Page 37 of Divine Violence
I took the box with both hands, surprised by how heavy it was. “Whoa. Are there stones inside?” I laughed.
“I have no idea, ma’am, but it was sent as a priority.”
“Priority?” I frowned.
“Yep.” He nodded. “I better get going. Have a nice day and thank you for opening that gate.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, looking at the box. “You too.”
I didn’t wait for him to leave before going back inside the house and locking the door behind me. Memory after a memory slammed into me as I stared at the handwriting on top of the envelope. Golden ink, black envelope, and a black box.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
I placed the box on top of the small table in the foyer and stared at it.
“It couldn’t be.”
Pulling out a knife, I ripped through the black tape that was holding the box together and slowly opened the lid.
“Holy shit!” I jumped away from the wretched object when I saw what was hiding inside.
A whole fucking hand, with a ring I knew all too well, sat at the bottom of the box, surrounded by torn black lace.
“No, no, no.” I shook my head, staring at the goddamn contents as if they would somehow give me answers I needed. I bought him that fucking ring for our anniversary, and while he annoyed the fuck out of me most of the time, I didn’t want him dead.
I didn’t want him to get his hand severed.
I picked up the letter next, almost knowing what would be inside. It’s been ten fucking years, but those men could hold a grudge like no other. Kairos died that night, but the other two—the other two swore they would destroy me.
Did they get out? And if they did, when? Why didn’t I know about it?
My hands were steady as I tore through the envelope, finding a white piece of paper inside. My gut churned as I let the envelope fall to the floor, opening the letter addressed to me.
We know all your secrets, our little sparrow. But this time, we will be playing our game. And this time, you won’t be able to get away. We’ve been waiting for ten years for this moment to come. Get ready because we are coming for you.
The Infernal Triumvirat.
Those motherfucking shit ass fucks!
I crumpled the paper and threw it against the wall, shaking from rage.
Ten years. Ten fucking years of peace and they were coming to destroy it. But if they thought I would wait like a good little girl, they had another think coming. Because that girl they knew back then was gone.
There was only one thing I could do, and I believed that they were coming. And even though their message seemed as if they just wanted me for themselves—I knew better.
They were coming to kill me, but they wouldn’t make it so easy. They would torture me, get back at me for everything they went through.
I ran upstairs, back to my room, and picked up my mobile phone, dialing the one person who was always there for me.
One ring… two… three… “Come on,” I mumbled, then she answered.
“Echo?”
“Houston, we have a big fucking problem.”
