I start to choke up, the wind getting knocked out of me as I turn around and the headlights beam across the home. Painted across the wood, in various colors are circular marks.

Marks that resemble my tattoo.

Chapter 16

Lyric

“You seem really happy,” my dad remarks as he stuffs half a roll into his mouth. “Like extra happy.”

“You really do,” my mother agrees as she adds a glob of butter to her potatoes. “I wonder why.” Her tone insinuates something. What, I’m not sure.

Either she’s speculating that I might be bipolar, or she’s trying to get me to fess up as to why I’ve been almost stupidly happy over the last couple of weeks.

I shovel a spoonful of corn into my mouth. “I’m a normal happy, you guys, so don’t start.”

“We weren’t starting.” My mother works with a knife to slice her steak. “And I’m sorry for ever bringing that up. I’m really sorry about that, Lyric. I should have never said anything.”

“Okay, good.” I smile at her and she returns it.

At the moment, all feels right in the world.

Despite all the drama, life has been good, something I ponder as I eat my mashed potatoes.

Things really have been great.

And calm.

As if the world is attempting to prove my thoughts wrong, all hell suddenly breaks loose as the back door flies open and bashes against the doorstopper.

Aunt Lila comes barreling into the kitchen, her eyes massive and jam-packed with terror. “I need you to watch the kids,” she sputters to my mother as she winds a scarf around her neck. “Something happened with Ayden at therapy, and he was supposed to come straight home, but it’s been over an hour since he left. Ethan’s already out looking for him, but I’m going to go check a few places, too.”

Fear pulsates through my body. I quickly check my phone to see if there are any messages from Ayden, but I have no new texts.

My mother shoves back from the table, the chair legs making a godawful scratching noise against the hardwood floor. “Let me just grab my coat and I’ll be over.”

I stand up so abruptly I damn near tip the chair over. “I’m going with you,” I say to Lila.

“Okay, that’s fine.” Aunt Lila is distracted as she glides her finger across the screen of her phone, checking for messages. “I don’t know why he’s not answering my calls or texts… he never does stuff like this.”

“I’ll drive around with Lyric, and we can check some places, too,” my dad adds as he hurries for the stairs. “Just let me grab my phone and wallet.

I send Ayden a text.

Me: Where the hell r u? Everyone’s freaking out.

Then I head to grab my jacket from the coat rack when the back door opens up behind me.

“I found her house,” Ayden says to me as he enters the foyer and closes the door.

“You’re okay!” I throw my arms around him, unaware until now how worried I was. “Everyone’s freaking out.” I pull back. “Wait, found who?”

“The last address my sister lived at.” His hair is disheveled, there are dark circles are under his eyes, and his shoulders are hunched, as if the weight of the world is crushing him.

“Rebel Tonic got back to you?”

He nods. “With an address.”

“And?”

His throat muscles work as he swallows hard and fights back tears. “It was a vacant house with this,” he lifts up the bottom of his shirt and taps his finger on the rough tattoo on his side, “painted all over the boarded up windows.”

I gulp. “Why… I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I.” He grips ahold of my hand. “But we’re going to go find out.” He marches across the room toward the kitchen.

“Where are we going?” I ask as I shuffle to keep up with him.

“To my house. I need to talk to Lila to find out what that letter was about.”

“Lila’s here, in the kitchen. She was about to go look for you,” I tell him, which only makes him quicken his pace.

When we enter the kitchen and Aunt Lila sees Ayden, a choking sob wrenches from her lungs.

“Oh, my God, we were so worried about you.” She crosses the kitchen and wraps her arms around Ayden.

He stands with his listless arms to his sides, still holding my hand. “I need you to tell me what that letter was about.” He doesn’t have to explain what letter he’s speaking of. The reluctant expression on Aunt Lila’s face reveals she already knows.

“Ayden, Ethan and I already explained that there’s some things you aren’t ready for yet,” she reminds him sympathetically.

“I tracked her last address down,” he states bluntly, firmly holding her gaze. “It was about ten miles away from here. The house is boarded up and has these marks spray painted on it, ones that match my tattoo.”

“Ayden…” Her face contorts with emotional agony.

He tugs me closer to his side. “Just tell me.”

Aunt Lila seals her quivering lips together as tears fill the corners of her eyes. Ayden’s fingers clench around my hand as he watches her unravel in front of us.

“Your sister was kidnapped again not too long after you guys were … found in that house.” She lowers herself into a chair. “She’s been with those people for the last two and a half years. The police honestly thought she was dead until they received a note from her over a year ago on the day we brought you home.”