Twisted World Series Box Set | Books 1-3 & Novella

by Mary, Kate L.

  But when I pushed her bedroom door open, all that hope melted away. Mom was asleep, curled up in the center of the bed with her mouth hanging open. She looked more like someone who had passed out from exhaustion than someone who was taking an afternoon nap, but she hadn’t done a single thing in weeks that would make her this tired. Something just wasn’t right here. It couldn’t be.

  Only, I didn’t have time to think it through. I needed to get moving if I wanted to see Jackson before heading to Dragon’s Lair. We needed to mend our relationship if I was going to get any information out of him.

  When I was showered and once again wearing the black dress—with the plaid shirt over it—I headed out. The long sleeve shirt was going to make me start sweating all over again, but I needed to wear it until I could spill the beans about my new job to Jackson.

  His house was on the other side of the settlement, and just like I’d thought, I was sweating by the time I reached it. I stopped on the doorstep and looked up, marveling at the luxury in front of me.

  Even though Jackson and I had been friends for years and I’d always trusted him, there was a part of me that had never felt comfortable inside the Regulator’s mansion. It wasn’t until I’d gotten older that I’d realized why, though. How they lived had always felt wrong. Most of the people in Atlanta lived in buildings that had been renovated after the walls went up, and their apartments were small and cheap, often not even painted. Most had community bathrooms, meaning people had to fight for showers. Only a small percentage of the population had a real apartment, but even the converted office buildings were better than the shacks a lot of people lived in. Those people had nothing.

  Now, standing in front of the house of the person I’d always thought I knew so well, I realized that I should have taken more notice of stuff like this earlier. Jackson had always been so good at playing on my emotions that it was easy for me to brush things off on his father, but it shouldn’t have been. In all the years that we’d known each other, Jackson had never once acknowledged the struggles other people in this city lived with on a daily basis. He’d never looked at the shantytown and compared it with his own house, and he’d never acted the least bit guilty for taking so much and giving so little in return.

  If I didn’t need to get information out of Jackson, I’d be more than happy to have him out of my life completely.

  But I did need him, so I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell, and less than a minute later, the door opened.

  Jackson didn’t smile when he saw me, and he didn’t pull the door open wider or ask me to come in. His gaze was cold and guarded, and I was pretty sure that for the first time in our friendship, I was getting a glimpse of the real Jackson Star.

  “Meg,” he said flatly.

  The sun’s rays seemed to be intensified by the plaid shirt I was wearing, and his gaze wasn’t helping. A bead of sweat ran down my back and I shifted from foot to foot, pushing the sleeves up in a futile attempt to cool off.

  Jackson’s gaze moved over my shirt and he pulled the door open a bit wider, but he didn’t look concerned about my comfort. Just curious. “Why are you wearing that? It’s ninety degrees.”

  “I’m an idiot.” I let out a nervous laugh and unbuttoned the shirt.

  My hands were shaking when I slid it off, and the expression that flashed in Jackson’s eyes only made it worse. The look of indifference was gone, and it now seemed like he was trying to memorize how I looked.

  “Why the hell are you wearing that?” he asked with a little more animation in his voice.

  “I’ve been trying to figure out how to explain everything to you. Why I was upset the other night and why I pushed you away. Things have been so backward and upside down for me, and I’ve been feeling so alone for the last few weeks. I knew you would try to take the burden from me if I let you, and it just didn’t seem fair. It still doesn’t. We’ve been going around and around for years, and even though I always knew you wanted more out of our relationship, I also knew I couldn’t give it to you. And I thought taking things from you when I wasn’t ready to commit to more would be unfair, and I didn’t want to hurt you, but I didn’t have the energy to do more than just push you away.” I took a deep breath, looking away from Jackson’s intense gaze when heat spread across my cheeks. “I had to get a job in the entertainment district so Mom and I wouldn’t lose our apartment. I’ve been waitressing at Dragon’s Lair.”

  “What?” His voice was so sharp that I couldn’t keep my gaze from meeting his. “Are you nuts, Meg? After you almost got attacked there?”

  “See, I knew you’d argue and you wouldn’t understand!” I said, closing the gap between us so I could grab his hand. It was a difficult thing to do knowing the damage these same hands had inflected on Stevie Jones, but I forced myself to commit. “But it’s ended up being a good thing. It’s made me realize how much I need you in my life.”

  The last sentence almost got stuck in my throat, but I tried to pretend the Jackson in front of me was the person I’d always thought he was. The one that I now knew had all been for show, but the one who’d made me care about him. The one I’d thought I loved like a brother.

  Jackson’s expression remained stony at first, but it only took a couple seconds for the coldness to melt away. He turned on the smile that I’d seen him flash other people so many times, and then pulled me into the house, holding my hand in his the whole time. The second I was engulfed in the artificially cool air, I exhaled. My skin was moist, and the whoosh from the vent above me was refreshing.

  “So,” I asked, looking up at him through lowered lashes, “do you forgive me?”

  He let out a deep breath, acting like he was exasperated with me even though he was still smiling. I focused on his eyes, and the expression I saw there felt like an omen. Like the man in front of me knew he had a part to play, but deep inside he wanted nothing more than to gut me or maybe even commit other unspeakable acts. Like he’d done those things before and had not only enjoyed them, but had thrived on how they made him feel. Like they were what kept him alive.

  “I wish you would have just told me all this,” he finally said. “Even more than that, I wish you’d let me help. I could give you everything.” He waved his free hand around the room, and I had to fight revulsion at what he was implying.

  “I know,” I said, looking down like I was ashamed or embarrassed instead of trying to hide the fear that was swirling around inside me. “I just need some time to think about it. Right now, all I know is that I’ve missed you so much.” I fell against his chest, letting out a sigh that I hoped sounded like contentment.

  “I missed you too.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, and his hands moved up and down my bare back. I had to force myself to stay still as the tips of his fingers traced my spine. His skin was warm against mine, and the movement was so slow that I couldn’t help wondering if he was daydreaming about how he’d kill me. If he was fantasizing about severing that same spine he was tracing so he could render me helpless.

  I squeezed my eyes shut when the urge to pray came over me. Who would I pray to if I did? Not Angus, I wasn’t insane, but I couldn’t think of anyone else to pray to either. Especially not when Jackson pulled me closer to him, his hand now reaching the back of my neck and his fingers curling around it like he might choke the life out of me. My heart, already beating wildly, leapt to my throat.

  “I just want what’s best for you,” Jackson said against my head, his fingers gripping my neck tighter.

  I swallowed, and suddenly his grip loosened. But at the same time, all the other muscles in his body grew tense. It was almost as if he was holding himself back, and I suddenly found myself terrified to be alone with him. The mansion was huge and no one knew I was here. He could take me somewhere and lock me away and no one would ever see me again. Parvarti would come looking for me, but she wouldn’t find me and she’d most likely end up dead too.

  But that thought was crazy. Wasn’t it? Jackson may not
be the person I thought he was, but he wasn’t a murderer. He didn’t have plans to end my life.

  Suddenly, the fear I’d been feeling melted away and was replaced by regret and something else that I couldn’t name at first. Loss? Yes, that was it. Tears filled my eyes when I realized I’d lost yet another person: my best friend. True, that person had never been real to begin with, but I hadn’t known that. I’d always thought Jackson was someone I could count on, and now he was gone.

  When I couldn’t stand being in his arms any longer, I pulled back and wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I have to get moving,” I said, unable to meet his gaze. “Work.”

  Jackson frowned and the darkness in his gaze was so unsettling that it sent a chill shooting through me. “I don’t like the idea of you working in that hole.”

  “You’re the one who took me to that hole to begin with,” I said nudging him as I forced out a smile.

  “Don’t remind me.” He shook his head. “Promise you’ll think about what I said? I can give you everything, Meg. Everything.”

  For some reason, his words sounded more like a warning than a promise.

  “I’ll think about it,” I lied as I backed toward the door.

  Jackson walked me out, stopping on the doorstep. I gave him a wave as I headed down the street, but he didn’t return it and he didn’t move. He just stood in the open doorway, watching me with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed like he was cooking up some nefarious plot. It gave me the creeps, so I walked faster, refusing to look back even though his gaze was so sharp it felt like needles poking into my back.

  After Donaghy’s win against three zombies at once, the bar was so busy that I forgot all about what Parvarti and I had planned until I caught sight of Charlie pushing her way through the crowd. Thank God I’d written the note before I left home today.

  She bounced up to the bar, grinning from ear to ear and wearing a dress that put Glitter’s to shame. Charlie’s was also nothing more than strips, only it was white and the fabric was nearly transparent. The snowy material stood out among the filthy bodies packed into the room while contrasting beautifully with Charlie’s olive skin. How the hell she had kept that dress clean on the walk over here was a mystery, but it was sure to be streaked with filth by the end of the night. Even the air was dirty in this place.

  “I’m here!” she said when she stopped in front of me, her gaze darting around the room instead of focusing on me. “Where’s Donaghy?”

  “Getting ready for the fight.” I reached over the bar and grabbed her forearm, pulling her forward.

  “What the hell?” she gasped as she tried to pull back.

  “Stop,” I hissed in her ear. I shoved the note into the palm of her hand. “Take this to your dad. Now. It’s life or death.”

  Charlie’s eyes were huge when she pulled back, and the nod she gave me was just subtle enough that I doubted anyone else had noticed it.

  “I mean it,” I said, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear me. “If you show your face in here again, I’ll tell your parents.”

  Charlie’s cheeks turned red, and even though she fixed an angry glare on me, the expression in her eyes said she knew what I was trying to do. “You’ve always been a buzz kill.” She spun on her heel and shoved her way past men whose eyes were glued to her bronze skin. “Fuck you!”

  Nice touch, Charlie. I almost rolled my eyes.

  I turned to find Helen staring at me with her eyebrows raised.

  “Tough love,” I said with a shrug.

  I went back to serving drinks, keeping one eye on the door. Around the room, coughs broke through the chatter and clinking of glasses, and more than once Helen and Dragon shared a concerned look.

  The illness had spread quickly, just like it did every time this happened; only now all I could think about was the conversation Donaghy had overheard. Was it really possible that the CDC was behind this? It seemed even more far-fetched than the idea that they would take my father and hold him captive, but I couldn’t deny the fact that we were very much in the dark when it came to what they were actually trying to achieve.

  The minutes ticked by, and finally the fight got underway, allowing me room to breathe. I downed a shot while across the room Donaghy beat the shit out of two zombies. We hadn’t had a chance to talk tonight, and despite my concern over everything that was going on, I found my gaze constantly moving toward him. The worry in my stomach that something might happen was impossible to ignore. He was undefeated, but that didn’t mean things couldn’t go terribly wrong in the blink of an eye.

  The fight was still going on when I spotted my aunt. She pushed her way through the crowd like she was ten feet tall, ignoring the lewd comments that were thrown her way. Even though she was pushing fifty, her dark skin was smooth and her short hair was still as black as a raven’s feathers.

  She slid into the seat in front of me, subtly raising one eyebrow.

  I nodded in response to the silent question. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Moonshine.” Parv looked over her shoulder toward the ring, her brown eyes curious and sad at the same time. She must have been thinking about Joshua being there last night, and the memory squeezed my own heart painfully.

  I poured her a glass that was more than three quarters of the way full and slid it over.

  “Aren’t you the Judicial Officer?” Helen asked from my side.

  Parv and I both turned to face the other woman. Her eyes were focused on my aunt, and there was a softness in them that was usually reserved for Glitter and Dragon—or one of the many hopeless drunks who frequented the bar.

  Parv nodded. “Checking out the fight. There have been some questions raised about whether or not it’s humane.”

  “For the zombies or the fighters?” Helen asked.

  Parv’s eyes narrowed on the other woman’s face. “Do I know you? I feel like we’ve met.”

  “I’m a nurse,” Helen said, not looking away from Parv. “At the CDC. This is my night job.”

  Helen was a nurse? That was the first I’d heard of it.

  “That’s right,” Parv whispered. “I remember now.”

  The two women stared at each other for a few seconds, each seemingly mesmerized by the other. My aunt looked away first, and the vulnerability in her eyes was only overshadowed by the questions swimming in them. Whatever thoughts were going through her head, though, she didn’t voice them, and Helen didn’t say anything else.

  All around us the crowd roared, and a second later Dragon was announcing Donaghy’s win, earning even more cheers from the crowd.

  “Looks like you missed most of it,” Helen said to Parv, nodding toward the ring before heading to the other end of the bar.

  “How did you meet her?” I asked when the older waitress was out of earshot.

  “She was there the day I went in to see Joshua.” Parv took a gulp of her moonshine, squeezing her eyes shut when the liquid burned its way down her throat.

  Helen was at the CDC when Joshua turned? Did that mean she’d recognized him yesterday? Probably. Right? It was even possible that she had answers about what happened to him after Parv said goodbye. Where they’d taken him or how he’d ended up here. She could even know how he’d been infected…

  Or where Dad was.

  “Do you think she knows anything?” I asked, my eyes on Helen.

  Dragon walked up to the older woman and the two talked, their heads close together like they didn’t want anyone else to hear their conversation. A second later, my boss turned his gaze on my aunt.

  “I don’t know,” Parv said. “I’m not sure I know anything anymore.”

  My attention was pulled from Dragon and Helen when Al walked through the front door. His gaze moved across the room, coming to stop on me before moving to Parv. His mouth was scrunched up in an expression that got lost somewhere between worry and confusion, and then he was heading our way. Helen and Dragon looked up when Al walked by them, and I would have had to be blind to not see the look
they shot him, only I wasn’t sure what it meant. I wasn’t sure what any of this meant.

  “What the hell is going on?” Al hissed when he stopped in front of us. His eyes turned to me, and the frown on his face was deeper than I’d ever seen it. Like a parent who was disappointed in their child. “And why the hell are you working here?”

  “You know exactly why,” I snapped, then lowered my voice so I didn’t draw attention our way. “But that isn’t why we’re here. We’re here because my Dad is missing, and we all know he’s alive and that he’s in the CDC.”

  The color drained from Al’s face and he opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He looked around, scanning the bar. Thankfully, now that the fight was over the crowd had started to clear out, and the few drunks still sitting at the counter were more interested in their glasses. The handful of other patrons seemed to either be settling debts or discussing which strip club to go to.

  “I told her everything,” Parv said.

  Al’s mouth dropped open and he stared at my aunt like she’d gone insane, but I was starting to think that we’d all gone a little insane, or none of us at all. Either we were all out of our minds, or someone high up was very good at making people think they were out of their minds.

  One way or another, I was going to find out.

  “I know Dad is immune.”

  “Shit.” My uncle looked around again, and he was still craning his neck when he said, “We need to talk about this, but not at the bar.” He motioned toward the back of the room. “Table in the corner. Now.”

  Al pushed himself off the counter almost violently, heading off without looking back. Parv stood, letting out a sigh that sounded exhausted.

  “I’ll pour a few more drinks and head over,” I said, and my aunt nodded in response.

  My hands were shaking when I filled the glasses. Across the room, Parv and Al were already whispering, and I couldn’t help wondering if there were details I still knew nothing about. Or maybe she was filling my uncle in on what had gone down here last night.