Not yet.
They're enjoying the anticipation. Drawing it out. Letting her stew.
And that last one—
Who is that man you brought home? Is he your lover?
They were watching tonight.
Close enough to see me.
Close enough to send that while we were all laughing over pie.
That’s the fucking line.
Something sharp locks in behind my ribs. It's not quite fear, not quite rage. It’s that stillness I know too well. The shift. The readiness. The part of me that doesn’t hesitate when shit gets real.
I hand the phone back to her. “You’re gonna forward all of these to me.”
She stiffens. “Cass—”
“No arguments.” My voice is quiet but final. “I’m not Mom, Sabbie. I’m not gonna pretend this’ll work itself out.”
I look her straight in the eyes. “Who else knows?”
She hesitates. Then shakes her head. “Just me. And now you.”
All right.
I run a hand over my face, pulling my thoughts into order.
First step: pattern analysis. Message times, frequency, proximity. Someone knows her routine better than they should.
Second step: barriers. Change the locks. Check the security system. Reestablish control.
Third step: confrontation.
Because whoever this is?
They just made the biggest mistake of their life.
No sick fuck targets my sister and walks away from it.
I’ll make damn sure of that.
Ihave officially hit rock bottom.
Not when I died. Not when I became a Grim Reaper. Not even when I let three serial killers wreck me in ways that should’ve been physically impossible for the dead.
No, rock bottom isright now—half-naked in the back of a stolen ambulance, hunched between rattling metal drawers and a toppled crash cart while Cassian drives like he’s auditioning for a car chase, Talon treats my suffering like his favorite show, and Nathaniel quietly panics over… well, probablyeverything.
The overhead lights flicker in sync with the siren we’re not using. The wheels slam into potholes so hard I nearly face-plant into a tray of bloody gauze. The place reeks of copper, rubber, and something stale I’d really rather not identify.
And guess what? I’m still naked, save for Cassian’s bloodstained, sticky jacket.
So yes, this is rock bottom. A chaotic, naked, rock-bottom moment.
And for the life of me, I cannot find a single damn thing to wear in here.
