Page 71 of Haven

He was agitated, and he would slip.

Why would he put on a show, just to keep me alive? If he wanted me dead, he should just kill me. There was no reason to torment anyone, especially Rory.

He hovered over me, a hot iron rod digging into the bullet wound on my shoulder. I grunted, but I refused to scream. He wasn’t going to get the pleasure.

“She’ll think you’re dead, and I can use it.”

“F-fuck y-you.”

“That’ll be Aurora's job when I have her again. Survive long enough, and maybe you can watch.”

I spat at him. “Please. You couldn’t get an ant off. That’s why you have to torment her to get her to notice you.”

Rory wouldn’t care for him, even if he wasn’t a creep. She already had her mind set on the two women I forbade her from dating. It was my mistake. One of many I made in my life. Funny how all my fuck-ups came swinging back when I was on the verge of dying.

I hissed in pain when he placed the hot iron on my forearm, adding another scar to the collection of many new ones. “I am everything she needs! You were the one hurting her!”

I scoffed, spitting at him. “Please. I made mistakes, but I’m not the one taking her happiness from her.”

I needed to shut up before he actually snapped and killed me. Instead of arguing anymore, he screamed and left the room. Good. I needed a moment to breathe. Rory listened to the bastard shoot me, and I knew she was at the clubhouse. The Vipers would think I was dead, too. Everyone would.

“You shouldn’t have made him angry,” the mousy girl squeaked as she scurried inside with fresh bandages. “He’s not nice when he’s mad.”

“Who are you?” She never answered me the first time, but there was a change to her. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she was in a blue dress. She looked like a princess. “I’m defenseless down here, so it doesn’t matter.”

She shook her head, tending to my wounds. “Who I am or was doesn’t matter. Aurora was a princess, too, so I need to help her sister. It’s what I can do before she comes back.”

“Who is she?”

“Don’t talk about her while I am here. She’ll come, and I can’t help you. Please. I can’t let you die until I can get you out. The others help me, but she doesn’t. I can’t let her out.”

I nodded. I still didn’t know what was going on or if I could trust this girl. She wanted to help, so I would let her. If she wanted to help me get home, even better. I needed to gain her trust, and then I could finally be reunited with Rory and fix the damage I did.

Sixty-Two

Rory

Two days had passed since my session with Izzy and I still felt…numb. I expected it, but existing felt excruciating. Exhaustion was another layer of nothing, and sleep didn’t offer any calming relief. Sleep was the epitome of what I needed, but how could I sleep when sleeping made me see my sister? I woke up screaming for her, only to realize she wasn’t here. She was…I didn’t want to believe she was dead. Her name fell from my lips like a distant prayer. I wanted her to hear me, but there was a hollow calm in the darkness. I would feel it if she was truly dead, wouldn’t I? I felt empty, but I didn’t feel completely shattered. My sister had to be alive.

Hades would be taking me back to her place later today, but Babs would be coming over first. I wanted to see her before I left. The clubhouse was her home, too, even if it was broken right now. Babs said she tried to find her guys, but they no longer had social media.

Babs knew something was wrong. Telling her my sister was missing or dead over text wouldn’t have been ideal, especially with her pregnant, but I wanted her to know. I told Hades when I broke the news to her we could go to Crestview together and do whatever we needed.

All three of the women I cared for would help me look for my sister. Without concrete evidence—her body or Melisa confirming—I didn’t believe she was gone. My stalker wanted this reaction and this pain because he could use it. I wouldn’t give him the benefit, but maybe I could utilize this as a way to make something happen. Being prey wasn’t something I thought I would ever do, but if it helped me find Cinder, I would throw myself to the wolves.

Hades had something planned for us to do in Crestview, and I knew she needed to get back to her clinic. I had a doctor who loved helping people, and she was with me because I was hurting. Widow didn’t like Hades, and Hades definitely didn’t like Widow. When she came back into my room after talking to them, she was radiating with anger but trying to hide it from me. That was when she told me her and Widow got into it. Hades knew Widow would be a part of my life regardless of our past.

Babs knocked on the door, and I could already feel her bubbling energy radiating tenfold. I glanced up to see her standing with a woman. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t seeing things because that woman looked like an ethereal god. Babs’ cheeks lit up, but she had a sympathetic look on her face. She knew.

“Hi,” she whispered as she stepped into my bedroom. Her…friend stayed at the door as Babs crawled into the bed with me. “Widow told me what happened when I came in. I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her hands around my waist and pulled me into an awkward hug. “Do you need anything?”

“I want my sister.”

“I know. Do they have an idea of who did it?”

I rubbed my eyes before sitting up and taking her hand. “I have a stalker. There was someone else…he took me from the scene of my crash and did things to me.” My skin was still crawling after I saw that picture. “I don’t remember anyone else there with me. If I did, this wouldn’t be happening.”

“Rory, it is not your fault. Trauma makes us forget things. There must be a reason you forgot him. Don’t blame yourself. It’s solely his fault. You were a child.”