Scarlet Angel (Mindf*ck #3)(32)

For the sake of my children, I’ll fight.



I put the journal away, sliding it into my bag just as the sun sets. Any time I need a reminder of why it’s important to always fight, I read the journal of a man who had no choice but to fight. To fight for his kids.

To fight for us.

“Lana, you there?” Jake asks, annoyed as I wedge the phone between my shoulder and cheek.

“Still here,” I tell him.

“I don’t like this. I haven’t even installed any cameras in Morgan’s house, and he teaches a MMA class for fuck’s sake. You’ll be going in blind with a guy who knows how to fight.”

“They all know how to fight,” I say carelessly.

“Not like him. You know it. You’re rushing this, getting too brave. You’ve reached the point where you think you’re indestructible. We talked about this. We agreed you’d let me pull you back a little if you started to develop that complex.”

He’s frustrated, and I understand. The second I fell for Logan, all our plans became five times more complicated and seven times more fucked up. Not to mention rushed and sloppy.

“I have to be there tomorrow. Morgan has to die tonight. I’m not leaving behind two to run off once they hear what I’ve done to that town. It’ll be hard to kill them afterwards. Well, hard to kill both and not have immediate FBI attention.”

“Damn it, Lana. Let me handle it.”

“No,” I say immediately. “The Scarlet Slayer—as you named her—can’t be in two places at once, or they’ll know I have a partner. It’ll ruin the whole thing. That town once called me the devil’s spawn—and they meant it, Jake. They truly believe that. They’ll believe in spirits and demons coming back to reap their souls when I’m done. I can’t scare the hell out of them without your compliance.”

He curses, groaning. “Fine. Fuck. Fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Leave your phone on. If you get in trouble, I’ll hear it and come in, armed.”

“I can take him,” I promise.

“You’ve gotten too cocky.”

“You’ve lost too much faith in me,” I say with a smile.

“Never. I just don’t want to lose my sister to one of them because she got careless,” he retorts.

“At least we don’t have to risk spending time in the house to remove the cameras this way.”

“Still can’t believe they haven’t figured out you’ve been watching them. The FBI, I mean.”

“Two tiny holes in the walls at random isn’t enough for them to suspect your mini cams being installed, considering the NSA is the only who is supposed to have that technology.”

“They shouldn’t be so easy to hack if they wanted to keep that technology a secret.”

I roll my eyes, grinning. “Now who’s cocky?”

He mutters a very unflattering word to describe me, and I grin broader.

“You know the worst thing that could happen isn’t just death here, Lana. If he overpowers you…You’ve studied his past just like I have. You’re not the only girl he’s hurt.”

My smile disappears as icy fury washes over me. “I’m aware. Just like I know his father is friends with the governor, and all the accusations disappear when the women turn into lying whores. Right?”

“Just be careful,” he says on a sigh. “And get him trapped first. Then have some fun with him.”

That has my smile returning.

“I’m going in.”

“Leave the phone on.”

“Yes, sir!” I say with a mock militant tone.

“It’s sir, yes, sir. But whatever.”

Slowly, I push the phone into my pocket and head inside to kill one last time before going home to massacre so many more.

I’ll paint the town red. Just like they painted the streets with our blood.

Grabbing my purse, I step outside, jogging down the street.

“Don’t forget you need to drive to Delaney Grove to start phase one,” I say into the Bluetooth earpiece.

“Yeah. I will. As soon as I make sure you don’t get yourself killed by being reckless,” Jake says too loudly in my ear.

I cut the volume down, and slow my pace, approaching Morgan’s house. I watch through the window, seeing him walk through the house in just his boxers without an ounce of shame.

Fortunately, he lives about a mile from anyone, so as long as no one rolls up on us, I should be able to finish this quickly. I hate rushing the kill. I planned for days and days of torture with him.

No I have to improvise and cram days of torture into one method. Only one way to do that.

“Going in,” I whisper before slipping in through the front door.

I twist the knob, not surprised to find it unlocked. Morgan thinks he’s a badass who can’t be hurt. Talk about feeling invincible…

I push through the door, grimacing when it creaks. I pause, listening for him, but don’t hear anything to alert me that he’s coming this way.

The house is mostly quiet, so I push the door shut, leaving it a little ajar so as not to allow it to squeak again.

Jake stays silent in my ear, and I bring my hair down to cover the gaudy ear piece. I’ve considered everything that could happen, and have different plans for each scenario.