Page 12 of Double the Dilemma

“Plans,” Karissa repeated slowly.

Sena looked around the kitchen. “You know, when I was in the ward, I had a room about this size, but you know what they did to me? They strapped me to the bed, kept me drugged up and quiet, and then they sent in people to monitor and observe me. Like some sort of lab rat.” Her voice didn’t rise or change tone, but Karissa felt the deadly anger simmering underneath it. Sena would have hated that. “Then, they finally let me come down off the drugs, untied me, and sent me out to talk to the therapists like a good little prisoner. And you know what I thought of during that time, Krissy? You. I thought about how much I was going to enjoy getting out of there and killing you. And how I was going to do it.”

“Care to share that information, or are you going to keep me in suspense?” Karissa asked her. She was poking the bear, but at this point, she wanted to know what was coming.

Sena gave her a slow smile. “No, I don’t think I will, my dear Krissy. You see, one thing I did learn in that place is that patience is rewarded. And I think I can be a lot more patient than most expect. I’m not going to kill you today, Krissy. Instead, I’m going to let you wonder for a while. Let you look over your shoulder and always worry when I’ll strike. Then, when I’m good and ready, you’ll never see me coming. Sleep tight, Krissy, and remember, you’ll never be able to escape me.”

That encounter had begun the journey that led her here. Sena kept her promise to keep tabs on her, leaving her dead animals on her doorstep with notes, or showing up at random places where Karissa would see her, and then disappear again. It was a cat and mouse game, and Karissa was tired of it.

There were so many things that happened between then and now, but she wasn’t going to dwell on them. That was letting her win. Instead, she was going to put her plans into motion. The first thing she needed to do was make some calls. Including one to her boss, who was going to be pissed she was quitting, but that was the least of her worries.

Once she did that—and he was indeed pissed about it—she put in a call to her landlord to let them know she was moving out, but paid up to the end of the month. Thankfully he didn’t fight her on it, and basically told her not to fuck up the apartment when moving.

Finally, she had to make one more call, and it was one she had hoped she wouldn’t have to make again for a lot longer, if ever. Taking a deep breath, she took out the burner phone she stashed away in one of the ceiling tiles, and turned it on. There was only one number listed; she pressed the call button and held her breath while it rang.

The call connected after a few rings. “Xena,” the husky voice on the other end said calmly, though Karissa knew her well enough to know she was surprised to hear from her.

“Glitch,” Karissa said, a smile pulling at her lips.

“What’s the trouble?” Glitch asked briskly. Karissa could picture her sitting at her desk full of monitors and keyboards, working on whatever project she had been hired to do, pink hair pulled up in a messy bun on the top of her head.

“I need to get out of town within a week, and I’m hoping you can help me get started elsewhere under a new name.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Glitch replied, “Done. Do we need the team to help? Are you compromised?”

“No, nothing like that,” Karissa assured her quickly. “This is personal. The past has caught up with me, and there are people here I care about that could get hurt if I don’t get out of town.”

“So nothing work related?” Glitch clarified.

“No. This is from back when I was a kid.”

“Got it,” Glitch said, and Karissa could hear her clicking away. “Any destination in particular?”

“Somewhere I haven’t been, and no one would think to look for me there. I need a new alias, a new car somewhere along the way, and probably some new clothes and hair dye so I can change my appearance.” She hated when she had to do things like that, preferring her natural look, but this would keep Sena off her tail for a while until she was ready to end things for good.

Namely when she was far enough away that the fallout wouldn’t touch Esme, Gabe, Razor, or the club.

“I’ll get on it,” Glitch promised. “But if you need to get out fast, you know the team will be there to get you out. Or we’ll extract you some other way.”

“I know,” Karissa said, her heart heavy with both appreciation that she had them to call on, as well as guilt, because she knew they were trying to live their lives now too. Sure, they would always have each other’s backs, but when they all went their separate ways, it was supposed to be the end of it. She had no idea where any of them were, or who they were now, but she couldn’t imagine they would be happy to be pulled out of it if she needed them for anything other than a true emergency.

“Good. I’ll call you back in a week. If you don’t answer, the cavalry will come. Got it?”

“Got it. But it should be fine.” She’d make sure it was until then.

Glitch made a noise in her throat but didn’t argue. They hung up and Karissa allowed herself a moment to close her eyes and feel the sadness threatening to overwhelm her. Knowing she was going to have to leave them behind and probably not see them for a long time didn’t sit well with her.

Her best friend was finally happy, and she and Fury were going to have a few more babies and live the life they deserved. She wouldn’t be around for any of that, at least not in the beginning, and as much as it would hurt, she wouldn’t allow herself to ruin that for them. Esme had been through so much, and she deserved all the happiness she could get.

Gabe would grow up, and she just hoped he would forgive her. Hell, he was going to be a teenager soon enough and the last thing he would be thinking about was her. He’d be more interested in chasing girls, or boys, or whoever, and she’d be nothing more than a happy memory every once in a while.

Then of course there was Razor. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t forget about him. She doubted she could ever forget him. The man had a way of making an impression. If she was honest, it was going to hurt like hell to leave him behind with no explanation, but it was for the best. She just hoped that when she finally allowed herself to come back for a visit, she was ready to face what she missed out on.

Even if Razor had moved on and forgotten about her.

CHAPTERSEVEN

KARISSA

---