Drex left me with a gun, but let’s face it, I can’t hit a blind man from five feet away, so a gun doesn’t make me feel powerful at all.
I’ve had nothing to do but binge watch TV shows and think. Lots of thinking. But mostly I’ve thought of one thing: Drex never told me he loved me. He seemed fine with me telling him, but he didn’t say it back.
Do men like him even say things like that? I don’t know. He shows me how he feels about me. Even without him saying it, there’s no doubt he feels the same way. Actions speak louder than words and all that.
It’d be nice to hear the words out loud though.
Sighing, I let my eyes flick to the eyeball of the teddy bear in my room. It’s hiding a camera. I think I’ve subtly found all of them, and I hope they all belong to Drex. It’s creepy knowing a group of them are hanging out and watching me.
But it also feels good to know that Drex is most likely watching me as well.
I bite down on my lower lip, and debate putting on a show. If he’s watching, he won’t let anyone else see it. If he’s not watching, though… nah. I better not put on a show. I’d rather no one got hurt, and I don’t want to put on a show for anyone else anyway.
My eyes flit over to the daisies on my wall. Yep… I wrote “cocksucker” on them just because I was missing Drex. Drake finally gave me the full story when we were in the hospital, and I regret not teasing Drex about it.
As my mind drifts through an array of more random thoughts, I shift my gaze back to the window, staring at the house that is twenty feet away. I wish Drex was closer. Maybe we could tunnel underground or something.
Boredom is an annoying thing, but I stare out the window like I have for most days, while lying on my back. It’s not until I catch a flash of blue that I jolt up. Maybe I’m seeing things…
I try not to go press my face against the window and give myself away, but I do jog out of my room and head toward the backdoor while pulling Drex’s number up and letting my finger hover over the “send” button. Looking out the large, back bay windows, I see nothing but some trees and my brothers’ sandbox.
My eyes move around the yard, expecting something to pop out and yell, “Boo!” Fortunately, that doesn’t happen, and I put my phone back in my pocket. I’m officially paranoid. Besides, there are cameras outside too. If something ran by, Drex would have—
My breath seizes in my lungs when a shadow falls over me from behind. Slowly, I turn around and my mouth turns into cotton.
“Hello, Eve.”
My eyes fall on the sandy blonde in front of me, and I swallow despite the dryness in my throat.
“Uncle.”
Chapter 43
EVE
Uncle Marshall doesn’t look as preppy and sophisticated as he normally does. He looks haggard and unkempt as he stares at me.
“Been trying to get ahold of your mother,” he says, standing a bit away with no weapons in his hand.
“She left town. I… got into some trouble,” I tell him, stalling, waiting for Drex to show up in his shiny armor and all that. So much for no one being able to get in without the alarms sounding. “How’d you get in?” I ask him, trying not to act like I want to stab him with the butter knife that’s on the table.
Wish I had that gun. Maybe I’d get lucky. What’d I do with it?
Then again… Even though I hate him, I’m not sure I could actually shoot him. I remember a time when he seemed somewhat nice. Back before he was a using bastard with my father and a criminal mastermind who killed him.
He looks around warily, as though he’s investigating. Pulling out my phone now to call Drex would just be suspicious.
He’s wearing a blue shirt, so that accounts for the flash of blue I saw earlier. Surely Drex has seen him by now and is on his way.
“What sort of trouble?” he asks me, not bothering to answer my question.
“It’s too crazy. You’d never believe it,” I tell him, smiling tightly.
My eyes shift to the counter beside us… where Drex’s gun is… Ah shit. That’s where I left it. When my gaze shifts back, Uncle Marshall is giving me a dark smirk.
“You’re a terrible actress, Eve. Really.”
A tense knot forms in my stomach as everything plays out in slow motion. My heartbeat slams like a warning drum in my ears, steadily growing louder as my eyes widen and I dive, acting on instinct alone. A scream pierces the air and it takes me a second to realize it’s from me as a sharp pain spreads through my scalp.