WILD (Naked, Book 3) by Kelly Favor Read Free Book Online Page B

turning to Caelyn.
    But Caelyn was watching her sister, not liking the look of victory that was etched on Deena’s face. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m sure it’s something despicable,” Caelyn said. “And you haven’t fooled me.”
    “Oh, Caelyn, you really should get Elijah to commit you to a good psychiatric facility like Mom and Dad had planned to do before you ran away.”
    Caelyn glanced at Elijah to see if he was believing her, but his expression was totally unreadable.
    “I need to get away from her,” Caelyn said. “Let’s go.”
    “Bye now, and don’t come back soon!” Deena called out as they left.
    Once they were in the car and driving away, Caelyn began to shake uncontrollably. The house receded into the distance as she tried to get control of herself.
    “I can’t believe what a terrible person she is.”
    Elijah chuckled. “Where I come from, she’s not a terrible person.”
    “What is she, then?”
    “Spoiled.”
    Caelyn laughed. “Yeah, she is spoiled. But you don’t see how nasty and vindictive she is. The things she says when nobody’s around…”
    Elijah glanced over. “What kinds of things does she say?”
    “Well, she told me I was a slut and that Jayson didn’t rape me.”
    Elijah’s hands tightened on the wheel and a steady pulse started in his forehead.
    “If she was a guy…”
    “Yeah, well she’s not a guy. She’s as big a jerk as any guy, though. And I don’t trust her. Getting that purse back was almost too easy.”
    “Look, she had her fun,” Elijah said, “but it’s over now. You’re free and clear.”
    “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Caelyn said. “I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of even thinking about what she said to me.”
    “Good.” He grinned at her.
    Things were a lot better between them for the rest of the ride home. They were talking and joking, and starting to plan dinner. Elijah wanted to order pizza from a nearby place, but the thought of it still made Caelyn sick. She didn’t tell him why she was so opposed to pizza. The less he knew about the details of the night she was raped, the better.
    It was bad enough that pizza gave her flashbacks.
    They were still discussing whether to get Chinese food or maybe grab a burger as they got out of the car and made their way to the apartment building.
    Elijah’s expression grew slightly troubled when they arrived at the front door of the complex and he saw it was slightly ajar. “Huh, this was left open.” He turned the knob and the door just opened right up.
    “Maybe someone went out and didn’t feel like bringing their keys,” she said.
    “Yeah,” he replied, not totally convinced or happy about it. “But this is a really sketchy neighborhood in some ways. I don’t want all these knuckleheads having access.”
    They started up the stairs and as they approached his apartment, something started feeling strange.
    “What is it,” she said, knowing already that he was alert to it too.
    “Shhh…” he said, putting his finger to his lips again. And then he drew his gun.
    Caelyn hadn’t even known he was still carrying it around with him.
    Her blood felt like it had turned to ice.
    She couldn’t believe she was watching her boyfriend pull an actual gun and walking upstairs to the apartment they shared as if somebody else with a gun might be waiting for them.
    He turned to her. “Hang back for a second, just in case.”
    She didn’t respond, just hung on the railing, waiting, hoping that she didn’t start to hear the sound of shots ringing out.
    Elijah went the rest of the way up. She saw him turn the corner and disappear, and then he let out a string of angry profanities. Terrified, she didn’t say anything for a while, but then there was silence and she was worried something bad had happened.
    “Elijah?” she cried out nervously.
    “It’s safe,” he called back to her. “You can come up!”
    Slowly, she went the rest of the way up the stairs and