“I’m not kidding,” she said, her voice firmer. I knew that voice very well. “If you aren’t here by this afternoon, I’ll tell her where to find you.”
“Fuck!” I shouted, wanting to throw the phone through my bedroom window. She was spiteful enough to do it.
“Don’t curse at me, young lady!”
“Ma, I’m over forty years old!” I cried. “I can say fuck if I want!”
“I don’t care if you’re eighty!” she shouted back. “You better be here soon!”
“Fine,” I growled, giving in. “I’ll come by this afternoon. Do NOT call Grace, Ma! Do you understand?”
“As long as you understand, sweetheart,” she replied, her voice back to being sickly sweet.
The click in my ear let me know she’d hung up. God, she was such a bitch.
If Grace was looking for me, then she knew I had the guys. I had to get them out of this house and move them somewhere else.
But first, I needed to visit my wicked mother.
I stood up and walked out to where Zane was sitting on the couch.
“We gotta take a little trip to town,” I said.
“Another interview?” He asked.
“No, I have to go visit my mother.”
“Oh, man,” he said, knowing full well how I felt about her. “That’s rough.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “I think I need a drink first.”
He stood up and immediately went to the kitchen and brought back a glass of wine.
“You’re good to me, Zane.”
“Always, Miss Mona,” he smiled.
He was the only friend I had in this world. Everyone else had abandoned me or just hung around for a taste of fame. They were so transparent.
“I love you, Zane,” I said, smiling over at him. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well, you’ll never have to worry about that.” He looked at me with sheer devotion in his eyes. I knew he was in love with me. I knew keeping him around was only leading him on.
What else was I going to do, though?
Break his heart?
CHAPTER FORTY
SLADE
Pain means I’m alive, right?
I must be very fucking alive.
My entire body is throbbing, as if my blood is pumping strong enough for ten bodies. Since I can’t fully open my eyes, I assume they’re swollen shut.
In addition to the pain, I have memories.
Zane, standing over me, gripping a baseball bat, the silhouettes of three other men towering behind him. Mona, back in the distance, laughing like a fucking lunatic.
They came at me all at once. At first it was fun.
You know how I love that shit.
But like they say, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
Once they broke my leg, I’ll admit it was a lot less fun. I did what I could though. They didn’t get away unscathed, that’s for sure. I punched, clawed and bit for as long as I could.
Until the blow of Zane’s bat knocked me out cold.
Who knows what they did to me after that?
I don’t remember much more, except waking up once, briefly, in the middle of the night. I started to call out, but from the sounds coming from the other room, I figured it was probably best if I just go right back to sleep.
It was better there, anyway.
The pain wasn’t so sharp.
I didn’t miss Diana and Jeremiah so much.
Those memories are the ones I let myself drown in while I was sleeping. I dreamt of the two of them. The loves of my life.
The meaning of my life.
I knew I’d get back to them. I didn’t know when. Or how.
But I just knew.
Because there’s no way in hell the universe would have kept me alive through all this bullshit, and all the bullshit I’ve gone through before, to take me away from my family in the end like this.
“I’ll be home soon, baby,” I murmured out loud, to Diana, who wasn’t there, but who was always there.
My heart swelled with love for her.
“Did he just speak?” Bullet said. I didn’t know he was there. “Slade!”
I groaned, trying to open my eyes, to lift my head.
“Be still, dude,” he whispered, his voice right in my ear. “Everything’s going to be okay. I promise, brother.”
I groaned again, the pain ripping through my head like a freight train.
“Shhh,” Libby’s voice was in my other ear, her hand soothing my forehead. It felt nice.
It made me miss Diana more.
I leaned into her touch, though…closing my eyes and falling back asleep, falling back into my dreams, falling back into Diana’s loving arms…
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
GRACE
“Maybe we’re wrong,” Ryder said. “Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place.”
We sat in my car outside of Mona’s mother’s house. After leaving her grandmother’s empty house, he and I had decided to come over and stake it out. I had another hunch that Mona might show up. They weren’t tight that I remembered, but they were a lot alike. I could see her mother warning her after we’d left.
“I know my feeling from earlier didn’t pan out, and here we are again, but I want to keep waiting,” I said. Ryder sat patiently by my side. We’d sat in the front seat, fueling up on sugary snacks. It was the last thing either one of us needed, but we had to do something to pass the time.
I had plenty of opportunity to talk to him. In fact, it was the perfect time, but despite the words perched on the tip of my tongue, they never seemed to tumble out of my mouth. I knew I was being a coward, but that didn’t make me talk any faster.
“I don’t mind waiting,” he said. “I think you might be right.”
“I suppose it might be time to get the cops involved,” I said.
“Not just yet,” he replied. Ryder hated cops. The fact that I used to be one wasn’t lost on me.
“I don’t hate cops,” he said, seemingly reading my mind. “It’s just that you never know which ones are dirty.”
I nodded, understanding full well what he was talking about. We always seemed to be on the same page. I reached over, grabbing his hand, reveling in the warmth of his skin, so familiar, so loving.
Part of the reason I didn’t want to tell him yet was because I knew that he’d turn those loving eyes on me with the most searing intensity and to be honest, I didn’t know if I could handle that right now. Sometimes, the profound fierceness of his love for me was overwhelming.
With everything else going on, I wasn’t sure either one of us could handle the weight of my secret.
For now, I decided, I’d bear that weight alone.
I was shoving a gummy bear in my mouth to keep the words from spilling out on their own, when I saw a shiny black Mercedes pull up in front of the house. Parked several houses away, we were hidden among a bunch of other cars parked along the sidewalk.
“Ryder!”
“I see it,” he said, sitting up. We watched as the car door opened and a very tall, very broad man got out and walked around to open the back door.
As soon as she emerged from the car, I knew it was her.
“It’s actually her,” I said.
“Great,” Ryder replied. “Let’s just wait and see what happens before we do anything.”
“I think I should go talk to her.”
“Let her go in first. Maybe she’ll have more visitors.”
I nodded, my heart racing. I hadn’t seen Mona in person in deZanes and there she was, walking up to her mother’s door — tall, regal, confident and sleek, dressed all in black — just as she’d been on television. Her confident walk told an entirely different story than the one she told the last time I’d seen her in person. I was proud of her, to be honest. She’d come so far.
Unless she’d resorted to kidnapping my friends, then maybe she’d come a little too far.
Part of me was rooting for he
r. I hoped she wasn’t involved at all. That she was just living her life, being as normal as she could be as an eccentric artist. I wanted her to be okay, so that the pain I caused her didn’t ruin her life.
We waited fifteen minutes, watching as her driver lingered outside the door, and then it opened, and she walked back out, looking a little worse for wear than when she’d gone in, but still completely put together.
“I’m going to talk to her,” I said, opening the door and quickly closing the distance between us before she reached the car.
“Mona,” I called, walking up to her with a smile.
“Grace,” she nodded, stopping short. Her driver shot her a quick glance, but she waved him off. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” I agreed. “You look great, Mona.”
“Thank you,” she said, her eyes raking over my body. “You do, too. My mother said you were looking for me?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“And now you’re staking out her place waiting for me?”
“Something like that,” I replied.
“Some things never change, I see,” she said. “What have you been up to, Grace?”
“I’m not a cop anymore. I quit a few years back.”
“Good for you,” she smiled cooly. “And yet, you’re still acting like one. I trust you’ve found more rewarding work?”
I wondered if she’d researched me, how much she might know. If she had our guys, she’d probably learned a lot. I didn’t want to tip my hand, though.
“I have,” I replied. “I work with a group that helps individuals with unique problems. We help them find safety.”
“Safety, huh?” Mona repeated. “Sounds quite noble of you.”
I nodded, unsure what to say. Sure, Solid Ground was noble. But the sarcasm in her voice told me she didn’t expect an answer.
“I have a similar mission, actually,” she replied, the smile plastered on her face, her eyes turning dark and menacing. The hair stood up on the back of my neck and I knew she had them.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
MONA
“I’d love to hear about it,” Grace said.
My heart was racing. I’d fantasized a million times about this moment, about finally being face to face with the woman who ruined my life, about what I’d do, what I’d say.
“You know, you didn’t ruin my life, Grace,” I replied. Her eyes widened in response. “Maybe that’s why you’re here? To see how I’ve survived? But ever since you locked me up, I’ve been on a mission to save myself. Sure, prison was hell. It was worse than hell. But I survived. Once I got out, I kept a picture of you by my bed, did you know that?”
“Of course not,” she said, her skin paling.
“Every morning when I woke up, I saw your face. It reminded me that there are monsters out there. People like you who only want to destroy me.”
“Mona, I never wanted to —.”
“— but you did. At least you tried. You came damned close, I’ll give you that. But I did my time and I worked my ass off until I was independent, until I could take care of myself without anyone’s help, without the risk that I’d lose everything again. And then, when I was sure I was stable, I ripped your picture down. Because I realized that monsters like you? They don’t matter anymore. They can’t hurt me anymore. You can’t hurt me anymore.”
I’d gone on a little too long than I’d fantasized about, but it was too late now.
“Mona, I’m sorry.”
“An apology?” I cried, incredulously. “Is that why you’re here? To apologize?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“I’m looking for some friends of mine who’ve gone missing. I thought you might have some information that would lead me to them.”
“I think you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“Perhaps, but I’m very determined to find them,” she said, her chin jutting out bravely.
“Why do you think I know where they are?” I demanded. I was ready for her to leave. I hated having her in my face. She reminded me of everything I wanted to forget.
“I saw your interview the other day. On the morning talk show.”
“Oh, right,” I said, my head spinning back to the interview. Had I said something to tip them off? “What about it?”
“You were wearing a ring.”
Oh, fuck. Slade’s ring.
“A ring?” I asked, feigning innocence.
“Yes, it looked shockingly like one that belongs to one of my friends, one of the guys that are missing.”
“Oh, dear,” I said, wide-eyed. “I’m afraid I bought that ring a few weeks ago at the Saturday Market, downtown. They’re a dime a dozen down there, so to speak. ”
“Is that so?” she asked, lifting a brow. “Well, then, I apologize. Thank you.”
“Of course,” I said, “I hope you find your friends.”
I felt Zane behind me and I knew he was nervous and wanted to get out of there quickly. But it was important to go slow, so she believed me.
“Thank you,” she said, turning to walk away, but then turning back. “Mona, I meant to ask. Do you ever get to see Olivia?”
“Olivia?” I blinked.
“Yes, Olivia Daniels, your daughter. I mean, I know she was adopted, but since she turned eighteen a few years ago, I figured she might have reached out to you.”
“No,” I shook my head, my knees weakening as the blood drained away from my face. “I haven’t seen her at all.”
“What a shame,” Grace said, shaking her head. “I was hoping for a better outcome. Maybe someday, though.”
“Yes,” I said, plastering a painful smile to my face, my hands trembling as I clenched them into fists at my side. “Someday.”
“Take care, Mona,” Grace said, waving and turning to walk away. I watched her walk away with my breath caught in my throat.
“Miss Mona,” Zane said behind me. He held the door open and I slid into the car and fell back onto the seat, tears stinging my eyes.
It couldn’t be!
This can’t be happening, I thought, it just can’t be true…
I reached into my purse and pulled out a small leather wallet. I’d thrown it in there the night I’d met Eve after taking it out of her purse. I pulled out the ID and swallowed hard.
I knew it before I’d even looked, of course.
I’d never named my daughter, because I knew I’d be giving her away. I was in prison. Naming her wasn’t my place. I left it up to the adoptive parents, and I never knew what they named her. I didn’t want to know. I never looked for her.
Why would she want to know me? The woman who’d given her up.
They’d named her themselves and given her their last name.
Now, Grace just told me her name was Olivia Daniels, the same name staring back up at me from Eve’s ID. My eyes snapped to the birthday listed and my heart sank.
Olivia Daniels, also known as Libby, also known as Eve, also known as my biological daughter — was currently locked in my basement.
What the hell had I done?
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
GRACE
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I walked away from Mona. Ryder stood outside the car, waiting for me as I walked up.
“She said she bought the ring at Saturday Market,” I said. “Said she doesn’t know a thing about the guys.”
“Of course she did,” he said. “Riot just called, though. He discovered that there’s another house, placed a few acres behind her little town and it’s not listed on the property records. I bet that’s where she’s holding them.”
“Let’s get there!” I said, jumping behind the wheel.
“The guys are meeting us there,” he said, jumping in beside me. “All of them.”
“Good,” I said. “I have a feeling we’re going to need them. Mona is all cool smiles, but there’s something in her eyes that tells me she’s come completely unhinged.”
“What if
she’s going back there now?”
“Then we need to get there before her.”
I hit the gas, going as fast as we possibly could, leaving Mona sitting in front of her mother’s house.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
MONA
“Are you sure?” Zane asked. I’d broken down in the backseat, my shaking hands still holding Libby’s ID while I cried and tried to explain to Zane through my tears what Grace had just told me.
“It makes sense,” I said. “I was so drawn to her! She reminded me of myself, Zane.”
“Well, you didn’t hurt her, Miss Mona, why are you so upset? Maybe she’ll forgive you. Maybe she’ll understand.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head. I hadn’t forgiven my mother for a myriad of mistakes and none were as severe as what I’d done to Libby.
“Well, what do you want to do? Should we let her go? Are you going to tell her that you’re her mother?”
“Maybe,” I replied, my head spinning. I had no idea what to do. I’d gone on and on about monsters, and it turns out, I’m the fucking monster. “I’m not sure. I don’t know if she knows she’s adopted. And look what I’ve done, Zane!”
The last thing I was going to do was go back to prison, that much I knew.
They’d never take me alive.
But then again, I did have a super power. If I could convince Libby, Slade and Bullet to keep their mouths shut if I let them go, then maybe I could salvage things without having to resort to desperate measures.
I really didn’t want to have to kill them. Especially not Libby.
But like I said, I’m not about to go back to prison…
“Take me back now, hurry,” I said to Zane, willing my hands to stop shaking. If I could get there in time to convince them, maybe we’d all be safe.
“Yes, Miss Mona,” he replied, putting the car in gear.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
GRACE
We’d left the car near the tiny bar, walking past the dilapidated buildings and into the woods behind them. The sun was setting in the distance, sending streams of golden sunlight through the tall pine trees. Birds chirped above us, as our boots crunched the leaves below with every step.
CAGED: GODS OF CHAOS (BOOK TEN) (Gods of Chaos MC 10) Page 14