Page 53 of His Dark Purpose

He almost dropped the device in his hand when the thing suddenly started ringing, his eyes flying open to find his mother’s name flashing on the screen. Gasping, he stared at the phone, hardly believing what he was seeing.

She’s calling now?

It was still the early hours of the morning. Why wasn’t she asleep?

Before he’d had time to think, his feet were already moving—taking him toward the bedroom.

If she was in there and wanted to speak to him so badly, then why not do it face-to-face? He wasn’t thrilled about the idea of meeting Kyle, but he’d have to do so sometime, and after spending hours trudging around his house, he was curious to look into the eyes of the man who’d seemingly hoodwinked his mother. Maybe there was something special about the guy? Something he hadn’t been able to ascertain from searching his closets and staring at his personal collection of photographs.

“I doubt it,” Seth mouthed the words as he approached the door. “But you never know.”

Reaching the door handle, his hand paused while the phone continued to blare. Was he doing the right thing heading into the fray with no tangible excuses for his abrupt appearance? How would he justify his arrival at Brock Hall, and would his mum be prepared to defend him?

His head ached at the myriad of unanswered queries. There was really only one way to discover the answers—he’d have to take the bull by the horns.

Silencing the incoming call, he slowly opened the door. Inch by inch, he revealed the edge of the vast bed he’d seen his mother cuffed to earlier. He was relieved to see that cuff hanging empty, but as the door opened further, he saw her there, huddled in a tangle of Kyle’s bedsheets.

“Seth!” Her face was ashen as he stepped inside.

“Mum.”

An odd calm fell over him—relief that she was seemingly okay, coupled with disbelief that his mum could have found herself somewhere so grand.Hismum, the woman who’d taken a second job as a cleaner to try—and fail—to make ends meet. She looked so out of place there on Kyle’s grandiose blankets, her hair in knots and her fingers pale as she clutched at the covers.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to see you.” A smile tugged at his lips. “I messaged you.”

“I just saw.” She waved the phone in her hand, eyeing him as though he was a mirage that might yet slip away with the cascading light of the dawn. “But darling, how did you get in here? Who let you in?”

Her voice had lowered as though she didn’t want to be overheard, and all at once, he knew Kyle was nearby. Of course, he was—it was his bedroom.

“You knowhow.” Seth’s tone was wry, as though she should have known the answer. Likely, no one knew him better than she did, so she shouldn’t have been surprised.

Even before jail, Seth had never had a problem with breaking the rules—his parents, the school’s, and any belonging to the so-called wider society. The rules were, in his experience, put in place to penalize one group of people while offering impunity to those who created them. Seth saw no point in pretending otherwise. If he wanted into Kyle’s oversized house and no one was available to open the door, then he’d find his own route.

“So, this must be Seth.” The deeper, male voice came from the other side of the vast suite.

Turning, Seth saw Kyle standing in the doorway of what he assumed was the en suite bathroom. Older than his pictures conveyed, Kyle was also taller, his chest bared as he wiped a white towel around his face.

“That’s me.” Seth shoved his phone back into his pocket, feeling no urge to apologize for showing up uninvited. “And you’re William Kyle.”

“That’s Mr. Kyle,” his mother added with a nervous smile. “Remember who owns this house, Seth.”

“Yes, that’s me.” Kyle flung the towel back toward the bathroom tiles. “How did you get into my house?”

“Through the back door.” Seth couldn’t resist his cocky tone. “But don’t worry, I can give you some tips about improving security.”

“Seth, please!” His mum grappled with the bedding, which, he assumed, was the only thing protecting what remained of her modesty. “That’s incredibly rude.”

“You broke into my property?” Kyle walked back toward the bed.

“Nobody let me in.” Seth shrugged. “So, I let myself in.”

Kyle scowled. “Did you damage anything?”

“No.” Seth met Kyle’s cold stare. “I don’t break things.”

“Except your mother’s heart.” Kyle motioned toward Seth’s mum. “When you landed yourself in prison, which is exactly where you’ll end up again when I call the police.”

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