to repay the life-saving favor and tell you...” His words cut off in a choke. There’s a pained expression in his eyes and the grip he has on me loosens.

I push with my hands to get out from under him, but he’s too heavy. He’s dead weight on my torso. He coughs and blood drips from the side of his mouth.

He falls face first onto the pillow beside my head, and I scream. Tears are running down my face. Will this nightmare never end?

I see a knife sticking out of his back, and my best friend is still standing there frozen in the position she stabbed him in. I look at her in confusion; she was sleeping beside me, but now she’s standing there in a trench coat. What the fuck?