Stella looked to me, saying, “Come on. Let’s get you out of here. Any normal person can only handle so much of Markus.” Her words caused Markus to scowl, but he said nothing, letting me get up and follow Stella out. William, I noticed, remained in place. Both men let us go.
She led me up the stairs and down a hall. As Markus had mentioned, cameras were everywhere, but I wasn’t looking at those; I kept staring at Stella, trying to jog my memory of it all.
“Sorry about Markus,” she was busy saying. “He’s…well, he’s a Scott, so he’s never been smooth around the edges.”
“That seems to be an understatement,” I muttered, causing those peculiar eyes to snap to me as we walked along.
“You did better than most,” she said. A ghost of a smile crossed her face as she added, “You’re fiery. I’m glad Vaughn finally found someone who makes him feel alive. It sucks to live while not really living.” The way she spoke, it was as if she knew it from first-hand experience. It sounded like she’d joined the family after falling in love with a Scott.
Not a family I’d ever want to join, even if I did have feelings for one of them.
I said nothing, and we finally stopped before a closed door. My eyebrows went together, and it was as Stella’s face turned to meet mine that I was hit with a memory. Mom and I, in our old house, eating some microwaved dinner in front of the TV. Mom always had to turn on the news, at least the local parts. A picture of someone who looked just like Stella…and a red-headed guy?
I had to say, “I feel like I’ve seen you before.”
Stella smiled softly. “It’s the eyes, huh? The eyes always get people. It’s why I never leave the house, not really. If I do, I have to wear sunglasses to cover them.” She nodded once as she said, “If you watched the news a few years back, I’m sure you saw me. Killian and I, I mean. They still think I was his accomplice, somehow. His muse, and maybe I was, but I didn’t realize it at the time.” She made a soft humming sound. “It’s strange how the truth can change what you feel, isn’t it?”
His accomplice? His muse? What was she…
And then, like magic in my brain, it clicked. The Angel Maker. The serial killer that went off the grid after a few very public displayed kills. Stella was the woman they sought in connection to him, but they’d both fallen off the grid, and after a while, a new story took its place. Right before a missing white rich girl suddenly showed up back home.
“Fuck.” I thought I said it in my head, but I must’ve said it aloud, for Stella chuckled.
“Just know that this family isn’t like any other,” she said. “Markus isn’t the only one here who gets his hands dirty.” With an unnerving smile on her face, she reached to the door and knocked. Vaughn answered within a minute, and Stella said, “Don’t worry. I saved your girl from Markus. She’s smart. I like her.” And then she walked away, disappearing down the hall and leaving me to wonder what the fuck I got myself into with Vaughn.
Killers. This was a family of killers. And not only that, but there was a high profile serial killer here, too. Suddenly oh, my God did not quite hit the mark of how I was feeling.
I was slow to meet Vaughn’s dark stare, and the moment he invited me into his room, I practically ran in. Once the door was closed, I took in the state of the room. Giant, of course. Full of empty walls and new wooden furniture. The messiest part of it all was his desk, where it looked like he did his homework.
I felt Vaughn’s hand lightly touch my lower back, and I turned to meet those warm eyes.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you more about Markus,” he said. “He ordered me not to.”
Right. And what Markus said was law.
We all knew how I felt about Markus, but what I really wanted to talk about was what I’d just learned. “Dude, just give me a ballpark number, okay? How many serial killers are living under this roof?” I meant it as a joke, but also seriously.
Because, for real, what the hell did I get into here?