Page 11 of Freed By Wrath

“You had your turn. Now it’s mine.” I state, and I see in his eyes he understands it’s non-negotiable.

Behind us, Serena’s voice cuts through the garden, sharp and perfectly timed.

“Somebody call the cops.”

I laugh. Actually laugh.

“Put me down,” Valerie screams, the fight back on her. But I ignore her.

My car is two houses down.I pop the trunk, put her inside, and she’s already scrambling upright and furious before I’ve even closed it.

“Are you insane—”

I slam the trunk shut.

Round to the driver’s side, drop in, start the engine.

Behind me, she’s still going. Muffled by the trunk but very much present and, of course, screaming. I catch some fragments of words like—Crazy, maniac, who the hell, I will end you.

I reach for my phone.

Slash:

Meet me in the parking lot in 15. We have a code red.

Isaac:

What the fuck does that even mean?

Fabien:

It means he probably did something he shouldn’t.

Slash:

Yup. That’s exactly what it means. Bring masks.

The engine rumbles to life beneath me.

I pull away from the estate, leaving the party behind.

Leaving my ex.

Leaving her fiancé.

Leaving every lie they’ve wrapped themselves in.

For tonight.

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel as the road opens ahead, swallowed by October darkness.

Three years.

Three fucking years of watching from a distance.

That ends tonight.

She deserves one Halloween that belongs entirely to her.