Page 60 of The Devil's Wrath

“Theo? Wh?—”

“What did you say his name was?” He cut me off mid-sentence.

“Igor.” As I spoke, his face grew pale. “Why?”

“It seems like the demons of my past are back to haunt me.”

I stared at him in shock. “What?”

He ran a hand over his face, looking suddenly exhausted. “There’s a lot I haven’t told you. About my past, about the people I thought were dead.”

“What the hell are you talking about? What people?”

He shook his head. “It’s a long story, and this isn’t the place to tell it. I need to get you somewhere safe.”

I crossed my arms, my earlier anger resurfacing. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me the truth. All of it.”

He looked around the parking lot, his eyes scanning the shadows. “Not here. I promise I’ll explain everything, but we need to go. Now.”

The urgency and fear in his voice made me hesitate. Despite my reluctance, I realized I still trusted him to some extent. If he claimed we were in danger, I took his word for it.

I nodded, albeit unwillingly. “Fine. But you better start talking in the car.”

Moving to the passenger side I settled into the leather seat, remaining quiet as he sped out of the parking lot into the night.

TWENTY

WRENLY

Itried to speak, wanting to ask him what the hell was going on, but every time I glanced in his direction, his knuckles were white on the steering wheel and his jaw was clenched in frustration. The silence was deafening, broken only by the hum of the engine and the occasional whoosh of a passing car. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, but I could tell his mind was racing, grappling with whoever this Igor creep was. I was desperate for answers but too afraid to break his concentration. His stony expression made it clear he wasn’t ready to talk about it.

As the miles ticked by and the New York skyline came into view, the tension in the car grew thicker. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to say something, anything to break the suffocating silence.

“What’s going on? Who was that Igor guy?”

Theo didn’t respond. His eyes remained glued to the road, his grip on the wheel unwavering.

“Theo, please,” I pleaded.

Just when I thought he wasn’t going to answer, he let out a heavy sigh. “He’s a ghost from my past. Someone I never thought I’d have to deal with again.”

I waited for him to continue, but he fell silent once more. The cryptic response only fueled my curiosity and fear.

“What does he want fromme?” I pressed.

His jaw clenched tighter, and for a second, I figured he was done with the conversation. But then he spoke, his words measured and careful.

“It’s complicated,” he said, his eyes flicking to mine briefly before returning to the road. “Let’s just say that Igor and I have some unfinished business. Business that, I thought, died with him.”

The way he said it sent a chill down my spine.

“Unfinished business?”

“Died with him?”

What does this have to do with me?

The car lurched as Theo swerved to avoid a pothole, the sudden movement jolting me out of my thoughts. I gripped the edge of my seat, my heart racing. The city loomed ahead, the bright lights a stark contrast to the darkness that seemed to envelop us.

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