I turn down another street. Even though I can’t hear them anymore, I don’t stop until I’m in front of the house. My wheezing breaths come out in big clouds of smoke. Only then do I glance back at the empty road. Who were they? Will they come back? What if it happens again and I can’t run fast enough?

I try and fail to get a hold of myself before I stumble inside, locking the door behind me with trembling hands, and checking it three times. Millie has started on dinner, and Greg is already in the lounge, beer in hand, while zoning out in front of the TV. Marcus is—I have no idea where he is. Locked away in his room, hopefully. Maybe I can get away with not seeing him at all.

Everyone in the house is completely oblivious to what just happened. I should call the cops or tell somebody. But who’s going to care? Who’s going to believe me?

The world seems to spin as I bolt up the stairs without a backward glance, passing Jeremy’s empty room on the way to mine. Nothing makes me feel any semblance of ease until the door to my room is shut. I lean against the wood and force myself to count to ten.

My heart still hammers away in my ribcage, and I’m worried it’s going to break bone if I don’t get a handle on myself. Adrenaline crashing makes me sway. My exhaustion isn’t just bone-deep anymore; I can feel it in my soul. I love Jeremy, but staying here is going to kill me.

I shiver from the cool breeze drifting through the room. With a defeated sigh, I push off the door and flick on the light. I alternate using my hands to rub my eyes and tug my jacket down my arms.

I blink away the fireworks exploding behind my lids, then stiffen.

A heart-shaped locket lies in the middle of my desk. The same one I took off a year after he disappeared. I haven’t so much as looked at it since.

I didn’t put that there.

I locked that thing away so I’d never see it again.

How the hell did it get there? Who came inside my room?

Rushing to the other side of the room, I yank open the closet door and drop to my knees to rummage around the bottom shelf, searching for the familiar fabric. When I can’t feel it, I pull everything out and go through every single article of clothing. Roman’s jersey isn’t there.

Marcus wouldn’t have known or cared that I hid it in Roman’s hoodie. Millie wouldn’t have been worried enough to do anything that doesn’t serve her immediate family, Greg wouldn’t have gotten off his ass for anything, and Jeremy isn’t home.

If someone broke into the house, surely they’d steal stuff of value? Not… not something this specific, something just in my room. Did I sleepwalk or something?

“Isa, hurry up,” Millie yells from downstairs.

I inhale sharply. “Coming.”

My body clicks in three places when I haul myself onto my feet. As my back muscles protest, I do my best to ignore the ache. It’s easy to ignore when my mind is still reeling from the appearance of the necklace.

I’ll figure it out later.

I drag my feet to the door and cast a longing look at my bed. For the third time tonight, every inch of my body seizes.

Because on my bed are two Mickey Mouse plush toys.

One that my mother gave me and one I’ve never seen before.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 15

ROMAN

The Day of the Incident

“You did something very stupid.” I grin.

The guy claws at my arm, gasping for breath. “I don’t know—"

I tsk, silencing him as I tighten my hold around his neck, making the red hue of his face darken. “I think you do know. Should I give you a hint?” He nods, slapping at my arm in a useless attempt to make me let up. “You spoke to a mouse just now. Do you know what else you did?”

He blinks, then his eyes widen in realization. “Look, man, I didn’t know she was taken. If I had known, I wouldn’t have given her my number. I’m sorry, I—"

“Will never speak to her again,” I finish for him, pushing my weight forward. “If you do…” I hum. “Do I need to finish that sentence, or do you understand what I’m saying?”

He nods frantically against my hand.

“Good,” I mutter as I let go.

He hunches over and gulps in greedy breaths. I kick him once in the gut for good measure. Then punch him in the face for the hell of it.

“Fuck off. Make sure I never see you again.”

A chorus of yeses falls out of his mouth as he scurries away, staggering and limping, leaving behind his shopping bag.

Fucking idiot.

With him sorted, I take my place by the empty house across from the store and wait for the time to crawl by.

My mood sours even more once I look inside the shop. If I thought my blood was boiling before, it’s nothing compared to watching Marcus feel Bella up. Every inch of me is screaming to storm inside and murder him with the shit inside his own store. But that would ruin the plan. These past three months have been the greatest exercise of my patience and ability to resist my impulses. Finally, everything is set up for her, and I’ve found a place for Jeremy.

I mean, sometimes I don’t resist at all. Even so, it’ll all be worth it because tonight’s the night everything changes.

Marcus finally dies.

After years, she will be back in my arms. I’m sick of watching her from a distance and hearing her voice through a phone. I’ll get to actually talk to her. I want to touch her and have her touch me back. I want to have a goddamn conversation with her. Most of all, I want her out of that house and away from that miserable family.

Tonight, all my wishes are coming true.

I’ve made one fantastic discovery, though. My princess doesn’t have a boyfriend. Never has, never will—other than me, of course. Not like it was an issue in the first place. It just means she won’t cry over anyone if I take them out of the picture. There’s only room for the two of us from now on.

The light coming from the store gives me a clear view of Bella—she’s not Pigtails, because she has her hair down more often than not lately.

She moves behind the till, and my chest squeezes. Out of all the things she’s done to scrub me out of her life, the fact that she isn’t wearing my necklace hurts the most. She hid it away like I’m a dirty secret she wants to forget all about.

The only reason I haven’t slipped it around her neck while she’s asleep is because she’s still wearing the bracelet. It’s one of my few assurances that she hasn’t forgotten about me, and she’s still hanging on, even just by a thread. It isn’t like I’d ever let her forget about me, anyway.

I’ve been taunting her with reminders of me. I expected her to squirm or dart around with fear burning in her eyes, but she just looks… hurt? Why the hell would she be the one to feel hurt in all of this? She’s the one who ignored all my letters. She’s the one who completely ghosted me. I’m the one who’s hurt. Not her.

The lights go out in the store, and seconds later, she’s coming out of the front of the shop. Bella starts walking in the direction of her house, head drooping with exhaustion, unaware of any surrounding threats.

I follow behind her, not so close that she can see me, but not so far that I can’t see her.

My skin prickles with irritation when I spot someone else following her. It seems that an asshole with a death wish thinks it’s a good idea to go near my girl.

Bella glances back and quickens her pace. The fucker following her does the same. He’s really just trying to make my night, isn’t he?

I smile in my excitement. The more violence, the merrier.

My blood runs hot as I close the distance, and Bella chooses that exact moment to start running. So does he.

Fucking hell.

I guess I need to sprint, too, then. They don’t exactly have treadmills in prison, and running laps around the yard isn’t quite the same as chasing someone into the pitch-black night. Now, I’m working on pure adrenaline. The exhilaration is intoxicating, and every one of my senses is heightened and focused on my prey.