I giggled as I fled into the dark trees, my knees wobbling from the lust Kellen shot after me.
“We’re coming for you Allera. We’re going to make you pay for that.”
That was what I was hoping for.
Afterword
Thankyouforreadingthis fun, sinful novella!
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If you're thirsty for more check out my duet, Power of Blood. It's a fantasy/sci-fi why choose. Check trigger warnings as it is a bully/enemies to lovers romance. The first book Triad's Curse is on Kindle Unlimited now! Read Chapter 1 on the next page!
Triad's Curse
Cami
The house felt like a morgue when I walked in. The light from a lamp filled the space, an attempt to warm the deceased. My heart ached tenderly, knowing my mother likely switched it on before she left to take up vigil at the hospital again.
It was skirting two in the morning when I closed the door, my muscles aching from being used all night. The false smile had long slid off my face and my shoulders drooped down and forwards. I looked toward the hallway where my bedroom was but couldn’t make the few steps there. I slid onto the couch instead and toed my shoes off with a hiss of relief. Next came my bra, which I flung across the room, cursing its very existence. I folded my legs up and tucked them under a threadbare blanket.
As I sank into the couch, my skin buzzed with an itch that no amount of twisting and turning could satisfy. Hot tears pricked my eyes, at the futility of it all. I had just finished a twelve-hour shift, my eyes dropping out of my head for the majority. Now I could finally sleep but my body scrounged up a speck of energy. It was enough to keep me staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.
The house was silent around me and I tucked the blanket closer. I never thought I would miss Dad’s snoring, but the house seemed empty without the trumpeting from my parents’ room.
Sleep must have claimed me eventually, because when I woke, the sun was streaming through the window and someone was slamming their fist on the door. I dragged myself from the couch, aching in places I didn’t know I had. Shuffling to the door, I paused before checking the peephole. You couldn’t be too careful in this neighborhood. Luckily, it was the elderly man who lived in the apartment next to ours. I opened the door a crack.
“Hey Gary, what can I do for you?” I asked, my voice rattling from the smoke of the bar last night. I covered a cough, clearing my throat while he brandished a thick envelope.
“Morning Cami. They’ve given me some of your mail again,” he said and mumbled something under his breath about incompetent postal workers. I took the mail and gave him a tight smile. He was a grump but at least he didn’t keep it. I’d lost a package a month ago and I swear someone had swiped it off the doorstep.
I thanked Gary and slipped back inside, turning the envelope over in my hand. I recognized the logo of an hourglass turned on its side. Legion Co. was a lifeline for me this past month. My fingers shook a little as I ripped the top open. I slid the papers out and forced myself to breathe as I read the letter to find the information I prayed was there.
Accepted.
I let out a squeal and bounced on my feet, the papers tight in my hand. I’d been impatiently waiting for a response ever since they took a sample of my blood, two weeks ago. They’d taken my blood two weeks ago and I had been waiting for a reply since that moment. After the news I received yesterday, I needed the money they promised more than anything.
I set the papers down and leaned on the kitchen bench, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I could do it. I could dig my family out of this mess. We could finally live together again in a house larger than a shoebox. Percy and Aaron could get the education they deserve, Ma would get a well-earned break and Dad would get the support he needed while he recuperated in hospital.
I sucked in another shaky breath as my throat clenched with pent up emotion. I could do this, I needed to do this. It was my fault our lives had imploded.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I drew it out with shaky fingers. “Hello?” I said, not looking at the name.
“Morning Camellia, how was work last night?” My Ma’s dulcet tones floated down the line, and cold froze uncomfortably in my chest. Hearing her say my full name always made me react that way. It reminded me too much of when things made sense, when the future looked hopeful for my parents. Dad had given a bunch of camellias to Ma on their first date and they were sickeningly romantic by immortalizing the moment by naming me after the flower.
“How is Dad?” I redirected, not wanting to tell her about the myriad of drunken creeps who had hit on me throughout the night, bold enough to grope my ass as I collected empty glasses. There was no point in saying anything when it happened. I just gritted my teeth and moved away, revulsion motoring me behind the bar. I would not complain and risk getting fired. We needed the money too much. Dad’s hospital bills were already high enough, and Percy’s care fees were due soon. The water bill I received yesterday had shocked me, the rates higher than I had budgeted for. I was going to head down to the hospital that afternoon, before another shift, but I wanted the confirmation that he was improving like Ma insisted he was.
“He got only a little sleep last night, unfortunately, so he’s resting today,” Ma said with a sigh. I could picture her sitting next to his bed, her hand cradling his diminished one. If Dad hadn’t slept well last night, that would mean she probably hadn’t either. She had been sleeping there since the boys had gone to stay with Aunty Dianne. It was against hospital rules, but the nurses allowed Ma overnight since she was technically staff and was using up her leave to be with him.
“How are you, Ma?” I asked, knowing her answer would be the same.
“Just fine, sweetheart, don’t you worry about me.” Her words shone like fluorescent lights, bright but fake.
“I’m going to pop in to see the boys and then I’ll be over in the afternoon. I’ll see you later?”
“Drive safely,” she said before saying goodbye. I flinched, my fingers convulsing around the phone. My eyes fell to the papers, even though it would hurt, I knew it was for the best. I could fix what I broke, no matter what it took.
Traffic was light and it only took thirty minutes to get to Aunty Dianne’s neat suburb. Aaron and Percy were outside in Aunty Dianne’s yard when I arrived. Aaron was eating a ham and cheese sandwich, a spread of UNO cards clutched in his free hand. Percy’s carer, Blake, was laying down a red two when he spied me, a big grin eating up his face.