I spy one of my cars nearby – Barry is sitting in the passenger seat with a laptop. I nod at him on the way in, and four guards dressed casually walk behind us, staying far enough back that Stacey doesn’t catch on.
When we reach the hotel reception, I’m certain someone is playing a joke on me. I’m fully expecting someone to jump out of a plant pot with a camera.
Stacey turning a shade of white just adds to my annoyance.
There’s only one fucking room available.
10
STACEY
Kyle: Was that Kade Mitchell?
Kyle: Wait… Am I losing my mind right now? Are you hanging out with the Tobias Mitchell’s kids? Is Lucy Luciella? The twin?
Kyle: I know I’m being the overbearing big brother here, but do you know who he is? Have the twins given you fake names? Shit. Do you remember our emergency code if you need me to come and get you?
I lie in the small double bed, reading each text. Attached in his next message, he sends news articles dated from when Tobias Mitchell was arrested. Psychotic killer ordered to live out his life sentence in an institution. One of them has a picture of Kade and Lu as kids, smiling with their dad in an artificial park within his institution in America.
Legendary Tobias Mitchell finally granted visitation with his children.
There are related articles at the bottom of the page, and I click on the one about Aria. Doctor Miller finally finds true love with a former flame. But what does Tobias think? Somehow, they got a hold of their wedding photo, where the twins are around seven years old. Lu has a huge grin, Kade is scowling and their big brother Jason, who is eleven years older, has his hands on their shoulders.
I remember I used to think he was a son of Tobias too, but he looks like Ewan. Aria isn’t his mum, but she treats him the same as she does Kade and Lu, especially since his biological mother overdosed a few years ago.
He’s been a ghost to the family for a while now.
The last article I read is from two months ago – Kade with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, leaving a nightclub in London with a girl on his arm. They call the brunette brave then go into detail about the pair sharing a hotel room, which she left a few hours later with messy hair.
I close the browser.
Kyle sends another message, asking if this is a code red.
I’ve only been able to read his texts. When we were in the car, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing, and the last thing I wanted to do was discuss Kade with my stepbrother while sitting in the passenger seat.
It was awkward when he first picked me up because I had no idea what to say, especially after what happened in the studio, but I grew less anxious when no rude comments came from him. It was a comfortable silence I’ve had many times with that side of him.
Well, the version I had to myself for nearly a year. The version that held my hand under the covers and smiled at me when no one was looking. Kissed me in the pool house. In the car. In random hotel rooms all over the world while we watched The Greatest Showman for the billionth time.
The version I’ve missed every day since he walked out of my life – and I let him.
That side of him quickly shrank back into its shell when he tossed his bag into our room and stormed off, muttering a fuck’s sake under his breath hours ago. I’d sat on the small bed, kicked off my shoes and pulled the duvet over me, and I’ve been here ever since.
He’s back to his usual dickish self. I won’t be surprised if he’s drunk in the bar downstairs or in a taxi on his way to a random girl’s house.
Should I text him and ask if he wants to grab food, or will he tell me to go fuck myself?
On cue, my phone dings, and my heart stops, thinking it’s him. But it’s Kyle sending a question mark.
I forgot to reply. No doubt he’s sweating and pacing the floor, worrying about my safety. He really is the total opposite of his younger brother.
Me: Sorry. My phone was on silent! I’m okay. Promise me you won’t tell Nora or Chris who they are. I don’t want them freaking out. But yes, they are his kids.
A few minutes pass, then my screen lights up once more .
Kyle: Fucking hell. Yeah, sound – I won’t say anything. What are they like? Cool? Dickheads? Do they boast about who their dad is? I read something about Kade being exactly like that psycho. Did you see the article on him when he was 12? It says he has death in his eyes. The fuck does that even mean? Oh shit, I don’t think I want to know, but you aren’t dating him, are you?
I sigh, shaking my head. Some of these articles are ridiculous. If these reporters knew the side of Kade I did, they’d never say those things about him. Regardless of how he acts now.
Tobias struggled with every emotion and had no idea how to control them. Whereas his son can feel them to some extent, can certainly show them when he’s comfortable enough and doesn’t go on a killing spree when things don’t go his way.
I reread the last part of Kyle’s text, narrowing my eyes. I’m not about to tell him that Kade is my ex or that we have a heavy history that could write an entire book.
I’m not going to tell him that one time, while he was knocking on my room door to see if I needed anything from the shop, Kade had me pinned to the floor with his hand wrapped around my throat, tight enough to nearly cut off my oxygen supply while roughly fucking me.
No. I definitely won’t tell him that.
Another message, and I huff.
Kyle: I’m uncomfortable with the delayed response. I wish to retract my question.
Me: Shut up. I’m not dating him. And they’re normal people.
Kyle: Okay. Cool. I thought your flight was hours ago? How do you have a signal ?
Me: I missed it. I need to stay in a hotel until tomorrow.
Kyle: With the psychopath’s son? Damn.
Kyle: Remember… orange emoji with your location and I’ll be there.
I send him an okay, and he goes offline. I’ve blocked Chris thankfully. When the first string of abusive messages came in as soon as I sat in the car, I made sure he couldn’t contact me for the remainder of the trip. My body still aches from his violent “lesson” last night. I don’t think the bruises and cuts are too noticeable, but I used a thick concealer to cover them up, just in case.
Is it bad that I welcome his fists? If he didn’t hurt me that way, he might resort to sexual attacks, and I’ll die before I allow that.
It’s the middle of the afternoon, but I didn’t sleep much last night. I yawn, stretch under the covers and quickly text Kade to tell him I’m going for a nap. He reads it, and when ten minutes pass without a response, I sigh and put my phone on charge. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out.
It’s been hours since I woke up and there’s still no sign of Kade. TV is boring, social media is dead, and I keep rereading the same line of a rom-com book and failing to register the words. It’s late, the light from a lamppost shines through the window, rain pelting the glass, and I’m in dire need of a cold can of juice.
I’m starving too. I think the entire hotel can hear every time my stomach growls at me to feed it. But my laziness has so far won, and I’ve settled on the bottle of water from the mini fridge.
Did I go through his things hunting for a snack and settle on stealing his crisps? Yes. Yes, I did.
Luciella called. They landed an hour ago. She said she was close to punching Base in the face and sending him home. She didn’t appreciate him suggesting a quickie to get them both in the mile-high club. She hung up on me when I started laughing.