Betrayed (The Worshipped Series Book 2) (39 page)

“Fucking hell Frankie! Can you please not be a disgusting pig for one day and clean up after yourself?”

“I have no idea what you mean Kiki.” He says in a mocking tone.

“Seriously Frankie. Get your lazy ass off my couch and help me clean up the kitchen. And stop calling me Kiki. That isn’t my name.” I have no clue why he continues to call me Kiki. I really think he does it to be even more annoying. I can imagine this is what is like for people who grow up with younger brothers. It makes me want to smother him with his disgusting pillow.

Frankie groans and gets up. He sets down his Coke can on the coffee table. From where I am, I count five and now six with the one he just added. I don’t know how much longer I can handle him staying here. I like my apartment neat and orderly, but with him here, I feel like I’m at a bachelors pad. He walks into the kitchen and burps loudly making me roll my eyes and I shake my head. 

“See, you’re a pig.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Me jealous? I think all those cokes and junk food has messed with your brain.”

He smiles at me and tries to hug me. I hold up my hands and I back away from him. 

“When is the last time you showered?”

He lifts his arm and sniffs his armpit. Disgusting. 

“Yeah, it’s been a few days. I should go shower.”

“Please pick up the towel when you’re done at least!”

“Yes mother,” he yells back at me while going into the bathroom. 

I look around the kitchen regretting having to clean it. I’m pretty sure every dish I own is in the sink. I groan not wanting to clean and I start the task of loading the dishwasher. 

This past week has been very lazy and to put it mildly, fucking boring. I have never not gone to work when I am supposed to. But in my defense, no one knows I am back yet. I have yet to call or go see Riley to let her know I am back. I feel guilty about that, but a part of me isn’t ready to see her or anyone just yet. I know I need to get on with my life or at least pick back up on it. But I am still having a hard time getting back to the flow of things. Frankie and I have done nothing but eat junk food and watch Lifetime TV all week. And other than me constantly bitching at Frankie for being a guy, nothing has happened. My landlord did come to fix my door. That is a plus. I haven’t heard a single word from Jason and I fear the worst. I don’t even know what he was going to do other than go back to do what he used to do. I can only hope he doesn’t let himself get consumed by his darkness. I would like to think I helped him enough to be able to fight it still, but even I know you can only fight something for so long until you give in. 

Once I am done cleaning the kitchen I grab the garbage can and head to the coffee table. I swear I can make a fortune off all these Coke cans laying around. I clean off the coffee table and pick up all the other garbage laying around the couch. 

“I think I like you being my maid.”

“Fuck you Frankie. Oh God!” I turn and put my hands over my eyes. “Can you please put on some clothes? I think I am blind now.” Frankie never ceases to amaze me how he does some of the things he does. Like right now he is drying his hair with a towel but doesn’t have anything covering his junk. 

“What? You’re like my sister so it’s cool.”

“Frankie, that sounds way worse. Please put on some clothes.”

“Fine. I’m going. Geesh.”

I hear him walk away and I turn around and get back to picking up his soda cans. I don’t know if I can handle being cooped up in this small apartment with him for much longer. He is driving me nuts. I feel like I am going to go insane being around him all the time. I never knew guys could be this gross and annoying. Then I think it might have something to do with his age. Frankie is still a kid. Well to me he’s a kid. I’m going on thirty-three. How did I become the big sister? It’s a strange feeling. 

Frankie walks back into the room with clothes on thank God, and goes straight to the fridge. How this guy can eat and not have an ounce of fat on him is beyond me. 

“We have no food. We should go get some food.”

“Seriously Frankie. How are you still hungry? You just ate an entire large pizza. By yourself. Look I am going to get the mail and then we can go get some groceries. Please do not mess up the kitchen. I will be right back.”

I swear sometimes I feel like I am talking to a five year old. I put on my flip flops and walk downstairs to the mailboxes. I quickly get my mail and as I walk back up to the apartment I glance through what I have. Most of it is junk mail, a few bills, and then I see it.

It’s a letter. A letter with my name on it written in a man’s handwriting and I already know who it is from. I almost fall on my face when I see it. I run back to my apartment and shut the door. I walk to my room and before I shut the door I hear Frankie call out. 

“Hey I thought we were going to get food?”

“Not now Frankie!” I yell him as I shut the door. 

I sit down on my bed and I just stare at the letter. My heart beats frantically and my palms start to sweat. Seeing this letter is making me nervous. I wonder what is it says but at the same time I am afraid to open it. I’m scared to read it. I notice my address isn’t on there, only my name. Which means Jason had to have put it in my mailbox. The thought excites me and depresses me at the same time. Excites me because he thought enough about me to give me a letter. Depresses me because if he put it in my box, why couldn’t he have come up and talked to me in person? I take a deep breath and then I open it. I unfold the paper and I sit up straighter as I read. 

Dear Karen, 

I can already tell by reading this letter I am not going to like it very much. He is so formal addressing me. What happened to being his little vixen?

I know you must be angry with me for the things I have done. Mainly the most recent in being me drugging you again and making you leave. I only did what I thought was right. I thought sending you away like I did was my only option. You and I both know you would’ve never left my side and I cannot have you getting hurt because of the choices I have made. 

There are things I need to tell you and things that I need you to understand. This problem I have gotten myself in, will not go away easily. Things are about to get worse before they get better and I need you to trust me. There are going to be things I have to do, and you are not going to like them. I cannot tell you what my plan is yet. I cannot tell you if or when I will come back. I don’t know how it will turn out. 

First, I must get Julian back. Once I know he is safe I will be able to work on my end plan. 

Secondly, I need you to stop waiting for me to come back. 

I put down his letter for a second. Jason has been watching the apartment. The ache in my chest only grows as I think of him being so close and choosing to stay away. I don’t understand any of this, and he is right. I am angry with him. All this hurt we are having to go through because he is a stubborn man and would not let me help him. I look down at the letter and I take another breath and continue to read. 

I know that is a reason you have not went back to work or have done anything you normally do. Stop waiting for me to come back. I cannot guarantee I will come back to you, but one way or another, when the time is right, I will find a way. 

Lastly, I need you to know that I am still fighting the darkness inside of me. It is a lot harder without you by my side, but for you, I will continue to fight for as long as I can. I do not know what they have planned for me. I do not know how all of it will play out, but I need you to trust me. 

Stay safe Karen and keep Frankie close. 

Jason. 

I clutch his letter to my chest and fall back on the bed. I don’t understand any of this. Why him? What is it that is so special about Jason that makes these horrible men want him?  I don’t know if I’ll ever know the answer. I do know he is right about one thing. I haven’t wanted to leave because a part of me thought that if I did leave for one second, he would show up. I know I cannot do that any longer. Who knows, maybe by keeping myself busy again it will help me get through the pain. I can only hope that he succeeds in getting Julian back. I wouldn’t expect him to do any different in saving him. 

I don’t know how all this will work out. I don’t know how we can be together again. And as I stand and get off the bed, I promise myself I won’t be the woman who sits and waits for a man. If he wants me to get on with my life and go back to my normal routine, then fuck it. That’s exactly what I will do. 

I know the road ahead is going to be the hardest one yet. I know it won’t be easy for me to go on with my life without him. I know Jason has changed me and there is no way I can be the old me anymore. I also know that I can’t let Jason being gone affect my life the way it has anymore. I put his letter down on my dresser and I walk out into the living room. I see Frankie watching SpongeBob and I think, maybe, just maybe, I can pretend everything is back to the way it was before everything changed. I don’t know how to be anything but the way I am now. 

So as I tell Frankie I am ready to leave, I tell myself that pretending to be the old me, might just work out.

Vincent

“Lance, we are going to have to do something with Detective Scott. He is been snooping around too much. I need you to follow him, and learn his routine. I want to know everything about him. Go. Get the fuck out of my sight.”

I watch Lance nod his head at me and he leaves like a good dog he is. That fucking Mason Scott is starting to become a pain in the ass. I never thought he would cause so many problems with him only being here for a few months. I could slice the chief’s throat for letting that nosey bastard transfer here. Everything was going according to plan, then, that fucker decides to actually be a cop. That fucking Cammie bitch is coming back to bite me in the ass. I should’ve forged the report better. I have everyone at the station convinced I am a normal guy. But for some reason, Mason is the only one I cannot fool. That bastard has even started following me on his off days. 

No matter. I’ll figure it out soon enough and get the fucker off my back. 

I admit breaking into Karen’s apartment then showing up so soon after I heard the dispatcher was a stupid mistake on my part. But I couldn’t resist. I can see why Jason chose her. And I do prefer blondes over brunettes. Seeing that pretty bitch makes me want to add her to the list of other blondes I have locked up downstairs. I also know Karen is scared of me. She should be. The way she jerked her hand out of mine and stood by that other guy in her apartment that day, makes me wonder. Would she be a fighter? I think she would be. And I love the fighters. It makes the game of torturing and fucking them all the more fun. Hell I am getting a hard on just thinking about all the things I would love to do to her. 

I roll my chair back from the desk and I walk over to the window. I am expecting Jason any minute now. I thought he would put up more of fight, but as soon as he knew what I have of his, he backed down quickly. The little brat makes me cringe but I will keep him here as long as I have to. I can’t have Jason running around doing whatever the fuck he wants. My father was smart in finding and training him. I can use that to my advantage. I don’t fully know why my father wanted Jason as much as he did, but as long as he keeps doing what he is told, I won’t kill him. Yet. I walk over to the bar and pour myself some scotch. I take a drink and as I feel the burn go down my throat and down to my stomach, I turn to see Jason walking in. 

“Ah it’s about time you showed up. Is it done?”

I can see the rage coming off him. He hates that I have the one thing he wants away from me. He hates that I have power over him. I fucking love it. 

“Yes. He won’t be a problem anymore.”

“Good. Now for your next task.”

“I want to see Julian first.”

“Now, now. You know how this works. I need to be able to trust you won’t take him and run off. How do I know if you see him you just won’t take him? I don’t. You will do what I say and what tell you to do. If not, well, we all know of the things I can and will do to him.”

I love seeing the defeat in his eyes. He knows I’ve won. And if he knows what’s good for him and his little shit, he’ll do well in not questioning me again. 

I walk back over to my desk and I open the drawer to remove the file I have for his next victim. I toss him the folder. He wastes no time in looking it over. Deny it all he wants, he loves the killing just as much as I do. I can see his eyes light up with excitement and he carefully looks over the information.