Page 10

What else had I expected?

Swallowing down my petulant hurt, I lifted my chin high. Walking around downtown Valemont at this hour like a wounded dog would only invite trouble. I blinked back the tears welling in my eyes, trying to remind myself that I was okay on my own, when a car slowed down beside me and rolled down its darkened window.

“Tess…” Blade hung out the window of the blue sports car, holding on to the roof to keep her balance. “Tess, get in the car. Please.”

I shook my head, refusing to give her more than a passing glance.

“Seriously, Tess.” Nash cut in. “We don’t have to talk. Fuck, we don’t have to stay in the car. You can have the car, and we’ll just walk back to Feverpoint. Please?”

My chest ached at the desperation in her voice. But that was a trap I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for. I’d already gotten my money — anything else the Freaks offered me was just another way to trap me in their web.

I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to humor the offer. We were stuck at a stalemate: they didn’t know how to repair my trust, and I didn’t know how to forgive them. No one was winning this game.

Instead, we trudged on in painful silence, the Lambo crawling at a snail’s pace while I stormed off toward the only place I had left to go.

Despite my earlier curiosity, there was something worse about knowing who was following me. I could feel the pain, the desperation emanating off of them. It was a frequency that resonated right through my bones.

Mercifully, the walk from the town square to Lola’s wasn’t very far. Before long, I was back on her block — mere seconds from being free from this torture.

But the Freaks couldn’t let me go without digging the knife in one more time. As Nash revved the engine to get my attention, Blade leaned farther out the window — almost close enough to touch me. “Fright Night is on Friday. We’ll leave the gate open for you.”

“Fuck off,” I rolled my eyes. After everything that had happened, I couldn’t believe she had the audacity to suggest another hunt.

But there was no point starting another argument with her. Lola’s landlord didn’t need another excuse to give her grief.

So instead, I flung open the front door, refusing to look back at the Lambo haunting the doorstep. It wasn’t until I was inside the apartment lobby with the metal door slammed behind me that I could take a breath.

Clicking the lock into place, I leaned back against the heavy door and listened. About thirty seconds passed before I heard the Lamborghini's engine rev and tires squeal against the pavement outside.

The Freaks were finally gone. I could finally have some fucking peace.

So why does my chest feel so tight?

Despite my fury with them, there was no denying that their faces had been a comfort in the chaos of the crowd. Valemont had only gotten more dangerous since I left Feverpoint, and with Rubin’s Message infecting most of the town, there was a comfort in knowing that someone else saw through his bullshit and was willing to do something about it.

But is that all they want from me? To know I was safe?

I didn’t trust it — couldn’t. Not after what they’d put me through. If Cyrus was able to hide such a major resentment, and if the other two were so willing to believe her, I couldn’t trust that anything they wanted from me was innocent.

Swallowing down the ache in my chest, I pushed off the door and headed upstairs. I couldn’t let them in again. No matter how painful it was.

7

BLADE

Nash and I barely spoke on the drive home, rage boiling in our veins too loud to speak.

Instead, we kept our anger bottled inside.

Nash pulled the Lamborghini into Feverpoint and sped toward Jungle Jolt. As soon as we got to the loft’s entrance, Nash blocked in the Cadillac as Cyrus stepped out of the SUV.

Before the sports car even came to a full stop, I was throwing open the passenger door and leaping toward Cyrus. My chest heaved with anger as I crossed the cobblestone and grabbed the collar of Cyrus’ designer flight jacket.

“You fucking piece of shit.” The words spit from my mouth as I brought my face inches from hers.

Her hands gripped my wrists and twisted me off without a word.

Behind us, Nash hissed at her. “How fucking dare you?!”