about it.” Scott shakes his head like he doesn’t have a clue either.
“Do you think she was my mom?”
Chapter 17
It’s the only conclusion I can come to, well, that makes any sense anyway. If that guy really did something like that, and it involved my mom, it could explain some of her behavior. If she didn’t know he was dead, she had good reason to always be hiding and moving us around.
Hell, she probably thought she was protecting me all these years. I mean, I knew she thought she was, but I never really believed there was an actual threat. It would also explain why she never told me about being in an Infinity. She didn’t want me to go through what she did.
“I’m not sure, Cara, but we’ll figure it out.” The conversation dies down quickly. No one here has any real answers, and we need to wait until we talk to Ares and Dante’s parents to really know anything. Even then it’ll only be an assumption. Without my mom to confirm the information, it’s still just a guessing game.
But there’s something else that’s bothering me. After we’ve all said our goodbyes for the evening—some awkward in my case—I ask the question that has been making me doubt everything I think we’ve learned. “Ares.” He hums a response, distracted. “If Leon is dead, and we think my mom didn’t leave on her own…” I let the subject sit for a moment.
“Then who took her?” he finishes my question for me. Apparently, I’m not the only one unconvinced.
“Yeah. Who took her, and why?”
I’m up early Sunday morning. I’ve lain in this bed for as long as I’m physically able, and I need to get up. All the guys are still sleeping, so sneaking out of bed shouldn’t be an issue, especially since Ares sleeps like a log. Inching out of the covers, I lift my leg over him and crawl away. He doesn’t even stir.
The closet door slides open soundlessly as I grab a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt. The guys said Maggie had my shift covered yesterday, but there’s no way I’m leaving her hanging for a third day. I hope one of them is up in time to drive me to work, I would hate to have to wake them. It’s been such a crazy few days.
Leaving the lights dimmed low, I start the shower and do my morning business while the water heats. Stepping under the spray I let out a heavy sigh. It wasn’t long ago when just taking a shower would have been a big ordeal. The luxury of having indoor plumbing is something I will never take for granted. I wash my hair first, wanting to let the conditioner sit while I wash and rinse my body.
I linger under the spray much longer than needed, just letting the hot water cascade over my back and neck. When I finally step out my fingers are a little pruned, but I feel more relaxed than I have in a few days. My bond with Ares and Dante is complete. I haven’t had very much time to get comfortable with what that means, but it’s almost like I don’t need to. They’re now part of me, and I’m part of them, but it doesn’t feel strange. It finally feels like I’m headed in the direction I was always meant to go.
With a fluffy black towel wrapped around my chest, I wipe the fog and condensation from the mirror. I’m probably leaving streaks behind, but I don’t really care. When the glass clears enough and I can see my blurry reflection, I expect to see some physical change, some evidence that I’m not the same girl I was just a few weeks ago, but I don’t. My hair is a little darker, but it’s still dripping wet so that’s no surprise. My cheeks might be the slightest bit fuller, which also makes sense because I’ve been eating three meals a day, if not more. But those aren’t the changes I was looking for. I’d expect that something as profound as finding your pairs and bonding to them would change something deep within you, and it has. I can feel it, it’s just not visible.
As I’m heading over to grab my clothes, I hear a light tapping on the door. “Yeah?” I call out quietly. Instead of an answer, the door pushes in. Dante is standing there all scruffy and sweet looking, with his hair all mussed