Chapter 24

That shrill, vulgar ringtone sliced through the tension like a knife. Her expression faltered. The mask slipped. She huffed and pulled the phone out of her coat. Her finger hovered over the screen for a second before she answered, voice sugarcoated and dripping venom.

“Jakey?” she purred. “Oh, how rare of you to call…”

She turned slightly, still holding the gun, but her attention was drifting. I didn’t dare move. Not yet. From here, I could hear his voice faintly. Sharp. Furious. God, Jacob. I couldn’t hear every word, but I caught my name. He was looking for me.

Lavenia’s face changed again—barely, but I saw it. That twitch in her jaw. She paced a few steps, gun lowered now, her tone tighter. Defensive.

“Pearl? You think I have her?” She laughed, fake and too loud. “Oh, come on. That girl probably ran off again. You know her—drama queen, remember? Wouldn’t surprise me if she staged a whole thing just to make you chase after her…”

Bitch.

She shot a glance my way—expression unreadable—then snapped her fingers at the guards. “I’ll take this outside.”

She strutted off, heels stabbing the concrete with every angry click. Still talking sweet nothings, trying to spin her web around Jacob while I sat there in rusted chains and dried blood.

And that’s when I saw it. The key. Small. Silver. Lying like a miracle against the concrete floor. Probably slipped out when she yanked me down. Just… there. Like hope had a shape and a shine.

But I didn’t leap. I slumped over, let my body go limp, my head roll like a ragdoll. The guards muttered behind me. One kicked at the wall.

“Think she’s dead?”

“Nah, just playing. I’m starving. Let’s wait outside. Boss is yapping with his guy.”

“Good. She gives me the creeps anyway.”

The door slammed. Gone. I waited a beat. Then two. 2:09 pm. Then I moved.

I dragged myself inch by inch, ribs shrieking with every breath. My knees left streaks of blood on the ground. Fingers trembling, I reached out—missed. Tried again. Caught it. The key was warm in my palm. My hands shook so badly I could barely get it to the lock. It took three tries, maybe four. I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood.

Click. One shackle. Then the other. I collapsed, wrists free and raw and burning. I cried. Not loud. Just a choked little sound of disbelief. Then I moved.

I staggered to my feet, one arm clutching my ribs. My vision blurred—maybe from the blood or the tears or the lack of food, but I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not now. Not when I was this close.

I crept to the door. Eased it open. Silence. Then voices—faint and distant. Lavenia. Arguing now. Her voice was rising.

“Jacob, don’t threaten me, okay? You’re not some hero. You don’t know what that girl’s capable of!”

I slipped past the hallway, kept to the shadows. Found a narrow stairwell. Rusted, damp, cold as hell. My bare feet stuck to the steps as I climbed. One level. Two. Keep moving. Keep moving.

I hit a metal door and shoved it open. The wind slammed me like a freight train. Night. Rain. Freedom.

I stumbled out into the darkness, soaked instantly. The storm masked my gasps. I didn’t know where I was—warehouse district maybe—but I didn’t care. Every step was agony. My body screamed. But I ran anyway.

Behind me, a screech. A door slamming open. Lavenia’s voice cutting through the rain like a curse.

“Where is she?! Where is Pearl?!”

I didn’t stop. I ran. Bleeding. Broken. But I didn’t make it far. Maybe fifty feet past the rusted gate, my bare feet slicing on gravel, rain slamming into my skin like needles. Everything pulsed—my ribs, my wrists, my jaw. My body was done. It quit before I could.

I hit the ground hard. 2:09 pm. I tried to crawl. One arm gave out. I choked on a sob and spit blood on the pavement. Rain soaked through my hair, down my back, cold as a corpse’s kiss.

Then I heard the stilettos. Click. Click. Click.

“Running away? Again?”

Lavenia stepped into my vision, rain plastering her silk blouse to her bones. Her eyeliner bled down her face, her lipstick smeared like a lunatic’s smile. Her hand clutched a fist of my hair and yanked me upright. I screamed. She slapped me again—open palm, teeth—jarring.

“You’re so dramatic, Pearl. Bleeding in the rain? What is this, a movie?” she sneered. “You couldn’t just die quietly, could you?”

I tried to speak. No sound came. She crouched down, face inches from mine, mascara dripping.

“You always had it all, didn’t you? Daddy’s money, perfect skin, boys falling over themselves to worship you. And me? I was the ghost standing next to your spotlight. Do you know how that feels? To be invisible until you copy someone else’s smile?”

I gave a wet, bitter laugh. “You’re not invisible, Lavenia. You’re pathetic.”

She screamed. Full-throated. Dragged me by my hair, heels scraping as she yanked me back across the ground. I bit my tongue not to scream. Rainwater filled my mouth, mixed with blood.

“Chain her up again!” she shouted to her men. “This time, take her damn legs if she tries running!”

But then… Boom. Gunfire split the sky. One guard dropped. Then another. Smoke. Screams. And him.

Jacob. Black coat drenched, jaw clenched, blood on his face—but alive. Dangerous. Mine once. Maybe still. He shot the guard without blinking, then dropped beside me.

“Pearl. Jesus Christ.” His hands were warm on my face. “I’m here. I got you. I’m not letting you die, even if you hate me.”

“I… I do hate you,” I whispered. My lips barely moved. “But not enough to die alone.”

He smiled—tight, wrecked—and slid his arm under my knees, lifting me like I was nothing but silk and shattered glass. I let my head fall against his chest. For one second, I felt like I wasn’t dying.

Then—

“NO!” Lavenia’s voice. Shriek of a woman who’d lost the last string holding her to sanity. Gun in hand, pointed straight at us. Jacob turned.

Gunshot. But it didn’t hit him. It hit Luther. He threw himself in front of his brother—my eyes caught his face just long enough to see him gasp and crumble. Hit the floor. Dead.

“NO!” Jacob roared, stepping back, still holding me. “LUTHER!”

Lavenia stared at the body, frozen in horror. Then snapped.

“Kill him!” she screamed at her men. “Kill him now!!”

More gunfire. Jacob ducked, twisted his body to shield mine, and ran. 2:09 pm.

Chapter 2