Where's Molly(49)

“Yeah, they're dubbed the Basilisk Brotherhood. Apparently, Z knows them now, and they're interested in your job in particular.”

My hands freeze, and my muscles grow dense with tension. “What do they want with my job?” I ask, my voice hardening.

If they try to replace me… I'm going to throw a colossal fit. I get paid substantially to do what I do, and it doesn't require me to get any more involved in Legion's work than I want to.

I live a simple life, and I'm happy with that.

“They want the organs. Evidently, they think feeding them to pigs is a waste of money.”

Now, my brows shoot up my forehead. When I meet Eli's stare, he explains, “They're organ traffickers. And I think they want to work with you and Legion.”

I blink, having no idea what to think or feel.

“How come Legion told you about this and not me?”

“He asked me to meet with them first, get a feel for them before Legion entertains their offer. I'm sure he won't approach you about it until he's confident they're good people.”

‘Good people’ is a loose term when it comes to this corner of the world. However, there’s a surprising number of people like me. What we do wouldn't exactly grant us access to the pearly gates up above, even though we do it for good reasons. The ones we kill—even the devil wouldn't want them.

“If Z’s working with them, then they must not be too bad,” I comment, resuming my work and switching on the Sawzall.

Eli shrugs. “My thoughts as well, but you can never be too sure. I'd expect some type of contact regarding this soon. You might be making new friends.”

I sigh, cutting off the man's head. Eli takes a step back when the blood splatters too close for comfort.

“Great. Just when I was getting used to you.”

Eli gasps. “I resent that. Who else is going to tell you how sexy you are on a weekly basis?”

I raise a brow, unimpressed. “Somehow, I think I'll survive.”





Cage





Two Weeks Later

2022


I call her a little ghost, yet for some reason, I never considered that the brat would actually ghost me.

My blood simmers as I watch her from the depths of the woods surrounding her barn. As usual, the double doors are wide open, allowing the barn to air out. It's beginning to rain, the cold droplets doing little to cool my temper.

She’s cleaning up after feeding her pigs, having just hung up the phone with the lady who confirms the corpses are disposed of.

She’s meticulous. Has a routine that she doesn't stray from. And everything has a place.

Except for me, apparently.

A couple of weeks ago, Legion called to inform me Eli was back on the job, but immediately, I knew something was off when h e





Chapter Nineteen (SPLIT)


not-so-kindly told me to forget where Molly lives and stay away unless she contacts me herself.

That was all I needed to hear to recognize that she was running.

It shouldn't have surprised me. Yet, it did.

More than that, it fucking hurt.

And it absolutely enraged me.

I have no doubts that Molly returns my feelings, except she’s completely fucking clueless when it comes to being able to handle those emotions.

She may not have ever been in love, but she also has never met another like me.

And what she seems to forget is that I will never give up on her.

I’ve left her alone for two weeks, sticking to the shadows nearly every night since I got that call. Just observing her go through the motions of life as if I'm not the one who gives it to her. Waiting to see if she’d crack and reach out to me.

She hasn’t, and my patience has waned.

God, how tempting it is to walk up behind her, wrap my hands around that dainty little throat, and show her that the only reason she can breathe is because I fucking allow her to.

“Fuck, you really piss me off,” I bite out beneath my breath. I plunge my hand into my pocket and pull out my pack of gum, popping two pieces in my mouth this time.

I wait until she's finished at the barn, clicking off the overhead lights before making her way out into the trickling rain. She's not carrying the bag of clothes and hair that she typically burns when she's finished, likely due to the rain. Which means she'll probably wait to scatter the teeth in the mountains.

I contemplate leaving her be for another night. But that lasts all of half a second. My control snaps.

Legion will have to come out of hiding if he wants to try and stop me.

Two weeks without being able to inhale a full breath is torture enough.

Quietly, I make my way through the tall grass, keeping to the shadows as I approach her from behind.

She doesn’t sense me until it’s too late—her instincts having lightened over the past nine years.

She freezes, her shoulders stiffening and hiking to her ears, the panic snapping her spine straight. And then her damp, thick curls are fisted in my hand and I’m jerking her against my chest, my lips at her ear.

“For a little ghost with so many bones, you're just begging for me to break them,” I growl.

A sharp gasp breaks through the melodic pattering of rain, and a shiver races down her spine so violently I feel it through her skin.