Monsters' Gift (Crude Hill High 2)

I kissed her again and headed out into the night where a van was already waiting to take me away.

Climbing into the car, Gael jumped into the front seat. “You’re not acting out of your ass, are you?”

“No. We can’t find them, and we all know what our fathers are like. Emily is right. They’re going to be in places we wouldn’t think to look.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to be indebted to Valentine when the truth is I want to fucking kill him.”

“After we’ve made him pay,” I said.

“Of course.”

I smiled. Tonight, we would end this. I could already feel the sweet sense of victory.

Chapter Thirteen

Emily

I rushed toward the door, but they were already on their way. The car lights already disappearing.

“Get inside,” Drake said.

I was getting pissed off with being left alone with him. He wasn’t exactly my favorite person to spend time with. “Stop ordering me around.”

“Don’t get pissed with me because your men go off half-cocked.”

I wanted to slap him, but instead, I just glared at him as I stepped away from the door. He rolled his eyes at me and then before I even realized what I was doing, I put my hand out as if to slap him.

He caught me before it even landed.

“You want to fight, I’m all for it, but I don’t let anyone off easy, little girl. You should know that.” He pushed me away but I was able to keep my footing.

“You’ve got to go and stop them.”

“No can do. I can’t do anything that they don’t want me to.”

“I bet you can. You’re just choosing to be difficult.”

He sighed. “I’ve got strict orders.”

“And I’ve told you to go after them.”

“You don’t pay me.”

I growled, and feeling even more like a child rather than a grown woman, I stormed off toward the back of the house, only I stopped at the library.

Rather than go to my room, I stepped inside. The scent of books flooded my senses. I used to love the library when I was a teenager. Especially while I waited for my driver. It was the one place I felt completely safe. No one could get me here.

Stepping into the room, I flicked on the light.

I know Drake wouldn’t be too far. He’d become my own personal shadow, and it pissed me off. I knew deep down he was only doing what my men wanted of him, but what about me?

They’d taken me from my old home, and it seemed at each opportunity, they abandoned me. Sure, there was a huge threat to my life, but still, wouldn’t they want to spend what time they could with me before I died? I reached out and touched the spine of one of the books. It hadn’t been read, and I slid it out, not recognizing the title. It looked like a really old title, maybe even a first edition.

If this was Caleb’s dad’s collection, then I would understand him doing nothing with these books other than using them for display pieces. All of them.

Running my fingers through my hair, I hummed to myself as I continued to touch unread spines.

None of them were read. All for show.

Coming to a stop at a giant globe, I smiled at the pretentiousness of everything. The classic-looking family library but never used. I wondered how many people would have appreciated this room and yet no one else could because it was locked up in this house.

After several minutes, I’d lost the feeling of someone watching me, which was nice. Drake knew how to do that. He wouldn’t be far.

When I heard some movement in the stacks on the floor above, I paused.

No one else should be here. This was a private room. Going to the fire, which looked like it had never been lit, I grabbed a metal poker, gripping it in my hands as I started to move up the steps, going toward the stacks. More unread books. More pretense.

The sound of movement made me stop.

Someone was in the stacks.

My heart raced and my hands shook. I held the poker even tighter. I didn’t make a sound.

I’d always hated it in movies when it came to a scary or tense part where the hero or heroine, or any one of the characters would call out hello, or who is there. Yeah, it pissed me off. Everyone always knew someone was there, and most of the time, it wasn’t good. My stomach turned as possibilities grew.

I wouldn’t give away where I was or what I had.

Patience.

A sound on my right had me turning. Nothing there.

Someone knew these bookshelves, and it wasn’t me. There were only four people I knew who would be able to get into this house undetected and be familiar with these bookcases. Holy shit. I turned on my heel and rushed back to the steps. As I reached the top step, I felt the hands at my back shove me hard. I released the poker as I cried out, falling down the steps, hitting my head as I went.