I thought about our brief conversation. Yeah, he wanted to kill my family, but that wasn’t new information. He’d always wanted to kill my family.
Specifically, he’d always wanted to kill Reagan.
Him threatening me and luring them here wasn’t an original idea. In fact, it was very predictable behavior, and I was grateful for that.
But he had asked for my secrets. I had no doubt that my stay here at Casa de Allen would be painful, no matter how short it was. No matter how quickly my brothers rescued us.
Unfortunately, I had a lot of secrets he could use. Like where the Underground was for instance. My immunity to Feeder bites. His rival and Mexican enemy, Diego, was currently wandering his city unchecked. Tyler was also here. Hendrix and Reagan had kids of their own now. And so did Haley and Nelson. I mean, so many valuable secrets.
But the one I knew would distract him the most, my white whale of secrets, was that I knew the identity of his wife’s murderer.
He believed it was Reagan. But he was wrong. It was me. I’d pulled the trigger. I’d killed her. I was the reason she was dead.
I’d planned to save that little jewel for the most perfect opportunity. It seemed to require a big reveal. Personally, I’d always pictured myself standing over his incapacitated body, blade at his throat. I would whisper darkly, “One last thing, I killed your wife,” right before I dragged my blade from one ear to the next. His big, surprised eyes would be all the poetic justice I needed when my war with him finally ended.
See? It was a perfect ending to an obnoxiously drawn out saga.
But maybe I could rearrange my script. Watching him walk toward Miller left me desperate to distract him. I would do anything to save Miller from this moment, from having to face his dad again and listen to his poisonous lies that could utterly destroy the man I loved.
God, I wished I would have told him that in our hiding spot. What had I been waiting for? Seriously, this was the Zombie Apocalypse for goodness sake! It wasn’t like I didn’t know how little time we had together.
Anyway, back to the point. No matter what was said down there, it was bound to mess Miller up in the worst way. And this was not exactly the best environment to keep your head on straight.
I opened my mouth, readying to confess the one trump card I had. “Matthias!” I shouted down the line. Prisoners on either side of the aisle whined at the sound as if they’d been conditioned to fear the name itself. Chains rattled somewhere in the darkness as the commotion grew louder and louder.
“Matthias!” I hollered louder, deciding to egg the disorder on.
“Quiet!” he bellowed back, but I wasn’t sure if it was at me in particular or all of us.
It only seemed to incite more panic. The cacophony grew and grew. A cell I hadn’t know was occupied burst to life as the prisoner inside started pacing the length of it quickly. He smacked his hand against every bar as he went.
The guy next to me, the one still curled into a ball on the floor, started rocking back and forth, keening an ungodly sound in the back of his throat. And on and on, down the row it went.
Clearly, Matthias had terrified these people beyond rational thought. It should have made me petrified for what was to come next, but right now it worked in my favor.
Halfway down the aisle, even in the darkness, I could see him start to lose his patience. “Be quiet!” he yelled again.
Someone near him wailed loudly, and someone else mimicked him like a parrot with a death wish. “Be quiet!” they shouted in an eerily similar voice.
The guard moved next to Miller’s cell and banged a black club against the metal bars. “You were told to be quiet!” he boomed.
The prisoners started to settle down at the voice of the guard, although he had to shout orders two more times before they completely obeyed. I tucked that tactic into my back pocket knowing it would be useful in the future.
Matthias turned to the guard. “Deal with her if she’s a problem again. Use whatever means is necessary.”
The guard nodded. I flipped them both off.
“You won’t touch her,” Miller growled from the other end of the dungeon. “You will not even look at her unless I give you permission.”
Matthias turned his attention to his son, staring at him for long enough that I knew he was having a hard time trying to figure Miller out.
Join the club, Matthias. Miller was an enigma. Everybody knew that.
Matthias surprised me by taking a step closer to Miller and asking, “Where’s your sister.”
Miller didn’t hesitate. “Dead.”
“And your girlfriend’s family?”
“Also dead.”
Matthias’ head tipped back, and he barked out a laugh. “You’ve grown a backbone since the last time I saw you, Son. I have to say I’m a little disappointed that it took you this long. But hey, at least it’s finally there.”
I pictured the muscle ticking in Miller’s jaw. “I have my new family to thank,” Miller returned, sounding surprisingly calm. “They also taught me how to be a man. Something you never seemed to be able to manage. Those Parkers make excellent role models.”
I jumped when Matthias’s cane slapped the bars in front of Miller’s face so hard I thought it might break in two. Matthias lunged forward, hitting the bars again and again. “I’m going to make you eat those words,” he promised.
Miller grunted a desolate laugh. “I would expect nothing less.”
“Get him out of there,” Matthias ordered the guard. “Take him outside.”
My secret. Now was the time. I had to turn Matthias’s attention away from Miller. I had to do whatever it took.
“Ma—” His name died on my lips when the upstairs door opened and boots descended the staircase. We all stood there frozen, waiting to find out who it was or what fresh horrors awaited us.
A familiar face rounded the corner, and my stomach dropped to my toes. No. What was he thinking?
This was a mistake.
They were going to kill him.
They were going to finish what they started.
“Who’s this?” Matthias demanded of the guards that surrounded his prisoner.
“He tried to climb over the back wall. He was heavily armed.”
Matthias sniffed the air as if that would give away his identity. “Why didn’t you shoot him?” he asked.
“He said he has information,” the guard replied. “He knows where two more Parkers are in the city.”
“No!” I gasped, giving away my eavesdropping, but I could have cared less.
“Is this true?” Matthias asked his prisoner, completely ignoring me.
“There are two of them here,” the prisoner confirmed. “Along with your daughter and the leader of the rebellion.”
“Matthias turned to his guard. “Does he have any proof?”
“Nothing definitive,” the guard answered. “Although he’s given a verbal description of their features.”
“Throw him in a cell for now,” Matthias demanded. “If what he says is true this is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
Matthias turned away from the long rows of cells and headed toward the stairs. Miller, unable to not have the final word, called out, “Hey, we were talking!”
Matthias didn’t even acknowledge him. He took the stairs as fast as he was able and disappeared on the floor above.
The remaining guards moved their prisoner down the line and threw him in the cell across from mine. When they’d returned to their posts, I glared at Micah across the way.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded in a careful whisper.
He moved around his cell, inspecting it with a wrinkled nose. “I’m here to return a favor.”
I wanted to throw my hands up in the air in frustration. “And what favor is that?”
Turning around, he held my gaze with steely resolve. “Saving your life, Page. I’m going to save your life.”
“Quiet!” the guard shouted furiously.
I moved back in my cell anxious to get away from Micah and the truth of our circumstances and the ambiguity of his presence.
Was he telling the truth? Was he here to save me? But save me how? And was he working with my brothers, or was he truly going to turn them in just to repay some stupid debt he felt he owed?
My nerves twisted inside me, tightening until they were completely wrung dry.
And what about Miller? I couldn’t protect him from the conflict with his dad or the brutality of the guards. And he wouldn’t be able to help me either.
I just prayed that King and Harrison were working as hard as possible to break us out.
In the meantime, I would hope for the best and plan for the worst.
Like every other freaking day of my life.
Look for Love and Decay: Revolution, Episode Eleven, coming July 7th, 2017!
About the Author
Rachel Higginson was born and raised in Nebraska, but spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days raising their growing family. She is obsessed with bad reality TV and any and all Young Adult Fiction.
Look for more from Rachel in 2017.
Other books by Rachel to be released in 2017 are The Difference Between Us, the second stand-alone contemporary romance in the Opposites Attract Series, and Heir of Empyrial Fire, the fourth book in the Starbright Series.
Other Books out Now by Rachel Higginson:
Love and Decay, Season One
Love and Decay, Volume One (Episodes One-Six, Season One)
Love and Decay, Volume Two (Episodes Seven-Twelve, Season One)
Love and Decay, Season Two
Love and Decay, Volume Three (Episodes One-Four, Season Two)
Love and Decay, Volume Four (Episodes Five-Eight, Season Two)
Love and Decay, Volume Five (Episodes Nine-Twelve, Season Two)
Love and Decay, Season Three
Love and Decay, Volume Six (Episodes One-Four, Season Three)
Love and Decay, Volume Seven (Episodes Five-Eight, Season Three)
Love and Decay, Volume Eight (Episodes Nine-Twelve, Season Three)
Love and Decay: Revolution, Season One
Love and Decay: Revolution, Volume One (Episodes One-Four, Season One)
Love and Decay: Revolution, Volume Two (Episodes Five-Eight, Season One)
Reckless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 1)
Hopeless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 2)
Fearless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 3)
Endless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 4)
The Reluctant King (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 5)
The Relentless Warrior (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 6)
Breathless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 6.5)
Fateful Magic (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 6.75)
The Redeemable Prince (The Star-Crossed Series, Book 7)
Heir of Skies (The Starbright Series, Book 1)
Heir of Darkness (The Starbright Series, Book 2)
Heir of Secrets (The Starbright Series, Book 3)
The Rush (The Siren Series, Book 1)
The Fall (The Siren Series, Book 2)
The Heart (The Siren Series, Book 3)
Bet on Us (An NA Contemporary Romance)
Bet on Me (An NA Contemporary Romance)
The Five Stages of Falling in Love, an Adult Contemporary Romance
Every Wrong Reason, an Adult Contemporary Romance
The Opposite of You, an Adult Contemporary Romance! Just released!!!
Follow Rachel on her blog at:
http://www.rachelhigginson.com/
Or on Twitter:
@mywritesdntbite
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