TWISTED BLOODLINES

CHAPTER ONE

Abby sat anxiously in her seat on the plane, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. Fingers trembling, she hastily typed out a resignation message to her father.

"Dad, I'm sorry I ran away. I've made up my mind—I'm done working for you. Just found out I got accepted for the second semester. All I want is to experience a normal life, surrounded by kids my age."

Her fingers trembled as she tried to send the message, Abby began to think of multiple reasons not to send the message, she didn't know why but her fingers were shaking uncontrollably. "Could it be fear?" She thought.

"I can't continue to take part in killing people anymore. I just want to attend college and pursue my dream career "

Abby paused, afraid to type any further. Should she summon the courage to send this message? But before she could make a choice, her trembling finger mistakenly clicked on the send button.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing loudly through the cabin, waking the guy seated across from her from his sleep.

"Keep it down, okay?" he said rudely, his face forming a frown as he covered his eyes with an eye mask. Abby rolled her eyes in annoyance but decided not to speak further. "Asshole," she said, her voice almost loud. her words subsided into the cool atmosphere as the rude guy resumed his slumber, without giving her anger a second thought.

Abby Maddox, commonly known as Serial 15, on the brink of turning 18 in the coming month, had reached her breaking point. She was exhausted from being her father's accomplice, a cold-blooded serial killer. Her father, Mick Maddox, was well known to be one of the most feared and notorious Men on the planet.

Raised single-handedly by Mick after her mother escaped from a life of domestic violence, Abby had endured a childhood marked by privacy and darkness. She had enjoyed it but seeing that her younger sister, Mitchell might embrace that life as well, she decided that any change would start from her.

In addition to that, the love of art and the beauty of nature had slowly pulled Abby away from the dark world of killing. The more she immersed herself in the creative realms, the stronger her desire grew to leave behind the life she had known.

Abby's heart raced with uncertainty as she thought of how her father would react to the message she had sent. Breaking the SIM card used to send the message to her father was a symbolic act, breaking the ties that bound her to the dark past she wished to escape. She left the other SIM card, so she could be connected to her eight-year-old sister Mitchell. She was ready to embrace and embark on a new life in the vibrant city of Las Vegas.

With her sights set on a fresh start, Abby had applied to study Literature and Art at the University of Nevada The thought of getting deeper into the world of creativity, surrounded by reasonable and Normal people, filled her with both excitement and nervous anticipation.

Just as Abby was lost in her thoughts, her phone beeped loudly, startling the guy she had mistakenly woken up earlier. He grumbled with frustration, his annoyance grew as it was evident in his voice. "Keep the fuck down, young lady," he snapped. Shocked by his rude response, Abby merely hissed in response, refusing to give him any form of apology.

Curiosity took the better of Abby, as she reached for her phone to check the message. A smile formed on her lips as she read the name of the sender—Amara, her best friend and former partner in crime. Amara, who had managed to escape with Mick's money, had been on the run ever since, well aware that if she were caught, she would be killed immediately, and her head would be presented to Mick on a silver plate.

The mere thought of such a tragic consequence sent shivers down Abby's spine because she had stolen her father's money as well. The risks they had taken were huge, and the hunger to be free from the clutches of her father was quite the risk or so she thought. At least Amara was still out there, surviving against all odds, maybe she would.

The message from Amara filled Abby's heart with a mix of excitement and nervousness. It revealed that Travis, Amara's boyfriend, was waiting for Abby at the Las Vegas airport. Travis, whom Abby had only glimpsed during secretive video calls to ensure Mick wouldn't catch her, had always anticipated seeing him. The prospect of finally meeting him face-to-face made her very excited.

"Las Vegas, here I come," Abby said loudly, her voice piercing the silence of the cabin and awakening the dozing guy beside her from his sleep again. Irritated by her constant disturbance, he removed his eye mask and stared at Abby, his gaze filled with annoyance.

"Can't you sleep or something? Are you a witch?" he retorted, his voice covered with a hint of irritation. Used to his rudeness already, Abby let out a chuckle and it seemed to make him angry

Due to the anticipation coursing through her veins, Abby didn't allow herself a single blink throughout the entire flight, consumed by the excitement of beginning her new life.

As the plane touched down, Abby eagerly descended from the plane, stepping onto the solid ground of Las Vegas. She took a deep breath, tasting the warm breeze that brushed against her skin, carrying with it a sense of freedom.

Her eyes searched the busy airport for Amara and Travis. The thought of reuniting with Amara and the prospect of finally meeting Travis made her heart race with anticipation. She couldn't help but smile, her excitement shining brightly in her eyes.

And then, suddenly, there she was. Amara appeared out of the crowd, her voice filled with excitement and warmth. "Boom!!" she yelled, her voice echoing in Abby's ear, startling her.

"Amara, you startled me," Abby chuckled, playfully shrugging her shoulders in mock annoyance. The sight of her Amara made her heart fill with genuine happiness and peace, which she had not felt in a long time.

"Come here, it's been months, and I've missed you," Amara exclaimed, pulling Abby into a tight embrace. Tears welled up in Abby's eyes as she held Amara, feeling the weight of their separation disappear at that moment. "I miss you too, sister," Abby whispered, her voice filled with genuine affection.

"I'm going to get introduced or what?" Travis's voice interrupted their moment, drawing their attention toward him.

Abby's eyes widened, realizing that this was the man she had only seen through video calls. Amara's introduction brought a smile to her face as she looked into Travis's eyes. "Oh, Abby, this is Travis—the one you've been speaking to on the phone," Amara said, her voice filled with warmth and amusement.

Abby couldn't resist teasing Travis, an irresistible but mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "Ah, so you're the one who stole my sister's heart," she playfully remarked, causing a smile to creep onto the corners of Travis's lips.

"If you misuse her heart, I'll surely haunt you forever," Abby whispered, her tone laced with seriousness as well as a playful gesture. Travis felt shivers along his spine, he never expected the girl he had done a series of video calls to be that harsh. She cleared his throat to say something but he was interrupted by a genuine laugh escaping Abby's lips as she saw the reactions her words had on Travis. Amara joined in. "That was a joke," Abby said noticing the uneasiness in Travis

"Okay, can we get going? I'm exhausted," Abby said, with a yawn escaping her lips due to her tiredness. The weight of the journey and the sleepless night which she had experienced was catching up with her.

"Not so fast, Abigail. Have you forgotten Travis's cousin?" Amara said with a smile, Amara has always been one to smile no matter what. "Oh, here he comes," she added, pointing towards a figure approaching from a distance.

Abby turned her gaze in the direction Amara had indicated, her eyes widening in surprise. The guy walking towards them was none other than the rude guy who had sat beside her on the plane.