My fingers hover over the keyboard. He's testing me. Seeing if I'll respond like a good girl or ignore him out of spite. Then I remember his rule about texting back right away and decide I don't feel like having my exploration interrupted just yet.
ELLIE
Riveted. Your interior decorating choices are fascinating.
Three dots appear immediately.
KADE
Sarcasm noted. Don't break anything.
ELLIE
No promises.
I pocket the phone before he can respond, a small victory in a war I'm definitely losing. Kade is watching. He knows I'm wandering through the house instead of staying in my designated pink prison.
The back door calls to me like a siren song.
It's unlocked and I step out onto a deck that overlooks a surprisingly nice backyard. There's even a grill that's seen recent use based on the faint smell of charcoal. Patio furniture that doesn't look like it was stolen from someone's curb on trash day.
They escaped the trailer park the way we all swore we would, except they think I took the easy route while they clawed their way out with their bare hands.
The thought tastes bitter.
I sit on the porch steps, letting the morning sun warm my face. The neighborhood's quiet this time of day, just the distant sound of a lawnmower and someone's dog barking.
Normal. Suburban.Nothinglike the constant chaos of Creekside Estates where sirens were the soundtrack to our childhood and someone was always screaming about something.
Usually at one of us.
My fingers find the collar again, a new compulsion settling in, tracing the delicate yet unwavering metal that feels seamless. Testing.
Always testing.
It won't come off, that's for damn sure. And the thought doesn't bother me like it probably should. Instead, it makes my thighs clench with heat.
The Kings may be fucked up, but so am I.
The sun climbs higher, and sweat starts to bead on my skin. The house stays silent behind me, no sign of Tank despite Jinx's assurance that he'd come back eventually.
Maybe he's avoiding me on purpose because he hates me so much, he can't even stand to be under the same roof.
Thatreallyfucking hurts.
I check my phone. 10:17 AM. Seven hours until my curfew. Seven hours to sit here like a good girl and contemplate my life choices.
Or.
The thought forms before I can stop it, dangerous and stupid and destined to get me in trouble.
OrI could test whether Kade was bullshitting about knowing my every move.
My eyes scan the backyard, looking for obvious cameras. Nothing in the trees. Nothing on the fence. Either they're as well hidden as the ones inside, or only the house is outfitted.
Only one way to find out.
I head back inside to put on a hoodie and grab some cash. The window in my room opens easily, no alarm, no obvious sensors. Just a straight drop to the roof of the first-floor porch, then an easy climb down the support column.
