Page 42 of Deadly Little Hearts

“I’m done.You’ve not only lost Alec, but now you’ve lost me too,” I say, looking right through her.

Her face drops, and she shakes her head.“Good.Walk away, just like your father did all those years ago.He took one look at you and left.He couldn’t stand the sight of you.Everything that’s happened is because of you.I’m better off without you or anyone,” she says as tears fall down her sunken cheeks.She’s telling me to leave, but her eyes plead with me to stay.She’s so lost, she doesn’t even know what’s right or wrong anymore.

It’s the first time she’s mentioned my father in years.We used to ask about him as kids, but she always shut us down and we learned to never mention him again.In her and our eyes, he never existed.

Without another word, I walk past my mother.She tries to reach for me, but I pull away and head for the door.

“No, Freya, don’t go,” she begs, and I shake my head, opening, then slamming the door behind me.The full moon casts light around the trailer park.

The door squeaks open, and Mom comes running toward me.“You don’t get to fucking leave, Freya!”she yells, and I start running, putting one foot in front of the other, moving down the dirt track.Her footsteps follow me until they suddenly stop.

“Fuck you, you little bitch.Don’t you ever come back!”

Her voice follows me, and a smile reaches my lips.She thinks that’s a threat to me, not being able to come back here, but it’s a relief.Her trailer never felt like home.Home isn’t a place—it’s about who you’re with, who feels like home, and to me that was with Alec.He was my anchor, and even though heaven has him now, he’ll always look out for me.He’s looking down at me now with a big grin—I can feel it.I’m finally free from her grasp.

I stop running.My lungs heave, and it takes me a second to catch my breath.I keep moving out of the park and onto the road.I have nothing but the clothes on my back and my phone in my pocket, but that’s okay.I’m safe and away from her.I don’t need anything.I can start fresh and buy what I need.The only thing that matters is that I’m okay.I got out.The rest, I’ll figure out.

I have no idea where I’m going, but anywhere is safer than with her.I glance up at the night sky.Twinkling stars stare back at me, and a sense of peace rests inside my heart.

“I love you, Alec,” I whisper into the quiet, and I hear him whisper back.

I love you too, Frey.

Chapter 22

Freya

Loudhip-hopmusicsurroundsme, blocking out my mother’s words that keep repeating in my mind.I just want to forget about tonight—to move on, to leave her in the gutter.She doesn’t deserve to take up space in my head.Never again.

Kai moves through the crowd and it parts.He carries a bag of frozen peas and passes them to me before he sits on the couch by my side.I take them, pressing the cool bag against my cheek.

I didn’t realize I was seriously injured until I saw Kai and he lost his shit.He was a second away from storming into her trailer and killing her himself.I told him she wasn’t worth it, that she’s better off alive, living with the consequences of her actions.Ending it is doing her a favor, and she’s well and truly out of favors.

Zion and Bear sit on the opposite couch.Bear flicks his lighter on and off, staring blankly at the wall behind me, as if he’s stuck in his own thoughts.Zion shuffles a deck of cards and deals them out on the table between us.

“You’re staying here tonight,” Kai says, and I sigh, not wanting to argue with him.I’ll stay with him tonight, but then tomorrow, I need to see the guys.My phone’s been going off, and it won’t be long before they come looking over the tracks, and with all the shit that’s gone down, that will only spell trouble.

Zion’s phone rings, and he answers, putting it on speaker.“Kai’s here.”

“We’ve got a contact ready for those guns.I’ll send it over,” the voice on the other line says, and I glance from the phone back to Kai, frowning.He nods and Zion takes it off speaker, then walks away, talking quietly.

Kai grabs a cigarette from a packet on the table, placing it between his lips.What the fuck is he playing at?

“I know there’s going to be a war—but really?You’re going to lead it?”

“We are.”Kai shoots a glance at Bear, then Zion, who comes back into the room, carrying a beer.“And all we’re doing is trying to get a better life for all of us.”

“This is just going to end in more bloodshed, please—”

He cuts me off.“I’ll give you tonight to rest, but tomorrow you’ve gotta choose whose side you’re on.There’s no more coming and going, Frey.You’re either with us or them.You’re my family, Frey.I care about you, and I want you out of this.Preferably out of Daring altogether,” he says, staring at me, his eyes softening slightly, begging me to choose him.

Even if I go see the guys, it doesn’t mean I’m picking them over Kai.He’s been in my life since we walked over the tracks with just the clothes on our backs.I met him at the trailer park; he helped Alec and me settle in, and we’ve been best friends ever since.He’s like a brother to me, and with Alec now gone, I need him more than ever.But Hazen, Gage, and Lucas have stolen my heart right out of my chest and claimed it for themselves.

The way I feel when I’m with them, protected and loved—it’s confusing.They didn’t save me when Dominic forced us out all those years ago.They broke my heart then, and now they’ve wormed their way back in.How did they tear down all the barriers I’d put in place?How did I let that happen?

If you asked me months ago which side I’d choose, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here with Kai, but now everything is different.I’ve fallen for the enemy, and I can’t switch that off.I need them and they need me.

“That’s not fair, and you know it,” I huff, and Kai picks up his cards, then hands me mine.

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