Bloodshed (Order of the Unseen, #1)(34)

I follow his gaze, fixing my eyes on the scars on her wrists.

My heart immediately shatters.

No.

Not our Quinn.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN





QUINN





Quickly sitting upright, I rush to my feet. Fastening the buttons of my bodysuit, an eerie silence takes over the room. When I turn to face them, they’re gaping at me.

“It’s not polite to stare,” I tell them.

Ghost approaches me, taking my shoulders in his hands. “In the bathroom, earlier,” he hesitates, and my stomach sinks. “At the party. You were upset. Who was that girl?”

“She was nobody,” I reply, brushing it off. “It’s really not a big deal.”

“I can see right through you, little Quinn.”

“Why are you asking?”

“Because you’re hurting. And I don’t ever want to see you hurt.”

Holding up my wrists, I gaze down at the scars, memories flooding back to me. I’ve never had anyone to talk to about this. Not ever. As strange as it may be, it’s consoling that they want me to share my darkest secrets.

Staring into his eyes, I release a small breath. “My childhood sucked, and school was even worse. I was bullied.” I force a laugh. “Really, really bad.”

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, bringing me into his warm, bare chest. “I’ll kill them.”

“It’s been a few years,” I say dryly. “But the trauma it caused. The second-guessing. Wondering if maybe, the whole time, they were right.”

He pulls back, taking my face between his hands. “Right about what?”

“They told me it was my fault that my dad killed himself,” I softly say, tears springing to my eyes.

His body tenses. Face hardens. And those eyes.

They’re terrifying.

Anger consumes every ounce of his being.

Turning to Jason, he glares at him. It’s evident that they’re silently exchanging words before Ghost releases me and storms out of the room.

“These bullies,” Jason says, now dressed, as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do they live around here?”

“I’m not sure,” I reply quietly. “But they all work at the haunted house every year.”

“The one here in Salem?”

I nod.

“You know it’s not true,” he urges, brushing my face with his fingertips. “Right?”

My body stiffens, as I draw in a shaky breath.

“Quinn,” Jason presses, frowning. “You know that was bullshit, right?”

“Mhm,” I whisper.

“It was a bullshit fucking lie. There is no truth in that,” he tells me. “Have you ever talked to anyone about this?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to cause my mom any more stress,” I admit, my lips quivering. “She’s been through enough. I didn’t want to be another burden in her life—”

“Stop,” Jason stops me, wiping away a tear with his thumb. “You’re not a burden.”

And he brings me against his chest.





MICAH





Leaving Damien and Jensen on the couch with Quinn, I dismiss myself from the room. The chilling feeling of being watched outside of the Halloween party earlier tonight has me overthinking. I slip into the sunroom and shut the door quietly behind me.

I dial Apollo’s number and press the screen of my phone to my ear.

“What’s up, sunshine?” Apollo answers.

“Just checking in. Any updates?” I ask.

“Nothing yet,” he answers. “Any updates on your end?”

Pacing the room, I clench my jaw tight, wondering if I should mention the strange vibes I had gotten just a few hours ago. “I don’t think so,” I mutter, striding over to the window and looking outside.

My gaze scans the backyard, and nothing out of the ordinary catches my attention. A strong wind gust sweeps most of the leaves off the trees and carries them through the night. Pressing my palm against the glass, I let out a sharp breath.

“You don’t think so?” he questions. “What does that mean?”

“Two residents of Salem have gone missing in the last week,” I point out.

“They strike in threes, Micah.”

“I know,” I say.

There’s a brief silence between us before he breaks it. “What’s going on?” he questions.

“Nothing,” I blurt out, rubbing my face with my hand. “Forget it.”

“If we get any updates, you’ll be the first one I call.”

“Got it.” With that, I end the call.

For the next ten minutes, I stand on guard, staring out the windows in hopes that I’m just being paranoid. Surely, I’m just imagining things, my mind always wandering to the worst-case scenario. I need to chill. This Halloween night is quiet.

Yet, it’s almost too quiet.

With a dry laugh, I head back toward the living room. The three of them are no longer on the couch where I had left them.

Suddenly, footsteps resonate from the hallway. My eyes lock on Damien as he enters the room with a hostile glare.