I will wake you when he gets here.”
“A little before, please. I always need a good twenty minutes after waking to be able to talk.”
She chuckles. “Okay. Deal.”
When she shuts the door behind herself, I quickly dash into the shower and scrub my body of the sticky odor of travel, before brushing my teeth and running a brush through my hair. I’m back in my bedroom, hitting the lights off and drawing the curtains closed, when my phone starts vibrating on the bedside table.
I didn’t leave it behind. I wanted to be able to answer it and communicate with Brantley. This wasn’t me running away, and I didn’t want him to stress about me, not when I know that they’re all trying to figure out the whole drugging dilemma.
I plop down onto the mattress and fight my tired eyes to open the text messages.
12 unread texts
8 missed calls
I sigh, opening the first text message.
Brantley: Where the fuck are you?
Brantley: I got your note. You better be fucking joking.
My note was simple. It said that I would be home on Saturday, ready for the ceremony on Sunday and to not worry.
Brantley: I am going to kill you. I swear to all the gods, Saint. You’re dead.
Bishop: Where are you?
Bishop: You can’t just disappear. I can’t do another one…
That text stops me. Guilt settles inside of my belly, and before I can stop myself, I hit dial on Bishop’s name. Then I hang up. I open a text to Brantley.
Me: I am okay. Be home soon.
I click on Bishop’s name. Me: You don’t ever have to worry about that. I promise it’s important, okay? I’ll be home on Saturday.
My phone slips from my hand as my eyes slowly close.
My lashes flutter against my cheeks. I try to open them, but every time I do, I feel as though they’re being weighed down by heavy cement blocks.
The smell hits me first. Fried flesh, rotten marrow, and dried organs.
A tree.
I shoot up from the bed, my fingers clenched around the sheets while a piercing sound stabs my eardrums. It’s not until Madison crashes through my door with her hands covering her ears that I realize… that sound is me.
I stop screaming, while wrapping my knees against my chest and rocking back and forth.
“Hey!” Madison enters the room farther, closing the door behind her and sitting on the mattress. Her hand comes to mine, squeezing me gently. “It’s okay. It’s a nightmare.”
I exhale the breath I didn’t know I was holding, lying back on the bed until I’m resting against the headboard. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine,” she says. “Do you want me to get you a drink of water or anything?”
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay.”
My phone rings on the bedside table and I reach for it aimlessly. When I see Brantley’s name flash over my screen, my insides crumble.
Madison follows my eyes and flinches. “He scares me. Please answer it.”
I swipe my finger across and slowly bring my phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Question.” His voice is low, and every single vocal cord that he exudes hits every corner of my soul. Ice slides down my spine and goosebumps rise all over my flesh. My eyes find Madison and she runs her fingers over the tiny bumps on my arm.
“Yes?” I ask softly, hoping it will soften the blow.
“Why the fuck do you think I’ve kept you locked in this house for all those years?”
“I heard you tell Nate one night.”
Silence. “What night?”
Madison stands to leave, but I stop her with my hand on her arm. I shake my head and she slowly lowers herself back on the bed. “The night you all had a party at the manor and Nate tried to open my door. You said that he couldn’t have me.”
Brantley pauses again, before chuckling. “You really think that is all?”
“Well, now that you say it like that, no…”
“Get home. Now.”
“I can—”
“Saint? Do not fucking play with me. Home.”
“Okay, but ther—”
“Saint…” he growls, and the purr skates over my eardrums, rocking my core. “Home.”
“Okay,” I answer through a whisper, squeezing the phone. Right after I finish doing what I’m doing. “Could you tell Bishop I’m okay? He was stressed last night.”
“He knows.”
“I’ll see you soon…”
There’s a long pause, before I hear a door close in the background. “Put it on speaker.”
I panic, my eyes shooting to Madison.
“What?”
“Do it.”
I bring my phone down, hitting the speaker button. He doesn’t waste time.
“Madison, if anything happens to her, I swear to