There was a commotion at the front door suddenly. A handful of goodbyes, promises, and fake politeness as Maggie and the others finally left Shannon’s home and made their way outside. To the cars that were not there anymore. At least not one of them.
The one I’d taken with my new pet spider and his pretty dead friend.
The new Montana one. The latest in a fresh line of Montana’s that I would add to my list to end.
We didn’t kill innocents. But were Montana’s ever innocent? Were they ever good?
Cass, you’re going to be found. Get out and get back to the car – before it’s too late…
Without wasting another moment, I ignored the cursed woman, carefully pulled up the attic cover, and lowered myself down to the landing floor. I didn’t weigh a lot, and the carpet also hid my footsteps, but I was still silent; there were children present. Innocent ones.
Hades and Ares, both names that I found ridiculous,wereinnocent and were mine to keep as safe as possible until John came for them. So unless they came to disturb me, I would leave them be. I would make sure to do what I could to keep them unaware of my games and plans and the mayhem that I caused.
You shouldn’t hurt their mother. They will be sad without her, Cass.
Ignoring the cursed woman’s voice inside my brain again, I made my way downstairs, as fast and quiet as I could. She may have been right when she said that the twins would misstheir mother, but that wasn’t one of my concerns. Unfortunately for my sister, she had used up all her allotted lenience with me already and I could not spare her again.
I’d let her live her life for years, in this tiny house, in the dingy town she called home. I’d let her feel safe, and happy, and at peace… now it was my turn to feel that. My turn to get what I wanted so that I could chase the high I needed to feel a slight bit saner than I currently did.
I’d let her pretend to escape the fate she ought to have had well over a decade ago and now I wanted the fate I was owed.
And I would take it.
Take it. Take it. Take it.
Two steps into the living room, as my mind went dark and my thoughts turned more violent, a shotgun clicked. A sound I was familiar with from having spent so many years forced to live with people who cared about guns. Cleaned guns. Used guns. Worshipped them like they were anything more than a tool I had been perfectly trained to use for evil.
“Hi, Shannon.” As I glanced up, I locked eyes with my sister for the first time in a while, and though I ought to have felt something about it, I didn’t. I was empty. Cold. Bored.
I wanted her dead, and I needed it done now.
I had more important things to do.
“You think I’m that fuckin’ stupid, Cassie?” Shannon laughed softly, her dark eyes on me the same way the barrel of her gun was. “I knew you were comin’ the second my son told me Sapphire was here.”
My head cocked as I stayed where I was, calm as anything. “Who’s Sapphire?”
Shannon smiled at me. A smile full of victory and malice and whatever else she was thinking in her pretty little head. She didn’t lower her gun, nor did she answer my question. She justkept going on and on about her brilliant way of catching me in her home, and how smart she was for realizing I was there.
It was a little embarrassing, considering she didn’t notice the way her body was shaking. Or the light sheen of sweat on her brow. You would have thought a woman fond of history would know an awful lot about old-fashioned ways to murder an enemy without causing a scene or relying on too many external factors.
Ways like a few drops of poison in the dairy free milk only she drank and Maggie found disgusting because it was made of oats and oats were horrible things.
Things she always complained about.
Things Lincoln liked.
“John is here for your son.” I interrupted my sister’s monologing that hadn’t once caught my attention. “He’s about to arrive any minute now, and whilst I think there is a possibility he’ll keep Hades alive, it would be better for her if she died now. Her life won’t ever be the same again after today.”
“Ares?” Shannon frowned, her gun falling as her knees buckled a bit and I carefully edged toward her, making sure she didn’t notice that I could almost reach her if I wanted. “Why would he be here for Ares?”
“Because I lied and told John that Ares was his son.” My smile was venomous. “He would kill the girl instantly, but with the boy? I think he could last a few hours before our brother got bored with how weak you made your children.”
“But-”
“But nothing, Shannon. Your son is gone, your daughter is dead, and so are you.” I grinned harder, teeth baring. “You thought you were smart to realize I was comin’, yet you weren’t smart enough to think about how I always have a half dozen back up plans… like poison in your milk.”
Her lips parted, her eyes widened, and she went to spew some more ridiculousness that I did not care to listen to. Notwhen I was on a time crunch and there were far more important things to be done. Like stepping to the side, swinging my leg out, and grabbing the shotgun at the same moment that Shannon fell from the poison, finally taking a better hold of her.
