A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(86)

She had a choice here. Go after Dark and end him. Or she could do something that she had longed to do for so very long. She could destroy Hill House.

That choice was the easiest one she had ever made. Dark would have to wait, because she had a lifelong dream to achieve.





Chapter Thirty-Six





Standing in front of Hill House once again, Grey felt a hopelessness growing within him. They had walked the entire perimeter. There had been several outbuildings, as well as some sort of small stadium, but they were as empty as the house. Defeat was not in his vocabulary, but dammit, this was as close as he’d ever been.

“She’s got to be in there,” he growled.

“Where, man? We’ve checked every damn nook and cranny at least a dozen times. She’s not here, Justice.”

Gallagher was right. They had searched every room numerous times. Had looked for secret passages and hidden doors. There was nothing. The place was a lifeless tomb and as cheerless as one.

Many times, he hadn’t known Irelyn’s whereabouts. She would disappear for weeks or even months. He had worried during those times, but not for an instant had he doubted he wouldn’t see her again. This was the first time he wasn’t sure. Dark had taken her somewhere out of Grey’s reach, and no matter how much he reminded himself of Irelyn’s strength and resilience, an insidious voice inside him was whispering that she was gone for good. He brutally fought that voice, refused to listen to its lies. Dammit, he would not give up.

He had a choice to make. He could return to his car and call, email, text his contacts. Begging, pleading, demanding that someone, somewhere, give him information about her whereabouts. Somebody had to know where Dark had taken her.

Or he could do what his gut was telling him to do. Go back inside that monstrosity and find Irelyn. She was here. Dammit, he knew to his soul that she was here!

He would not rest until she was found. And if she was no longer in the world?

Grey shook his head. No. He would not even allow that thought to enter his head. Irelyn would stay alive and come back to him. He had to believe that. He had no choice.

His cellphone buzzed. His heart in his throat, he pressed the answer key. “What?”

Kennedy’s excited voice said, “We think she really is there, at Hill House.”

“You found something?”

“Yes. An updated set of blueprints. They’re only about a year old. Looks like Dark added several rooms in the basement.”

He started running. “What part of the basement?”

“The northwest side. Looks like there’s a door behind one of the wine racks.”

He knew exactly where that was. He’d seen nothing that would indicate a hidden door, but that didn’t matter. He’d tear down everything in the damn basement until he found it.

Pocketing his phone, he threw a glance over his shoulder. Jonah and Gallagher were right behind him.

“We’ve got a lead!” He turned back to the house. “Let’s—” His breath caught in his lungs. Was that smoke coming out of a third-floor window? What the hell?

“Call the fire department!”

All questions of her whereabouts disappeared. Irelyn was, without a doubt, inside that inferno. Grey jumped up onto the front porch. Tendrils of smoke seeped through the front door.

“Justice…wait!”

He didn’t know who was yelling at him and didn’t care. Irelyn was in there.

“Put this over your head.”

A wet cloth slapped into his hands. Still running, he wound the material around his face, leaving an opening for his eyes. He slammed through the door and was almost knocked down by the heat and smoke.

“Irelyn!” he bellowed.



Flames licked at her back as she ran through the long hallway. She had mistimed how fast the fire would spread. When she’d finally found her way out of the giant room beneath the house, she’d found all the necessary requirements in the janitor’s closet. Paint thinner, turpentine, and matches. She’d started on the third floor. Throwing the flammable liquid into each room took time. Though her body was telling her she was on her last reserve of strength, she refused to stop. Her only focus, her only goal was to destroy the place where nightmares were created. The instant she saw the flare of the first flame, life and energy zoomed through her. Feeling renewed, she ran down the hallway, stopping at every other room to douse it with flammable liquid.

She jerked to a stop at the punishment room. This was the one he’d used the most. It hadn’t changed much. A mattress with heavy chains and handcuffs on each side. A table and chair where Reed would often sit and talk her through her punishments. A thick, heavy leather belt hung on the wall. It looked old and worn, and she remembered Hill using it on her.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she inhaled noxious smoke and remembered why she was here. This was not about going back, but moving forward. She doused the room, threw a match, and moved on. It was over, finished.

As fire consumed each room, she imagined she could hear the echoes of crying children calling out to her to help them. Even though it was too late for her and so many others, she could ensure that no child or adult would ever have to endure pain within these walls ever again.

She ran down the stairway to the second floor. Breathless, she stopped on the landing and considered her next move. Should she work her way through these rooms as well? She glanced up at the balcony of the third floor and, for the first time, felt alarm. Greedy red ribbons of flames were eating at the walls. The fire was spreading even faster than she had anticipated.