Page 109 of XO Karma

“Or we’ve just stumbled upon a skeletal studio.”

“Aster,” Lily says, the tone of her voice causing me worry. “What did you do with Vetrel’s body?”

“I left him in the alley behind his bar,” I reply, coming closer to where she stands near the skeleton missing the head. “Why?”

“The shoulder is nicked.” She points to it. “And the bone on the left leg here is shattered.”

My eyes flick to the spot above his neck. “I bashed his head in… so the skull would be worthless.”

Lily covers her mouth. “Holy shit.”

“But how did it get here?”

“Liam told me they found out about his wounds in the autopsy. How is he already lying here, nothing but bones? Wouldn’t the morgue be missing a body?”

I press my fingers against my temples. “What would the Westerfords want with Vetrel’s corpse?”

“Did they steal it?” Lily asks, her questions only furthering the headache erupting from this mindfuck. “Do you think they were doing their own autopsy? Do you think—” A loud bang echoes outside the door we came through, and her eyes meet mine.

Shit.

34

LILY

“We are so screwed,” I whisper to Aster, scanning the room for an escape. It’s the second time tonight we’ve almost been caught, but at least he’s not currently knuckle-deep in my pussy.

“It’ll be fine,” he promises, but I’m as reassured as a fish in a toilet bowl.

“What are we gonna do this time?” I snap, waving a hand at the skeletons. “Pretend to bang next to the piles of bones?”

“Some people are into that kind of thing,” he replies, and my mouth falls open. “Not me! Some people.” On the opposite side of the room, I spot a second door and rush towards it. Aster’s quick on my heels as I grip the cool handle, and he unsheathes a knife that was hidden in his waistband. “Just in case.” My costume didn’t leave much room for hiding things, and my tote would have looked out of place, so I’m grateful to him for having forethought.

Slowly, I peer around to find another staircase leading up. I glance at Aster, and he shrugs. It’s not like we have a lot of options. The jingle of keys on the other side of the door we came through throws us into motion, and we rush out, then close it quietly behind us.

“Let’s go,” Aster says, ushering me forward with a hand on my back.

In almost complete darkness, we rapidly ascend the stairs, and I gasp as my heel misses a step. Aster grips my elbow, steadying me, and I catch my breath as we continue towards the top. When we finally make it, he nudges me out of the way, then opens the door slowly and pops his head around it. Seconds later, we’re outside, fresh air infiltrating my lungs.

Aster points to where we just exited. “This is where they brought that box the other night.”

“Do you think there was a body in it?”

“That’d be a good guess.”

“Where are the guards?” I glance around at the empty courtyard.

“Maybe they don’t do the same rounds during events since everyone is inside?”

My eyes wander to the red structure across the way. “Should we check the barn tonight? There could be more bodies.” Chattering on the balcony above pulls our attention there. “Guess we found the guards.”

Aster grits his teeth, hesitating. “I don’t want to leave again with nothing. I think we should try.”

Using the shield of the garden and the distraction of the party, we rush across the vast yard until we’re finally flat against the side of the barn closest to the forest.

The front has wide, large doors, and I’m afraid opening them would be far too obvious. “Let’s check for another entrance.”

With one hand in Aster’s and the other holding the hem of my dress, we make our way towards the back of the barn. Aster pokes his head around the corner, then he’s tugging me behind him. A small door with a latch is illuminated by a low light on the center of the wall. “We should hurry. Not sure how long we have.”