The Revenge by Tijan

“What the fuck were you two talking about?”

Wilson was glowering. “I’ve seen videos of twin babies talking to each other. They make no sense to anyone. A bunch of gibberish, babbling, but each of them knows exactly what the other is saying. I swear, I saw the adult version in there.”

Yeah. Maybe. Thinking back on our conversation, I’d think the same thing.

“He doesn’t know anything.”

“Bullshit.”

Yeah. Bullshit on me. I was lying through my teeth.

I exhaled. “It’s true.”

Bright raised an eyebrow. “And how do you know that?”

I glanced at Wilson. “Guess it’s a twin thing.”

Bright cursed, reeling backward and walking a few feet away. Her hands were in her hair. She grabbed a handful, bent over, and let out a yell. Letting go, she strode back to me. “I swear, if you are lying to us, if you are lying to the government, we will swoop in. We will hurt you and you’ll never recover.”

My chest tightened up.

She read my face. Her tone grew quieter, more lethal. “You don’t get it, Colello. We won’t come after you. We’ll come after her. She’s the one who hacked everything. She’s the one who found them. We can prove it, and that’s what we’ll do. We’ll take away your little girlfriend, and we’ll never let her near you again.”

Wilson grunted. “You know what kind of place this is. We have these places as prisons, too. Public doesn’t know about them. Public doesn’t have the right to know about them.”

“That’s where we’ll stick your girlfriend. So once again, what does he know?”

I stared at each of them, knowing I had to make a choice.

Fuck.





FORTY-EIGHT

Bailey


I was curled in a ball, sitting in the chair in the entryway, and I knew they were coming back.

Kash called. He had her.

He had her!

And he was bringing her here.

To me.

Heaven had answered my call. Hell rescinded its try. I got my wish.

So soon.

Since Kash’s call, I had not moved.

I camped out, and no one even dared to come over to me.

Curled in a ball, face forward, eyes trained on the door. I wasn’t budging an inch, because the same part that was so scared this was all a delusion, all a prank, was the same part of me that feared that if I dared look away, she wouldn’t return to me.

She had to return to me.

I had to have her again.

Life wasn’t over for us, for her.

I wasn’t leaving this seat until my mother actually walked through the door.

Then the buzz happened.

I heard Peter on the phone from the gate.

They were coming.

That would’ve been security calling them in to the house, even though Kash had clearance. They still would’ve called, because they knew I would’ve wanted to know.

So I sat up, my entire body one big heartbeat at a time.

Thump.

I moved.

Thump.

I scooted to the edge of the seat.

Thump.

They were coming.

Thump.

My feet touched the floor.

Thump.

My hands curled around the chair cushion.

Thump.

Peter went to the door. He opened it.

I heard the crunch of gravel under the tires.

They were there.

They had parked.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The doors opened.

My heart stopped. My whole body froze.

I heard Kash’s voice, and then—a woman’s voice.

I tore out of there.

Thumpthumpthumpthump.

I sprinted past Peter, through the open door, and she was climbing out of hers.

She was there.

She was thinner.

More frail.

But it was her.

It was Chrissy.

It was my mom.

She looked up. Her eyes trailing up the stairs, to me, and there she was.

“Mom!”

“Honey.”

She was sobbing.

Tears were probably streaking down my face.

I waited. I still waited. I needed an indication that if I went down there, I wasn’t going to break her.

Her arms lifted, and that was all I needed.

I flew down the stairs, and I was on her. Arms around her neck. Around her waist. I kept hugging her. Burying my head in her neck. Smelling her.

She wasn’t a figment of my imagination anymore. I wasn’t smelling her ghost.

She was real and alive. Flesh. Blood. Bones. Ligaments. The whole bit.

Chrissy Hayes just rose from the dead.

“Mom!” I couldn’t let her go, no matter how tight I was squeezing her. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. No one could make me—but no one was trying to.

She was holding me back just as hard, and whispering to me, “You are so beautiful, honey. So beautiful and kind and strong. And I love you. Your mother loves you so much. You sweet, sweet girl. Oh, my goodness.” She pulled back, framing my face. Tears were glistening over her entire face. She didn’t care. She was taking me in as I was taking her in. She breathed as if she were afraid to let go of the air. “If it was possible, you have gotten even more stunning.” She was blinking rapidly. Her hand cupped the side of my face. Her thumb swiped over my cheek. “Oh, honey.” She melted, and her forehead moved to rest against mine.

I was holding her.