I shake my head soundlessly, scrambling for a response. My brain is numb to coherent thoughts.
There are no words.
Absolutely no words to describe the utter disbelief I’m feeling.
She sighs again, this time softer and filled with… I don’t know, empathy? Mom may not be a liar, but she’s also never been empathetic, either.
“My dad never felt comfortable raising me here, but your Nana insisted. She loved Gigi, and she wasn’t capable of letting this house go. It’s cursed. I don’t want to see you do the same thing—grow attached to a house just because you loved your Nana.”
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth, biting hard as another crack of thunder tears through the atmosphere.
Was Gigi killed by her stalker? The man she called a visitor, who would come into her home and do unspeakable things. Things that she tried not to want—but did.
Was it him? Was he playing her all along, sensing her growing attraction for him, despite what he was doing and took advantage?
It’s the only thing that makes sense.
I turn back to her. “Do they know who did it—who killed Gigi?”
Mom shakes her head, her lips tightening into a thin line, causing the pink lipstick to crack. Those cracks extend far deeper than her lipstick. She’s also been broken, though I could never figure out why.
“No, it still goes unsolved to this day. They didn’t have sufficient evidence, and back then, it was easier to get away with things than it is now, Addie. Some thought it was my grandfather, but I know he’d never do such a thing. He loved her dearly.”
Unsolved. My great-grandmother was murdered in this very house, and no one ever caught the killer. Dread sinks into my stomach like a stone in a lake.
I’m sure I know who killed her, but I don’t want to open my mouth and say so until I’m absolutely positive.
“Where was she murdered?” I ask, my voice subdued.
“In her bedroom. Which disturbingly became your Nana’s bedroom.” She pauses for a beat before muttering, “And now yours, I’m sure.”
She’s not wrong. I took over Nana’s old bedroom, and though it’s been fully renovated, I still kept the chest at the end of the bed and the full-length ornate mirror propped in the corner of the room. Things that were passed down from Gigi.
The bed is no more, having bought my own. But the same four walls that housed a horrific murder are the same four walls I sleep in at night.
It’s chilling—a little creepy. But to Mom’s dismay, it’s not enough to get me to move out. Or even change rooms. If that makes me a freak, then I would only fit in with the family.
Gigi fell in love with her stalker. The very man who must’ve killed her eventually.
And now, I have one of my very own. The only silver lining is that I would never be so stupid to fall in love with him.
Mom stands, a signal that she’s leaving. Her heels click, clack off the checkered tile as she slowly walks towards the entrance.
She gives me one last look.
“I hope you make the right decision and leave this place, Addie. It’s… dangerous here.”
Her staccato footsteps fade as the door softly closes behind her. I watch her car disappear down the mile-long driveway, leaving me all alone in this big, cursed house.
Suddenly, my stalker’s last words are much more ominous now.
I’ll be seeing you soon, little mouse.
Chapter 6
The Shadow
T he crackle from the small device indicates my directions are about to come in. I shake out my fists, restlessness binding my nerves into tight knots.
“Five bodies in the main area, all of them armed. Three more on their six and four on their twelve.”
I crack my neck, enjoying the feeling of my bones popping. Tension releases and my shoulders relax.
Twelve men won’t be too hard to take down, but I’m going to have to be quick and stealthy. It was easier to pick off the guards surrounding the decrepit warehouse.
The sun has long since fallen, providing ample coverage. It took two seconds to find a spot hidden in the shadows, giving me the perfect angle for a sniper shot.
Their mistake was relying on their limited eyesight for intruders. My ability to hide in the shadows is what ultimately got them killed.
Should’ve had night vision goggles like me.
Maybe then I would’ve had a bit of entertainment.
I lick my lips, anticipation sharp on my tongue.
“Be careful, Z,” says my righthand man, Jay. His hacking skills are nearly as good as mine—and only because I was his teacher.