Hunt

“I can’t let it go.”

“Fucking let it go”

“I can’t. I want to know what he did to you.”

Rage filled me. “It’s none of your business what he did—”

“It is when he did it because you were protecting me—”

“I’m fine now—”

“You’re not. You’re taking GED tests—”

“You took it too—”

“Yeah, but that’s not something you would have done last month. You would just go rob somebody—”

“So, you want me back to robbing people?”

“No. I’m just saying. . .You’re buying herbs and listening to fucking opera of all things! It’s good that you’re being better. I love it, but. . .it’s scaring me too. What did he do to you?”

I leaned my head to the side. “Really, Quin? Leave it alone.”

“Dude. You don’t understand.” She put her hands on her hips. “Some nights I sit up in my bed. Mimi is all knocked out and snoring. And I just stare off at nothing. My head is spinning.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m imagining all the fucked up shit he did to you.”

I parted my lips, but had nothing to say.

She stared at the floor. “And. . .I don’t know. . .my heart aches from the things I come up with.”

I blinked. “Quin, it wasn’t that bad. Don’t think about any of that. Get your sleep. I’m fine.”

She looked up and pointed at me. “You’ve got a C on your shoulder like you were his personal cutting board. There were little scars on your thigh. And let’s not forget the part about you being naked and covered in mud when those college kids helped you.”

Devin stopped chopping and looked at me. “For real?”

I shook my head. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

Quin walked out of the kitchen. “Did he have you locked in a muddy cage and shit like you were a dog? Did you have to eat dog food and—”

“No. I was fine the majority of the time. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Quin stepped in front of me. “Mimi says you should talk to someone about it. That if you don’t, it could ruin you.”

“You tell Mimi that I’m not talking about anything.”

Quin searched my face. “But why not?”

Devin spoke, “Because she liked it.”

We looked at him.

My heart seized in my chest.

“She liked the torture.” Devin shrugged and returned to chopping potatoes. “Sometimes that happens when people hurt you. It feels good even when you don’t want it to. . .”

I fisted my hands at my side. “That’s. . .not. . .what happened.”

Devin sawed at the potatoes faster. “And you just don’t know how to deal with it, so you get embarrassed.”

Quin turned back to me. “Is that true?”

I said nothing.

Quin lowered her voice and gazed at the floor. “You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. I fuck with you, Nix. I would never judge you.”

My eyes watered.

Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.

Quin checked the room. “Boss, chill out. We’re having a moment.”

Boss whimpered from my bedroom.

I swallowed the rawness in my throat. “I’m fine. Please, let it go, Quin.”

“I’ll let it go.”

“Thank you.”

“I won’t bring it up again.”

“Good.”

“I won’t stay up trying to figure it out.”

“Excellent.”

Quin opened her arms. “Should we hug it out?”

I frowned. “What else happened?”

“He said that if I gave you the present then he would leave you alone.” Quin dropped her arms. “I don’t believe him, but we had to get out of that alley. Plus, I wanted to know what his gift was. I checked for a tracker, but nothing was there.”

Devin added, “And when she opened it up, she threw it in the next dumpster, but I told her that I would tell you. So, she pulled the knife out of the dumpster and brought it with us.”

“The kid is a rat.” She shook her head. “Who knew?”

Nervous, I turned back to the present. “Thanks, guys. Regardless of what happened, I’m glad you both are safe. You didn’t have to do it, but you did.”

Devin winked at me. “I would do anything for my future wife.”

I frowned.

Quin went over to the box. “So. . .”

I inhaled and then exhaled. “Maybe, I should open it later.”

“No way.” Quin picked the box up and gave it to me. “Come on. I’m so fucking curious I’m about to explode.”

“You already know what it is.”

“But, I don’t know what your reaction is going to be.”

“There won’t be a reaction.” I went to the table and stopped in front of it.

Quin came over with me. “There was a gold bow. It fell off.”

“Quin didn’t grab it from the dumpster,” Devin said.

I moved the torn red paper to the side and lifted the lid.

When I did, I gasped, dropped the lid, and peered in.

A knife lay inside. And I recognized it immediately. It was the first one that Cain showed me in his soul coffin.

The handle was elegant dark wood carved in roses. The blade was shiny steel and curved at the sharpened tip. A gorgeous flower pattern decorated the blade.