Chapter 28: Hideaway: Chapter 28

Present

“This is fucking amazing, in all honesty.”

Michael strolled around the twelfth-floor room, taking in the little clues Damon had left behind—clothes, cigarette butts, a few dead cell phones—and the amount of space so expertly hidden in the building. You really wondered how something so incredible could go unnoticed. I suppose we don’t see what we’re not looking for.

“It’s a huge city,” he continued, sifting through papers on a desk. “Damon’s always been a night owl. Lay low during the day, and he could sneak out of his little hideaways at night and roam the city while we slept.”

“It’s not in his nature to be alone, though,” Will added, still hanging back in the doorway.

He wouldn’t come in. I didn’t ask why.

“Nice fucking view.” Michael sighed, looking out the windows.

I glanced at the bed, the sheets still a mess, and the pillows still where Banks and I had left them. It didn’t look like he’d been here since we were.

“Alright, come on.” I stuffed my hands into my black hoodie and walked for the doorway. “He’s not here. We’ll wait for him in the lobby.”

Hesitantly, Michael followed me out, and all of us stepped back into the elevator. It was after nine, and Damon hadn’t said where in The Pope to meet, but we’d checked the floor anyway, just in case. Plus, the guys wanted to see it.

We trailed into the lobby, and I turned in a circle, scanning the space. Rain was starting to fall out on the street, and lightning flashed through the windows, followed by a roll of thunder.

Something felt off.

We hadn’t seen him in a year. He’d been gearing up for an entrance. He wasn’t just going to stroll into the hotel and say “hey.”

My phone rang, and I let out a sigh. I pulled it out of my pocket and didn’t even bother to look at the screen.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Right where I need to be.”

“What does that mean?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he asked, “Do you think she loves you? More than me?”

“Where the hell are you?” I squeezed the phone in my hand, feeling the guys draw close as they heard me. “We’re here. Waiting.”

“She’s a part of me,” he went on. “And I’m a part of her.”

“You share blood.” I walked to the front doors, looking out the glass. “That doesn’t make a family.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, a bite to his tone. “Blood is the tie that binds. The knot in your soul that says no matter where you go or what you do, there’s someone in this God-forsaken, shithole-hell-of-a-world you’re forever connected to.”

“Where are—”

“It can be a curse,” he continued. “A burden. But it can also be your heartbeat. Your center, your purpose, your belonging…” He let out a breath, slowing down. “I’ve fucked up, I’ve lied, I’ve nearly torn myself apart in front of her, but she understands that that’s what family is about. Family is what life gives you to help you endure. Their place is by your side, no matter how much it hurts, they’re the people who are always by your side. It’s duty.”

Not when it was abuse. She was my family now, and he would never hurt her again.

“And unfortunately, Kai…” Damon sounded almost amused. “Nothing could tear me away from her side, either.”

“Where are you at?” I demanded.

But he just responded, “She’s mine.” And then I heard a click.

“Damon!” Empty air sat on the other end of the phone. “Damon!”

“What the fuck is going on?” Michael stared at me.

But I didn’t know. Why did he call? Why not say that shit to me in person?

Why was he jerking us around? Again?

And then it hit me.

Leverage.

“He’s not coming,” I said.

Present

“This is fucking amazing, in all honesty.”

Michael strolled around the twelfth-floor room, taking in the little clues Damon had left behind—clothes, cigarette butts, a few dead cell phones—and the amount of space so expertly hidden in the building. You really wondered how something so incredible could go unnoticed. I suppose we don’t see what we’re not looking for.

“It’s a huge city,” he continued, sifting through papers on a desk. “Damon’s always been a night owl. Lay low during the day, and he could sneak out of his little hideaways at night and roam the city while we slept.”

“It’s not in his nature to be alone, though,” Will added, still hanging back in the doorway.

He wouldn’t come in. I didn’t ask why.

“Nice fucking view.” Michael sighed, looking out the windows.

I glanced at the bed, the sheets still a mess, and the pillows still where Banks and I had left them. It didn’t look like he’d been here since we were.

“Alright, come on.” I stuffed my hands into my black hoodie and walked for the doorway. “He’s not here. We’ll wait for him in the lobby.”

Hesitantly, Michael followed me out, and all of us stepped back into the elevator. It was after nine, and Damon hadn’t said where in The Pope to meet, but we’d checked the floor anyway, just in case. Plus, the guys wanted to see it.

We trailed into the lobby, and I turned in a circle, scanning the space. Rain was starting to fall out on the street, and lightning flashed through the windows, followed by a roll of thunder.

Something felt off.

We hadn’t seen him in a year. He’d been gearing up for an entrance. He wasn’t just going to stroll into the hotel and say “hey.”

My phone rang, and I let out a sigh. I pulled it out of my pocket and didn’t even bother to look at the screen.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Right where I need to be.”

“What does that mean?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he asked, “Do you think she loves you? More than me?”

“Where the hell are you?” I squeezed the phone in my hand, feeling the guys draw close as they heard me. “We’re here. Waiting.”

“She’s a part of me,” he went on. “And I’m a part of her.”

“You share blood.” I walked to the front doors, looking out the glass. “That doesn’t make a family.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, a bite to his tone. “Blood is the tie that binds. The knot in your soul that says no matter where you go or what you do, there’s someone in this God-forsaken, shithole-hell-of-a-world you’re forever connected to.”

“Where are—”

“It can be a curse,” he continued. “A burden. But it can also be your heartbeat. Your center, your purpose, your belonging…” He let out a breath, slowing down. “I’ve fucked up, I’ve lied, I’ve nearly torn myself apart in front of her, but she understands that that’s what family is about. Family is what life gives you to help you endure. Their place is by your side, no matter how much it hurts, they’re the people who are always by your side. It’s duty.”

Not when it was abuse. She was my family now, and he would never hurt her again.

“And unfortunately, Kai…” Damon sounded almost amused. “Nothing could tear me away from her side, either.”

“Where are you at?” I demanded.

But he just responded, “She’s mine.” And then I heard a click.

“Damon!” Empty air sat on the other end of the phone. “Damon!”

“What the fuck is going on?” Michael stared at me.

But I didn’t know. Why did he call? Why not say that shit to me in person?

Why was he jerking us around? Again?

And then it hit me.

Leverage.

“He’s not coming,” I said.

“What?” Michael inched closer.

And I turned my eyes on him. “The girls. He knew we’d leave them at the house.”

“What?” Michael inched closer.

And I turned my eyes on him. “The girls. He knew we’d leave them at the house.”