Page 34 of What's Left of Me

No one argued. For once, I just wanted him off the street. I glanced again at Phoenix. Hazel was now with him, and I figured someone had gone and gotten her to soothe him, or she’d ended up hearing the commotion.

We watched on the monitor as he pulled a body bag from the flatbed with little care. As if anger were driving his motions. He yanked it to the ground and unzipped it. It was hard to see a clear picture, but this person wasn’t dressed like his dolls. This was like an unloved ragdoll. No makeup, no finesse. This was a message; he’d brought them to our shop because he knew we had Phoenix.

“Shep and I are going to the shop.” I heard Gabe and waved him off. Of course, some of us were going to hope to get there before the police.

I wasn’t sure they’d make it, considering how fast he was disposing of this guy.

He went to the back of his truck and grabbed a basket of very much alive flowers—you could see their vibrant colors. Threw them around body he’d carelessly tossed by our front entrance. That was followed by a note.

“It’s the opposite of everything he’s ever done.” Nick voiced exactly what I was thinking.

“I want to make sure we get to see what’s on that note,” I said. “Neither Rose nor Gabe and Shep are going to make it in time, but I’m going to follow this truck as long as I can in the hopes we can get either a general direction or an actual location of where it’s going.”

“Okay, I’ll call Gabe.”

When I looked over my shoulder to check on Phoenix, he was gone.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Phoenix

Hazel satwith me on my bed. Aziza had warned me about this—we all had been put on alert—but it felt like it was happening so much faster than I’d been ready for…if ready was the right word.

She rubbed my back as I faced the large window in my room, my thoughts spinning. That poor man—what pains and torture had Adonis brought down on him? When I’d been in Noel’s room I hadn’t been able to fully see the body from my vantage point, but I could tell there’d been no care taken.

I didn’t really know what to do with myself. I could offer no help, and as I’d sat on Noel’s bed earlier I’d overheard Hazel asking JJ if he’d call Aziza, and he’d let her know she’d already been told. I didn’t want to talk about this. Not everything needed to be talked about—I just wanted to digest it all; that was what I wanted.

“Can I get you anything?” Hazel’s voice was soft, as if she were afraid to jolt me from my calm.”

“No.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Nix. You’re safe here.”

I released a humorless laugh. “Don’t be daft, Hazel.”

“You said so yourself, you feel safe here. Did you lie?”

I rolled over and faced her. “I do, but he’s angry now, Hazel. He did exactly what Aziza warned us he would, and I honestly don’t know what that means. Am I safer here than anywhere else? Probably, but if he wants me, how am I supposed to believe he won’t get me?”

“I don’t think anything can get through the Saints’ defenses. These guys, they’re good at what they do.”

“I know, but I’m allowed to be afraid, and maybe slightly unsafe. Let me be that.”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around me. We lay like that for a while until a knock separated us. Hazel got up and answered the door.

Noel stood there, eyes heavy with a kaleidoscope of emotions.

“We got some visitors, think you can come to the living room?”

It was ridiculously late…or early, depending on how you wanted to look at it, but I’d long realized no slumber was going to find me tonight.

“Who?” Hazel asked.

“Aziza, Rose…”

Of course. “Let’s just get this over with.” I slunk out of bed and followed Noel down the stairs, Hazel on my heels.

When I entered the living room, it was teeming with people. The brothers, their partners, Rose, and Aziza. All eyes were on me as I moved to the wingback chair by the fireplace. Four was sitting in the other and he met my gaze briefly, offering me a curt nod.

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