Weird.
Getting up, I pad over to the front door and open it to see if there’s just something wrong with the camera, but there’s still no one at the gate.
Probably just kids fucking around.
Stepping back to close the door, something catches my eye and I freeze. There, at the bottom of the steps, is a small parcel wrapped in manilla paper with my name written on the top.
My stomach churns as my heart pounds. Everything else that comes in that shade of package has been from that creepy stalker fuck, but this isn’t an envelope.
My hand shakes as I rush down the steps and reach for the box. I stop before I pick it up, an icy drop of fear running down my spine.
What if it’s something that could hurt me?
I take a deep breath and do something I really don’t want to do.
I call Lincoln.
He picks up on the third ring, sounding out of breath. I’m too freaked out to think about why. “Lincoln. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to call…”
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a box on my steps. I don’t suppose you guys are playing another weird-ass prank or something are you? ‘Cause if not, someone got through my gates. Again.”
“I’ll be there in two minutes.”
The line disconnects and I bounce from one foot to the other, wishing I was wearing something on my feet. I use the cold ground to try to distract myself from whatever could be in the box.
Less than a minute later, he’s jogging toward me with the other three hot on his heels. All of them in various states of workout gear or half naked, and I’ll be damned if I don’t find myself suddenly very distracted.
Definitely not the time to ogle them, but it’s better that than focusing on the stupid box.
Finn heads straight to me and wraps me up in his arms. “You okay, V?”
“I’m fine, just a little freaked out. Plus Smithy is inside, and I haven’t told him about any of this. I didn’t want him wrapped up in it all. But I don’t know what’s in there, and I’m spiraling a little.”
He nods before stepping away from me and crouching down to look at the box. Mav hands him a knife which he uses to cut the brown string on the box and the manilla paper falls away, revealing a nondescript white postage box. He cuts through the tape and opens the box.
The lid falls away and I gasp at the contents.
A bloody knife inside a plastic bag, and a note. I reach past Finley to pick up the paper and regret it immediately.
They can’t keep you safe. Not like I can.
You’ll see
x
I think I’m going to be sick.
“Whose blood could that be?” Lincoln asks, and I shake my head.
“I have no idea. I have no fucking clue about any of this.” I hand him the note and wrap my arms around my waist.
Lincoln turns to East and they murmur between the two of them while Mav strides over to me and runs his hands up and down my arms. “We’ll find whoever this sicko is and deal with it. I swear.”
I nod, because what else can I do? “I feel like I should be doing something to help find out who it is, rather than sitting around waiting for something to happen.”
“I get it, feeling helpless fucking sucks. I’m right there with you, princess, but for now, Lincoln is on it. You know he’s like a dog with a bone when it comes to a mystery. He won’t let it evade him for long.”