Hideaway (Devil's Night 2)

When he’s not home, I stick to our room as much as possible, so I don’t run into our father. But the older I’ve gotten, the more restless I’ve become.

His face softened, and I see a small smile appear. “I know.” He caresses my hair. “Someday we’ll have our own house, and you can be free. I’ll surround you with a hundred fucking acres, and you can go wild. No one will ever look at you wrong or treat you badly.”

I forced a small smile at that dream of ours. The one where he’d go to college and come back for me and we’d disappear to some house, far away, in the middle of a forest or at the edge of the world, and I didn’t have to hide from anyone.

But I knew it wasn’t real. It never would be.

“What’s wrong?”

I dropped my eyes. “Someone’s going to take you away from me, though, aren’t they?” I asked. “Eventually, anyway. She won’t want me in your house.”

Forgetting the fact that the older I got the more I wanted things that Damon didn’t want me to have, but also, he was growing up, too. We weren’t thirteen and twelve anymore. We were eighteen and seventeen, and Marina was right. We couldn’t stop time. Wouldn’t he eventually want a family? I couldn’t tag along and crash the party forever.

But he just laughed at me. “You’re such a dumb shit.” He pinched my chin, nudging my head and forcing me to meet his eyes. “What’d I tell you? There’s pawns and rooks and knights and bishops, but only one queen.” He smiled playfully. “We’re a pair, Nik. Everyone else comes and goes, but you never escape blood. Blood is forever.”

The corner of my mouth lifted in a smile. And I let out a breath, feeling relief that he had forgiven me.

He dug his phone out of his jeans and started dialing. Probably for David, Lev, or Ilia to come and pick me up.

“I can walk home,” I explained, trying to stop him. “It’s okay.”

But he just raised the phone to his ear, staring at the air over my head as I heard the other line ring.

They answered after the first ring. “Damon.”

I recognized David’s voice.

“You’ll never guess who I wrangled five miles from the house, in the dark, without protection. You’re fucking fired.”

“Damon, I can’t watch her every second!” David barked. “You want me to tie her up?”

“Fuck you.” My brother’s cool voice was like the slow slice of a knife. “You and the guys get down here to the Bell Tower and get her now.”

I couldn’t help but drop my shoulders a bit. I knew I had to go home. I just still didn’t want to.

“And bring her to the cemetery,” Damon finished.

I popped my head up, my stomach somersaulting. Really?

Damon gave me a small smirk as he spoke. “She can come to the bonfire, but keep her quiet and keep guys away from her.”

“Alright. We’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Five,” my brother ordered and hung up.

I bit my bottom lip, but he still saw my smile trying to escape.

He tipped up my chin again, warning me with his glare. “They’re going to surround you like a fucking wall, you understand? Don’t piss me off, and don’t let Kai see you.”

I nodded, trying hard not to look too excited.

“That way you get to see what he doesn’t want you to see.” His smirk disappeared. “Who he really is.”

B

anks

Present