I laugh. “Enzo Black will never be yours.”
She pushes off the wall. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning on stealing him away from you guys. You and Zeke wouldn’t survive without your fearless leader telling you what to do all the time.”
I growl.
She smirks victoriously.
“I’m calling in our pact,” I say, preventing her from walking away.
“Our pact? Oh, you mean the pact we made when we were five? Before I knew you were a giant asshole?”
“Friday night. Meet me at Enzo’s. We’re going hunting.”
She shakes her head and stomps off.
It’s a test to see if she’ll come—if deep down she still cares.
Now I just have to wait to see if she shows up or not.
6
Liesel
I finish the braid down the back of my head and then stare at myself in the mirror. I look like Katniss with my braid, all black clothes, and hunter mentality. All I need now is a bow and arrow and I’d be a true hunter.
Still, I feel ready. This day came a lot sooner than I expected it to. I expected I’d be older, about to leave this town for good. On the other hand, this day couldn’t come fast enough.
I know without Langston telling me what today is about. There is only one reason he would call on our pact after years of ignoring and hating each other.
To kill his father.
I hate Langston.
I hate that he ignores me.
I hate that he is an obnoxious flirt in school.
I hate that he kills and has become Enzo’s little henchman.
But most of all, I hate that he still knows me better than anyone. A part of me still wants to care, still yearns to return to the friendship we once shared.
I hate myself most of all for still caring.
That’s not what killing Langston’s father is about, though. I’m not doing this for Langston. I’m doing this for me. For the little girl who got beaten by this horrid man.
I will ensure that he dies, just like the part of me that died that day.
I step out of the small guest house on Enzo’s property. I’m not sure if Langston invited Enzo and Zeke to take part in the hunting and killing of his father or not. Enzo and Zeke understand. They would want to help us kill him. They would be able to do the job as well as me, but that isn’t what this is about.
Enzo and Zeke didn’t experience the abuse. They didn’t spend years with the monster. They have their own demons, but not like Langston and I do. For Langston and me, this is personal in an entirely different way.
I wait outside as the sun begins to set to see who is going to show up.
Langston appears from the side of Enzo’s house. He must have come around back instead of through the house.
“Where are Enzo and Zeke?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “They aren’t coming. This is just about the two of us.”
I nod.
His hardened, cool eyes examine me from head to toe. I’ve never seen Langston so calm and cool. Usually, he has an air about him, a lightness. Not today.
“What happened to your dress?”
“I didn’t think it was appropriate for hunting.”
He chuckles. “We aren’t literally going hunting. That’s not how you catch a monster.”
“How do you catch a monster, then?”
He shrugs. “You’re the hunter. You come up with a plan. I’ll just kill him once you lure him away.”
What he’s not saying is that he’s too close to the man he plans on killing. If he comes up with the plan, he’ll make a mistake because he’s not thinking clearly. He needs me to help him.
“Where is he tonight?” I ask.
“There is some party that he and the stepmonster are having. We won’t be able to kill him until after, maybe not even tonight. Tonight might just be about strategizing how to kill him. It—”
“No. He dies tonight.”
Langston stares at me, really looking at me for the first time in years.
We may hate each other, but we know the depths of each other’s pain. Killing Langston’s father might be one of the few areas we still agree on.
“Tell me what your plan is,” Langston says, his voice firm and yet hauntingly begging me to tell him how to end his pain and suffering.
My wheels start turning.
I know what we have to do, even though I sort of hate it.
“Go borrow Enzo’s most expensive suit,” I say.
Langston frowns. “I’m not wearing a suit. I’m not going to that asshole’s party. I’m not—”
“Do you want to kill your father tonight or not?”
He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “Yes, but—”
“This is the only way he dies tonight. We go to the party; we pretend that we are the perfect couple doing exactly what your stepmonster wants, and then we kill him.”
“There will be too many witnesses.”
“No, there will be too many suspects.”
Langston peers into my eyes. Neither of us blinks. His pain oozes off him, letting me know how desperately he needs this tonight. He can’t wait. We can’t fail.
“We won’t fail,” I say.
His lips thin into tight lines. He gives me a solemn nod and then heads back to Enzo’s house.
I turn and head inside, already pulling the braid down. At least my hair will now turn into soft waves, so the braid wasn’t a complete waste.
I dig through my closet until I find the perfect dress for tonight. A dress that Enzo bought me, just like every other piece of clothing in this closet. I’m so lucky my mother found this job and that Enzo helps me when he can.
I quickly change, apply makeup, fluff my hair and then run out the door just as Langston starts out the house.
He doesn’t see me at first, so I get to watch him without feeling embarrassed that there is a little line of drool on the corner of my mouth.
The suit doesn’t fit him perfectly. It’s slightly too big in the shoulders and just a hair too short in the legs. But no one will notice because the boy wearing the suit demands to be seen. His tousled blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and toe-curling grin capture my gaze. Even with the look of complete determination on his face, he shines brighter than the sun.
I don’t understand how he can pull off that look. And I have a feeling as he grows older, more and more women are going to fall for his charms. More and more women are going to want him.
Good thing I don’t want him. I could turn into a jealous bitch if I have to watch years of girls parade themselves in front of Langston.
Langston finally looks up. He stops walking. The brightness is gone when he looks at me. That’s who I am—I steal the life out of people.
He continues walking to me. He doesn’t comment on my appearance, and I don’t comment on his.
“Does your plan involve a way to get to my stepmonster’s house? Because the bus doesn’t stop anywhere near there.”
Langston hardly ever stays at his house. Instead, he’s almost always here at Enzo’s.
“I thought we’d drive,” I say with a smile.
“We aren’t sixteen. Neither of us has a driver’s license or has ever driven on our own before.”