Chapter 62

Viktor

My mouth tasted like sandpaper no matter how many times I swallowed.

Even though I'd stopped the car engine minutes ago, it took a while to fully recover from the haze I'd been in. Weariness filled my bones as I stared at the large house against the orange hues of sundown.

With a final push I slipped out of the car, dragging myself through the front door.

Silence was the new normal. Aside from a few employees and the security guards up front, there were no people. It made it more intimidating, no matter how many times I dragged myself back here.

The lights were down, letting more shadows in. As I stepped onto the hallway I could hear noises distantly, but I forced myself to focus on moving to the one place I needed.

Knocking briefly I entered, opening the door to find my mother there.

There was no need for me to wait for her assent when she really responded. Whether it was because she was used to me constantly coming here or simply wished to ignore me, I didn't want to know,