Page 17 of Till Death Do Us Part

My eyes stung, and my voice wavered as I spoke. “I can’t leave without at least seeing them… to explain…” I wiped my eyes. “I never followed up with them. I don’t know how Mom might have acted the rest of the night when I didn’t give her the full amount and then left her drinking… if she took it out on Caitlyn…”

Vera rolled her eyes, turning away. “I’ll prepare food. You can call them.”

I grabbed my phone as soon as Vera left the room, letting Clara down to trot after Vera towards the kitchen, and I already had a text from Caitlyn.

CAITLYN

I heard on the news there was something happening on your side of town, a big car chase starting from right where your apartment is, are you okay?

I clutched the phone tightly. It was just like her to be worrying about me instead. I couldn’t tell her the truth…

ELAINE

I’m okay, it just kept me up late last night with all the noise. I don’t know what happened.

Is everything okay back at the house?

Has Mom been okay?

CAITLYN

I’m okay

Don’t worry about me

My stomach dropped. Caitlyn only talked like that when something terrible was happening.

I texted Matt instead.

ELAINE

Has Mom been okay since I was there?

MATT

She got drunk last night and was yelling at Cait

I don’t know what she was yelling about, but I know she said something about how Cait would see tomorrow…

It’s tomorrow now and I’m worried about it, but I had early classes so I don’t know what’s going on back at home

“Vera,” I called, slipping through the safehouse to find her picking out cans from the pantry. “I think my sister is in trouble.”

“You’re in trouble. With a gang of assassins.”

“They’re my family, Vera.”

She pushed out a short, angry sigh, turning away and tossing the can in her hand onto the counter. Clara panicked at the sound and darted behind a table leg, and Vera pinched the bridge of her nose before she knelt and scooped up the kitten, stroking her fur back to calm her.

“Fine,” she said, finally. “We’ll go together.”

“Together? But—”

“If I let you go alone, Whitecliff will be all over you.”

I got a shiver. The memory of the three assassins around me, their guns out… thinking of them not just after me, but my whole family?

“But how do I explain…”