Page 11 of Twisted Desire

Nikolai steps forward and knocks softly.

When the door opens and Monica’s wide brown eyes land on Nikolai, she scowls and slams the door in his face.

“Huh. I like her even more,” I remark, nudging him aside and opening the door slowly. “Monica, it’s Skylar. Can we come in?” I stick my head in and find her sitting on the couch. Even months later, the sight of her makes my chest ache. Her wavy, dark-brown hair and deep-blue eyes are identical to Max’s. Hell, stick the two of them side by side and you’d swear they were fraternal twins. Seeing her reminds me of how much I miss her brother.

Allison walks into the room with a steaming mug in her hand and sets it on a coffee table in front of Monica.

Her expression is calculated, annoyed. “Why did you bringhimhere?”

Nikolai’s posture is stiff where he stands behind the rest of us. “I don’t think we’ve actually met before.”

“Evidently your reputation precedes you,” I mutter before walking over to Monica. “He’s with us, Mon. Is there something wrong?”

“Tristan hated him,” she comments plainly, pushing her fingers through her hair as if she’s feeling the need to do something with her hands. “At least that’s what Max said.”

“Things have changed,” I assure her.

Her eyes narrow a fraction. “Do you trust him?”

I pause, glancing back at him, half expecting him to smirk or offer some snarky, wildly inappropriate comment. Instead, he remains silent, waiting. I wet my lips, turning back to Monica. “He’s here, isn’t he?”

The hesitation is clear on her face as she bites her lip. “Fine,” she finally says. “Sorry I slammed the door in your face.”

I laugh, and the tension fizzes out of the room. “Oh, don’t apologize. I’m sure he’ll do something in the near future to deserve it.”

Our group settles around the spacious living room, and Allison introduces Monica to Seth, Kelsey, and Oliver.

“He’s human,” Monica says when Allison gets to Oliver. She doesn’t seem put off by it, just curious.

“Yeah.” He offers her a smile. “Your brother meant a lot to me,” he says.

She frowns slightly, then her eyes widen, and she gasps. “Oliver! Oh my gosh, I feel so stupid. I know who you are. Max told me all about you. I didn’t think... I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t expect you to be here.”

I watch Oliver’s face flicker with pain and grief as he misses his boyfriend. He swallows hard and forces a watery smile. “Yeah,” he says hoarsely. “It’s good to meet you. Max told me a lot about you, too.”

Her eyes well with tears. “He did?”

“Of course. He loved you. He was so proud of you and your work.”

She drops her gaze, wiping under her eyes. “Thank you”—she sniffles—“for saying that.”

Allison, who perched herself on the arm of the couch beside Monica, rubs her back. “Why don’t you tell them what you told me,” she suggests.

Monica takes a moment to compose herself. “I didn’t know about The Experiment until Max died. Tristan contacted me after to tell me everything that happened and what he was going to do. It took me some time to move past everything, but once the pain passed, anger replaced it. I started asking around—only the fae I trusted, of course—to see what they knew. Some had no idea what I was talking about, but there were others who knew of The Experiment. Apparently, Northern Canada was a great place for them to set up camp because they’re all over the place.”

“Facilities?” I ask.

“I’m not sure. A few friends of mine said there are members of The Experiment who live in our city and the surrounding cities as well, but there was no talk of a facility.”

“There must be one close,” Nikolai comments, then asks Monica, “Do you have any information that could help us find out where the closest one is?”

“I’ll do my best.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper, handing it to me. “Here’s a list of the fae in this area who I know and trust. They probably have more information than I do. They’re at least a good place to start.”

“This is good,” I tell her. “Thank you, Monica.”

“I wish there was more I could give you. Honestly, though, I’m glad I didn’t know about The Experiment. Ever since I found out, I’ve felt like I can’t go anywhere without the fear of being taken off the streets.”

“That’s what we’re trying to remedy,” Nikolai says.

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