"What do you mean?" King peers over at me.
"I can't get to my little sister, thanks to herShadowand constant surveillance. So, I'm taking the next best thing." Mara looks over at me, her dead eyes sending chills down my spine. "But don't worry"—she turns to King and smiles—"you won't witness any of it."
King's brows draw together, but I read between the lines. King will be leaving here alive. I will not.
Mara focuses on me. "You followed the plan like a puppet. It was too easy."
My newfound realization shifts reality. I should be afraid, scream, fight. Anything. There is nothing. My next words sound monotone. "Too easy?"
"Who do you think sent the escort your dimwitted fiancé hooked up with? Repeatedly." She snorts. "The man is hornier than a teenager discovering the function of his dick for the first time. He might want to have that diagnosed."
"You…" I can't form the words. Where is the hurt, the betrayal one should feel in a situation like this?
"All me," she beams and bows to me with a wave of her hand. "I put the plan together the day you became engaged to Collin Liberman. He didn't question anything as long as we supplied him with enough coke and pussy. And Gianna had him wrapped around her naked body from day one. We had to time it right, though, so we didn't expose him too soon."
Expose?
"The STD." This time, there is a physical reaction. Vomit coats my tongue. More pieces fall into place. "You drugged me." I have too much saliva in my mouth. "You sent the flowers."
Mara was behind all of it.
"And the scarf," she says proudly. "That part I didn't see coming. While I knew about your little issue—your ex-fiancé talks a lot when he's high—Charlie York's role couldn't have been planned more perfectly. Gianna followed Collin to LA, and we gave him a little treat the day after you had your public meltdown. He handed the scarf over without question. When you left on your little lunch date, I went back, pretending to need to use the bathroom. You had left your water bottle on your desk. I knew you would drink it eventually. Collin whined about your meticulously calculated water intake each day. You did a number on this dude."
A memory of taking a few sips from my reusable bottle flashes in front of me. I had forgotten about it until now.
"The photo?" I want answers.
"That was a little harder to procure. I had to pay a good chunk of money for that. Nice touch, wasn't it?"
"Why? Why did you torture me like this if you're just going to kill me for revenge?"
"For fun, Denielle. What else?" She reveals her perfect white teeth.
"Rae, you don't have to do—"
"Cal, please bring my sister to the room I prepared for her. Once H.T. is done, have him take her somewhere where she can find her way home. He knows what to do." She talks over her head and dismisses her sister.
Cal tilts King's chair back and drags her out of the room by the back. I hear King's shouts and curses alongside metal scraping against concrete until a heavy clang separates us.
I'm alone in the room with the woman who wants to use me as payback against her biological half sister.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
DENIELLE
I haveno idea how long Mara has been gone.
After Tattoo Guy—Cal—dragged King out, Mara just stared. A slow smile turned the corners of her mouth, but it wasn't so much a smile as a promise—a dark and painful promise. The shaky quiver in my chest turned to thundering terror. For the second time since waking up, I felt truly afraid. The affection she showed King was gone. In its place was…nothing. The lack of emotion was worse than if she'd openly hated me for my friendship with her sister.
Her sister. I couldn't wrap my head around it. Lilly had a half sister.
Suddenly, Mara looked toward the door. "I'm hungry." The casual lightness was a testament to the soulless evil inside of her. Peering back at me, she amended, "We'll continue ourchatlater." With that, she stalked out of the room. The clicking of her heels against the polished concrete faded with every step until there was no sound at all.
A shiver rolled along my arms and legs, and I watched the tiny bumps rise and then disappear. I was alone. Letting my eyes close, I pictured Marcus, the way he studied me when I woke up and he had already been watching me for God knew how long. It should have been creepy, observing someone while they were the most vulnerable. Instead, I felt safe.
You need to know your environment, baby. Find a weak spot.
I squeeze my lids together. All I want is for the void to pull me under so I can be with Marcus a little longer. But his hallucination is right. I need to know where I am. So, I force myself to scan my surroundings. Cataloging every detail is the distraction I need to slow my heartbeat to a bearable rhythm.