Then, they were both taken away.

My mom and my sister.

The only one I have left is my dad. If I want to be with him, I have to forget my life and embrace another one.

A tear falls down my cheek as I whisper, “Reina. My name is Reina Ellis.”

Reina has returned to the forest.

What the fuck is she doing here?

My shoulders are about to fucking snap with tension as I trail through the tall trees, pushing away the low branches.

Does she have a death wish? Those who attacked her that day could be lurking here, waiting for her return.

It was fucking ugly, and that says something considering I hated her at the time.

Hated her? Past tense?

I still fucking do.

My plan is in place. It’s chipped and ragged around the edges, but it’s still the same.

Then what the hell are you doing here?

I briefly close my eyes, eradicating that voice.

I only came because she doesn’t get to die by someone else’s hand. Her life is mine, fucking mine, and she has no right to end it without permission.

That’s it.

That’s all.

My steps turn wider and harder as I cut through the distance. Dry leaves crunch under my shoes, and the smell of the forest is nearly asphyxiating.

The sun has begun its descent, casting a somber hue on the trees.

Darkness never scared me before. It was a place to take refuge in. Darkness is where the monsters become invisible, and I’ve long since converted to the other side.

I’ve long since given up on what people consider normal. My life is anything but.

My life has been submerged in darkness since Ari’s death, and I’ve inflicted it on the world—or rather, on her.

Reina.

She’s the subject of my darkness now, and nothing will save her from the things my wired brain is planning.

Nothing will save her from me.

She might be a monster, but there are degrees in those. Her level would never reach mine. Reina was bound to lose before we even got started.

I would pity her if she hadn’t already killed that part of me.

If she hadn’t pushed her off the edge and let her head shatter to pieces.

The image of Ari’s smashed face and her limbs lolling in awkward positions still haunts my nightmares.

Her ghost still visits me in the darkness, asking me to let her soul rest in peace.

This isn’t revenge; this is fucking justice.

Which Reina has never been served in her life.

There’s no doubt in my mind she headed to that cottage, so I don’t bother with searching the forest and stride straight there.

As the trees and the earthly ground blur in my vision, I can’t help recalling that night.

The night Reina could’ve been gone once and for all.

The night of the accident

Reina leaves early.

She never leaves her precious squad and cheerleading buddies first. Being a perfectionist who always makes sure everyone does their tasks, she’s usually the last to go home.

The break in pattern and her suspicious behavior can only mean one thing.

She’s running away and leaving Blackwood.

Fuck no.

I trail her to the forest, which happens to be at the edge of town. She’s definitely leaving.

Well, she has a surprise waiting.

I park my car at the front and continue on foot.

Black is the only color in the forest. It’s a moonless night without stars in sight.

The deep silence stakes its claim, refusing to budge. I retrieve my phone and turn on the flashlight.

Ideally, I don’t want her to know I’m onto her until I’m at her face. I want to see her expression falter a little, her eyes widening the slightest bit, before she seals herself in.

That’s about the only time I get to see a reaction in her robotic face. Reina hides her emotions so fucking well, and it made me a motherfucking idiot during high school.

I made it a habit to stand outside her house, just to see her laugh with her father.

I even took a picture as proof that she does smile and laugh—just not with me.

Shaking my head, I forge ahead. Thankfully, that idiot and his irrational fixation on Reina died with Ari.

Now there’s this thing, one made for one purpose only: to make her pay for killing my sister and me.

A long shriek comes from my right.

My feet freeze to a halt, and then they’re running toward the sound of their own volition.

Reina.

That’s Reina’s voice.

What the fuck did she get herself into this time?

I focus in case she shrieks again, but there’s no sound.

Fuck.

She better not be dead.

My athletic body kicks into gear as I cut the distance in record time. I might have stopped playing football three years ago, but I never quit running or working out.

It’s the only thing that clears my mind and chases away the damn black thoughts swirling in my head 24-7.

The smell of smoke assaults my nostrils as fire erupts in the middle of the forest.

Near the flames, two bodies come into view from between the trees. I hide behind a trunk and kill my flashlight.

The man is wearing a suit, appearing buff and big, but his face is shadowed and turned away as he drags someone on the ground by the hem of her T-shirt.

Reina.

He’s dragging an unconscious Reina. From the slight view I can get, I make out her battered face and how her lifeless legs slide on the filthy ground.

My muscles turn tight as my fists clench by my sides. How fucking dare he touch her?

I’m about to move when another man emerges from behind the cottage, wiping his hands on his black hoodie. “I got the other one, Boss.” He motions at Reina. “What are we going to do about that one?”

“Use her as bait. There’ll be only one Pakhan.”

Russian accents. Are they the mafia?

What do they have to do with Reina?

This could be about Gareth Ellis’ relationship with the mafia, but they shouldn’t come after his daughter.

Doesn’t matter. I have a fraction of a second before they take Reina away to God knows fucking where.

Reina’s life is mine.

Fucking mine.

No one gets to take her away from me.

I retrieve my phone and search for sounds then hit play on the loudest volume. The sound of sirens erupts in the otherwise calm forest. It’s far away at the beginning but keeps getting closer as the seconds tick on.

Both men freeze.

“Blyad!” one of them yells. “What are they doing here?”

“What are we going to do, Boss?” the other man asks.

“We’ll come back for her. We have what we need.” He kicks Reina away and a whimper spills from her lips.

My fist tightens with the need to snap his fucking neck.

Both of them run around the burned cottage, and Reina remains there, unmoving. I hear the sound of car tires crunching in the distance, indicating that they’ve left.

I jog to Reina and crouch in front of her, keeping the siren audio working.

She’s on her stomach, face down. The fire from the cottage in the distance lights the deep blue bruises on her face and arms. Her blond strands fall on her face, camouflaging her swollen eye and cut lip.

Those motherfuckers.

I stroke the hair off her eye and she whimpers in pain.