Toxic (Denazen #2)(6)

I slipped back into the room, heart thundering against my ribs. Of course Dad would have someone watching the house. What kind of an idiot wouldn’t realize that?

Me, obviously.

Bile rose in my throat, and a wave of icy fear barreled through the room. Where to hide? The closet was out. Even if Dad hadn’t removed the locks several years ago when he’d caught Alex hiding in there, they’d still just bust the door down if they wanted in.

Bolting for the front door was out of the question. There was no way I’d chance sneaking down the stairs. For all I knew, there were more than two of them. Even I wasn’t that good. I scanned the room and decided there was only one viable option.

The window.

I crept across the floor and unlatched the lock. Sliding the glass up slowly, I cringed when it squeaked in protest. A high-pitched whine and subtle creaking noise. I sucked in a breath and held it, listening for signs I’d been discovered. No screaming or footsteps pounded the stairs.

Swinging one leg over the sill, I let it dangle over the edge—and hesitated. It would be easy to drop to the ground below and take off, but that wouldn’t tell me anything. I wanted to know who these people were—to know for sure that they were working for Dad. The house had obviously been empty for a while. They could be squatters or something. Or party scouts. My friend Curd sent people to check on abandoned locations for upcoming raves all the time.

The other leg over, I grabbed the edge of the oak tree for balance, scrunching down and closing the window almost all the way before they walked into the room. The branch was thick enough to allow me to slide sideways and move past the window. If they peered out, they wouldn’t see me.

I hoped.

“Are you sure you saw—” a guy’s voice started. He sounded young, but it was hard to tell without getting a look. I pressed my ear closer to the sill.

“Her come in? Yeah,” another finished. At least, I thought it was the other. They sounded almost the same.

The window was still open a few inches. I could hear their voices getting closer. A moment later, one of them tapped on the glass several times. “Cross knew she’d come back—”

“Eventually? Yeah. But where is she?”

“Doesn’t look like she went out the window. It’s possible—”

“She slipped past us? Yeah. Doubt it, but let’s check out front to be sure. Cross will kick our asses if he finds out she was here and we let her get away.”

Okay, so that confirmed the Dad theory. And that back and forth? Seriously irritating.

After a few moments of blessed silence, I took a chance and moved closer to the window, daring a peek over the sill. The room was empty again. Since I didn’t know where they’d gone, I decided to get the hell out of Dodge. Dad had sent them. Sticking around any longer might give me a personal account of what they wanted—and I wasn’t interested.

Leaning forward, I held my breath and scanned the yard to make sure the coast was clear. So far, so good. Gripping the tree, I eased myself to the grass below. The sturdy oak had aided my social activities and secret nightlife for the last several years. Its spindly branches and woodsy smell were comforting in a way I wouldn’t forget.

My feet hit the wet grass with a slight slosh, sending tiny prickles up my legs. I gave the tree one last look, running my fingers over the uneven bark. I’d probably never come back here again. No reason to. This place was nothing more than a shell. An empty dust jacket that had once contained a complicated work of fiction.

As I turned to leave, a strong breeze blew through the yard. Goose bumps skittered up my bare arms, and I tried not to shiver. As if saying good-bye, the oak tree’s branches shimmied and shook, several leaves fluttering to the ground. I picked one up and twirled it between my fingers, sending droplets of rain flicking off in every direction.

Something crackled, like shoes crushing dead leaves, and I froze. A set of strong arms clamped on my shoulders before I could turn. There was no thinking. Only the reaction of a brain sent into panicked overdrive. I jammed my foot back with perfect aim and spun around.

A string of curses and spiky, bleached-blond hair. “Dez—what the f*ck?”

The sight of Alex caused me to fumble. He’d caught me when I fell from the crane, and even though I should have felt grateful, anger bubbled in my stomach. Now that my head had cleared—a little at least—I wanted to bash his face in.

We hadn’t seen each other since the night of Sumrun. He’d been standing over Kale. The bloody blade slipping from his fingers…the noise it made as it hit the ground…the look on his face…the rage…the betrayal—all came flooding back. It hit me like a semi falling out of the sky.

“You have serious nerve coming within two feet of me.” I shoved him hard. He stumbled but didn’t try to stop me. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He opened his mouth to answer but instead pointed over my head toward the house. Two identical guys glared at us from my window. “There’s a more important question. What the hell are they doing here?”





3


“Shit!” Heart kicking into high gear, I sprinted across the lawn and rounded the corner of the house, skidding sideways as my left leg slipped out from beneath me. Balance gone, I went down on one hand as my Vans slid in the mud and wet grass. After several frantic attempts, I managed to right myself and keep going without wiping completely, but it’d slowed me down.