MAVERICK'S POV
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KoCNz5Md2
"She's here, Maverick. You can't turn back now."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86ruHFW2vo
Malachi is right; there's no changing things at this point. Lilliana is here, in Travis's mansion and her position with him is practically official.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡot4qFZWh9I
None of us can turn back now.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwB0uqAq87N
Do I regret bringing her for the reason of this being a dangerous line of work? No.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RJf366qL7
Do I regret bringing her because Brittany has made her unwarranted appearance? Absolutely.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNEEy8OJGJ
I mean fuck! Can I catch a break?
Choosing Brittany has always been the easier option, especially before Lilliana and I's kiss. Brittany is someone who works for Travis too, so she lives the same lifestyle by choice, not persuasion. Her and I have connected based on all of our same interests, which is quite a few. She isn't a best friend to make things complicated with...plus, she's just as insane in bed as she is out of it.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYFhlo2POl
Lilliana...oh, Lilliana has the ability to turn my entire life upside down, in any way she desires. My relationship with Lilliana could never be matched, bringing me such a comfort that I couldn't come close to finding elsewhere.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjR33R1Fgy
Lilliana is home.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1LtuZQgPF
"All of this could've been avoided." Malachi tells me, leaning back against the kitchen's island counter, crossing one leg over the other. "If you would've been a little smarter, that is."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsrwEL29GX
Hunched over the counter top and using my elbows as support, I make a "pff" sound.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzznjOJA4mi
"We can sit back and shit talk Brittany; you know I enjoy that." He suggests. "Or you can consider where you were just the night before you decided to make out with Lilliana..." He clears his throat. "I'd pick the second option; it'll help you out when that awkward conversation with Lilli comes. One more thing might be helpful; don't bring up how wrong Brittany is for intruding this weekend. Lilli won't want to hear that. She wants an explanation about you and her, not you and Brittany."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGgdmy2OgP
Giving pointers on how to handle relationships isn't something Malachi usually does. The big brother role you'd think he'd be playing hasn't ever been a thing. Why he suddenly gives a shit about how Lilli and I's conversation goes, I don't know.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eXvnEflRh
"You give relationship advice now?" I question with a chuckle.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayYD5BniIN
Malachi is quick with his comeback, matching my humorous tone. "Only when one is so desperate."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXRkjOCPhg
"Boys." Malory announces herself as she appears around the corner, stopping at the entrance of the kitchen. "He's ready for you."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsCINhGqrd
I can feel the disappointment coming from Malory.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DHGFVC57u
She's been a mother figure to every person who comes in and every person who doesn't make it out. If there's no one around to care about you, Malory happily will. She's taken an extra liking to Malachi and I, favoriting us under the radar. She treated me, and continues to treat me in a way that my own mother has never came close to.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO9bTVo40F
Malory isn't like the rest of us; she's never hurt a soul, wouldn't think to. Travis always liked that about her, that being why she's in charge of almost everything inside the house. She keeps things moving smoothly, supervises the staff, a right hand to Travis...a clean right hand. You could describe her as more of an assistant.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfLEHuu4XU
I can tell by the look on her face that she doesn't like what problems I've caused, that she's anything but on my side. Not that I blame her, I just don't enjoy feeling like she's going to give me a huge speech any minute. It's just as bad as the lingering conversation with Lilliana.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6a5cHhwrGt
"Well if it isn't the monsters under everyone's beds."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8INFDvWo4r
Travis English accent echos throughout his oversized office. The amount of space he has is for lounging in the house is so large that not all of them are ever even touched.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWiKJkEUpI
The wooden double doors, so tall they almost reach the ceiling, close with a soft thud behind us.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKXLmwi9hv
"I always did prefer a closet." Malachi says as we enter deeper into the office.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKocUkCBHG
Travis chuckles as he flips through some files. "Six kills in a month."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bgjuofFE2
"That's gotta be a record." I comment, sitting down into the black leather chair on the other side of his desk.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BrYVDKQUr
"If the feds found you two out, the whole world would be fighting for the death penalty." He assures with a smile, pleased with us, as he always is.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuAnv5iEIs
"That's ok." Malachi says, leaning against one of the pillars to my left. "We live on death row every day." His voice is uncaring but amused. "Only difference is, we'd be locked in a cell."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzgIEPZRpP
Waking up for us is like waiting for death each day...but impatiently.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScX9i8wXNe
"With your skills combined, we needn't worry about it." Travis entertained his fingers on top of the desk, leaning forward. "Now tell me..." his eyes dart between the two of us, excitedly. "How are things coming along with Lilliana? Is she craving her next yet?"
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhjCZvflyN
I rest my arms on the chair's armrests. "She's confused right now. She liked killing Cory but is conflicted; the world says it's wrong so she's trying to force feeling guilty."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmBib0QPcM
"You think that's working?" Travis questions.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmSvGeBxQI
"Absolutely not." I answer. "Bringing her here is another form of persuasion." I elaborate. "We think it might be the push she needs."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3LXzhE6J9
Malachi then adds; "She needs a desired kill. Lilliana is insane enough without murder...All she has to do is feel what it's like to kill someone she thinks deserves it. After that, she'll understand why we tell her taking lives is therapeutic."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMiVZC5eHo
I scratch my chin. "Nah. Lilliana doesn't hate anyone enough to kill them."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFHG3JLZHB
There's a moment of silence.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3zNDmg7rd
"Sure she does." Malachi says in a nonchalant tone.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq2Czhvxmv
I look over at him expectantly, as does Travis who is invested in our every word.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pTVxbzpIu
"Tate Lawson." He finally clarifies. "He got a bit aggressive with her at a party last summer, didn't know how to take no for an answer."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ243uNsEGNo
I remember partying with Tate a few times over the summer. Sometimes I'm too stuck in my own world, so much so that I hadn't really realized that Tate hasn't had anything to say to us since we returned to school. It explains the lack of even a greeting from him.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4VmE4K4ng
My hands twitch as my thoughts run deeper, imagining the situation and how I wasn't there to help her.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTLdP3NW00
Why wouldn't she tell me? I would've cut his hands off, disabling him from touching anyone ever again. His dick would've been the next thing to go; he doesn't deserve any pleasure when he has a habit of demanding it from others. Then I'd return him to sender.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqQElkJtqK
If anyone kills Tate...I'd like it to be me.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuoeXh5o1f
"How do you know that?" I ask Malachi, eyebrows drawing together.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgP5HErUn4
"I know everything about Lilliana; it's my job."
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQebv5md5SJ
Of course that's why; Travis made it clear that if she is to know about we we do, regardless whether she takes part, it would be Malachi's job to be the one to study her.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwVoV5MDhm
Thinking about it makes me realize that Malachi holds every piece of information about Lilliana that she never wanted to share with me, that she hid from me.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a95Wmalak
I don't really like that.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVHajjcasf
"Tate will be thrilled to hear the news." Travis beams, ignoring the unforeseen tension between Malachi and I.
75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMwLEPbFGl
Travis places his hands down on the table with a soft bang as he announces, "Well I don't want to take any longer; let bring Lilliana in."
ns216.73.216.238da2
