Once they're gone, all of them, Nate asks, "That was her, right?"Malcolm nods. "That's her. I have her picture right here." He takes the folded photograph from his pocket and passes it around. The men nod. Sebastian is the last to take the photo. There's no denying it. It's her. She'd been standing right in front of him just now."I was optimistic," Nate says. "I was hoping it wouldn't be her.""There's got to be a rational explanation," Danny interjects. "We all know Crooks. He wouldn't do this to us. He's never betrayed us.""This is fucked up. Something doesn't fit. We talked to Crooks just yesterday. He'll be here in a week's time. Do you think he'd be this cynical? Come on, Sebastian. You knew him better than we did.""I met him a long time ago," Sebastian says. "People change.""I have to say this" Malcolm begins. "It's pretty clear that she's fucking the big guy, no doubt about it. I was outside just before they left. He started fucking kissing her in the car. Right in front o
Aaron William George, also known as Crooks, slams the phone down on the receiver. He pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a calming breath that doesn't calm him for shit. It's like his ears are betraying him. Did he hear that shit right? Did he?"Hey," the inmate behind him taps him on the shoulder. "Are you alright there, Crooks?"No, he's not alright. He isn't out yet and there's already trouble knocking on his door. Amelia, what the fuck are you doing? "Just fine, man."He's escorted back to his cell. All the while, he's thinking of how he wants to kill something. He wants to use his hands to wreak havoc and tear whole lives apart. This is bad. He hasn't felt this way in a long time.His cell mate looks up as he approaches. They're good pals, but he knows not to mess with him and especially not to ask questions. Not on days like this, when he feels powerless. It's like his life is spiraling out of control. He pinches the bridge of his nose again, feels the reassuring bump there
I rush up the flight of stairs to Jason's apartment.My fingers tremble as I unlock the door. My heart's in my throat. Why do I have the feeling that he will follow me up here? In fact, I can feel his hands on me now. They're on my shoulders, then slowly moving down my body until they settle on my ass.I throw the door open.I walk around in circles. I want to hide, but there's nowhere I can go. Unless I heed Devon's advice, abandon this mission and go home. I'm seriously contemplating it after what happened today in the backseat of his car. I never expected things to go this far. And it did, undeniably. Irreversibly. Irreparably.If Ethan hadn't interrupted us, how far would he have gone? He already had his hand up my thigh. Five more minutes and he would've had me naked on his lap. We sprung apart as soon as we heard the gravel crunch beneath his shoes. He entered the car, cursing about what a pigsty the bathroom was. He didn't seem to notice a thing. Damien and I shared a heated lo
“Where are we going?" I ask, putting on my seat belt.He grips the steering wheel and shakes his head. "Where do you want to go? The only place left for you to go to is the bus station. If you want, I'll take you to the airport. Do I have to emphasize that you're in danger? That you're this close," he illustrates by keeping a tiny space between his thumb and forefinger, "to fucking all this up? Do you have a death wish?"He's dodging me, I can sense it. "How does Sebastian know who I am, Devon? And why does he think I'm on Damien's side?"He throws his head back so it's touching the head rest and breathes in deeply. He pinches the bridge of his nose and with his free hand, reaches into the inside of his coat for a pack of cigarettes. I reach for my own. If I don't smoke one, I feel like I'll fall apart.He lights his, then frowns when he looks at me. "When did you start smoking?""You're purposefully dodging my question. You're hiding something, aren't you? Dammit, just tell me, Devon
Damien still has the taste of her lips in his mouth.His decision to kiss her was an impulsive one, but found that he couldn't resist her in that moment. He doesn't know what it is about her, her demure personality, that mischievous glint in her eyes. The point is, he wants her. And when he wants a woman, there's very little that can stop him from having her.However, he is aware of the possible complications. He's never had much luck with the women in his life, and Elizabeth is the perfect example. But it's not like he intends on marrying her. She's his secretary, for crying out loud.He takes his first nip of whiskey, then leans back in his chair. His phone starts ringing, but he thinks of ignoring it. He has a lot on his mind, including the conversation he had with Sebastian. That fucking idiot, who did he think he was talking to? Damien could have him killed in a flash. No, that isn't true.Ever since he killed Trevor, information on them has become hard to come by. Discovering Tr
I'm staying with Devon temporarily.There's no way I'm going back to that apartment when Sebastian Brown knows where I live. Apparently, he's Trevor's cousin. Was. He's their father's part of the family, but his father was never involved in his brother's illicit affairs. Devon explained it all to me. That's how he fits in all of this. When Damien ambushed the Brown residence, the whole family was gathered. His father wasn't there, but his mother was. They were celebrating a cousin's birthday party when Damien and his gang attacked. They killed everyone above the age of 18, but left the younger ones. Sebastian was amongst them. He was around 17. All because Aaron killed Damien's father. Aaron. My brother.And when Damien finally found him, he sent someone to kill him. That's what happened four years ago. It was self-defense, but Aaron did something much worse. He killed someone. Damien's father, nonetheless. And Devon kept all of this from me purposefully. He knew what I was getting i
Aaron gets off the bus.He takes a deep breath. He missed this place. He lowers the hood of his sweatshirt and for the first time in a few days, he feels truly liberated. He's out of prison, and he doesn't plan on going back. He never wants to leave LA. This is his home, his only home.With the bit of cash he has with him, he takes a cab. He still remembers the address. It's engraved in his memory. He spoke to Malcolm before he left the prison, but apparently, things were a bit rough. Sebastian had finally taken control, but he already knew that. The problem is that everyone's sore about the fact that Amelia is working for that Keller fuck. Now, he doesn't quite know what excuse he'll give them yet, but he's got to keep the fact that she's working as a spy a secret.He's going to protect her at all costs.Amelia should never have gotten involved in this, but he doesn't blame her. He blames Devon. He'll find him. He knows he's hiding somewhere until all of this blows over. And when he
The most fucked up part?My mother isn't even sick. I have no idea how I'm going to drag her here. He'll know I was lying about the whole thing the minute she arrives. Why do I keep getting myself in trouble? I was trying to get out of one, but I'm entangled in a much bigger web of lies.And I can't even leave.I'm seriously considering disappearing without a word. What will I say to Damien in a week's time? That is, if I even have a week left. I didn't take the bus home like Sebastian wanted me to. I thought Damien was the lesser evil, but after today I've changed my mind. If I leave, he'll find me. He has the resources to do so. Devon's entire career revolves around keeping his identity hidden, but Damien managed to find him.We're moving to a new location, that's all I've been told. Everyone's running around like headless chicken. They've been carrying numerous bags of files and documents from Damien's office for about an hour. The strangest part? I haven't seen Ethan at all today.