Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
ANGELICA
I gripped the cold wrought iron fence, staring at the towering dark brick mansion in the distance. Salvation. That’s what I told myself. But even as I stood there, frozen in place, Penn’s frantic messages waited on my phone, each one pleading with me to come to him.,
But he didn’t understand.
I wasn’t worthy of someone like Penn. I wasn’t worthy of anyone. Not anymore.
Angelica . Lincoln’s voice slithered through my thoughts, as clear and venomous as if he stood beside me. Do you want to tell them, or me?
I closed my eyes, but it was a mistake. The memories rushed in bright and brutal.
Blood.
So much blood.
The wrought iron fence creaked beneath my tightening grip, forcing my eyes to open.
The gate began to shift, grinding along its tracks.
A sleek midnight blue car rolled out of the driveway, its engine purring softly.
Sunlight gleamed off the polished hood as it slowed near me.
Through the windshield, a man—early twenties, sharp suit, indifferent expression—gripped the wheel with practised ease.
He didn’t look at me.
Not once.
As he sped past, the wind carried the scent of leather and exhaust, tangling with the fading fragrance of Penn’s cologne in my mind. For a moment I thought about stepping into his path.
“Ma’am?”
The voice jarred me, I whirled around to see a uniformed guard emerging from the trees, his expression sharp and suspicious.
“Are you supposed to be here?” He asked, his hand hovering too close to the gun on his belt.
I stumbled backward, the wrought iron fence scraping against my palm. My heart thundered, each beat punctuated by the echoes of screams in my mind.
“Well?” The guard stepped closer, his tone growing more aggressive. “This is private property. If you’re not meant to be here, leave.”
I nodded and took another step back. My throat was dry, but I managed to force out a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
He didn’t move until I turned and walked away, the weight of his gaze pressing against my back like a loaded gun.
I didn’t know where I was going.
The streets blurred together, my footsteps pounding in time with the relentless voice in my head.
ANGEL, NO.
PLEASE!
BOOM!
I flinched at the phantom sounds, my breath shallow.
The edges of my vision darkened as I stumbled into a park.
Children laughed and played on swings, their carefree shrieks clashing with the chaos in my mind, mothers sat on benches, chatting and sipping coffee, oblivious to the girl who didn’t belong.
I drifted toward the shadow of the bridge, my feet moving on autopilot. Beneath the cold concrete, the world felt heavier. The laughter of children faded, replaced by the low hum of passing cars.
Angel, you’re mine now, Lincoln whispered in my head.
I dropped to my knees, leaning against the cool stone wall. My arms wrapped around my body, trembling as I fought to breathe. My mind clawed at the edges of a memory I didn’t want to see but couldn’t escape.
Gunpowder. Bitter and sharp. The metallic tang of blood. My father’s scream.
Angel, NO!
And then… silence .
My hands flew to my ears, desperate to block out the phantom sounds. Tears burned hot trails down my cheeks as I rocked back and forth. The words Lincoln had whispered before he left me echoed louder, crueler.
All that blood, he whispered in my head and the world around me swayed. I closed my eyes as the scent filled my mind.
My fingers shook, dancing and trembling against my thigh until I wrapped my arms around my body and stumbled against the wall. No one could offer me salvation. Not Penn or his father. Not from what I’d done…and I had done that, hadn’t I?
I murdered my parents.
I hit the hard concrete barrier and slowly slid to the ground.
The squeals of children rang out, but the gleeful sound didn’t linger in the darkness where I was.
No, nothing did…but the memories of what I’d done.
Tears came, blurring the cracked and weathered pillars before they slid down my cheeks and fell.
But I made no move to brush them away.
I couldn’t…because I was back there.
In that room…
With that monster.
You’ve done so well, Angel. So well…now lay back and spread your legs, let’s make a beautiful movie for Mommy dearest.
A sob tore free as I clung to myself. I dragged my knees upwards and lowered my head, desperately wanting to disappear. But I couldn’t…could I? Because Silas just wouldn’t let me go.
That’s the way, Angel…you’ll do exactly as I say, just like the good little whore you really are. I slowly rocked back and forth. A whore. That’s what I was. A lying, murdering whore.
There was no salvation for someone like me. There couldn’t be.
You don’t need to worry about anything now. That cold bastard inside my head whispered. Listen to the sound of my voice. What are you?
Silence filled my head. A trembling, terrified silence.
Angelica, what are you?
“Owned.” I whispered as I squeezed my eyes tight. “That’s what I am…I’m owned.”
That’s right. Now, remember your training. Open your eyes…look at the screen.
Flashes filled my head.
OWNED.
DAUGHTER.
CONTROL.
That’s the girl , he whispered and I was helpless to stop him. Now open your mouth.
The world seemed to melt away. There was no children’s laughter from the playground. No darkness under the bridge. There was nothing but that whisper in my head. One I couldn’t escape.
Sirens cut through the haze. I flinched and jerked my gaze upwards as panic set in. How long had I been like that? A minute…an hour? I turned my head to darkened gloom outside and my pulse sped. A sickening, icy feeling washed through me. It’d been longer than an hour…a lot longer.
“Hey.”
I jerked my gaze left and froze, in the gloom a homeless man sat hunched against the cold, crumbling wall, a shadow within shadows. The whites of his eyes were stark against the backdrop, neon white, etched with the bloodshot spidered veins.
“You alive?” He croaked, pushing his frail body upwards before he stumbled toward me.
Fear punched all the way into my stomach. I drove my hand down against the sharp edges of cracked concrete and drove myself away from him.
“Easy.” He pleaded, his gaunt figure draped in layers of tattered, hole-ridden clothing.
I couldn’t cope, not with this man in front of me, or this place. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be with my friends, or my family. Tears blurred as I stumbled backwards. “I’m s-sorry.” I stammered. “I’m really, really s-sorry.”
I ran from that place and that man, plunging headlong into the darkening playground and kept on running. Cars flew past, some with headlights blazing, others just a blur.
Beep .
I stopped running, my panting breaths like swallowing lava as I grabbed my cell from my pocket and looked down.
Gabe: Please, Angel. I’m freaking the fuck out. Call me, tell me where you are?
I couldn’t. I couldn’t call him, couldn’t tell him where I was. Couldn’t call any of them. Because of him.
Beep .
I stared as another message filled the screen.
Silas: You’d better run, cause when I find you, Angelica, you’ll wish you’d run faster.
My breath caught with the warning. I stared at the words until they blurred. He was looking for me. He was looking for me. I swung around, scanning the faces around me and pressed my spine against the enclave of a store.
I’ll do things I don’t want to do. But I will, little sister, and I’ll do them well…
Silas' warning rang inside my head. Pain flared across my chest as I stared along the packed city street and tried to think. I needed to get out of here…and now.
I spun around and started walking, keeping my head down, avoiding any contact I could and searched for anything that was familiar.
I knew this city, knew these people. Some of them at least. Daughters and sons of mom’s friends, connected by wealth and social circles.
They were creatures of habit, frequenting the same bars at the same time, ordering the same drinks and talking about the same boring events they always did.
I needed that now more than ever.
I pushed harder, searching the streets as the headlights of oncoming cars blurred and the ambient lights of bars I passed shone brighter. By the time my chest burned I caught sight of the Admiral, an old English style bar that Penn and his friends frequented.
My steps slowed as I scanned the Bentley’s parked out front, the drivers waiting to take their pampered playboys any place they wanted to go.
None were Penn’s…nor were they anyone I knew.
I stopped at the automatic doors, catching my breath at the rush of warm air as it hit me.
Do I go in? Was there someone who could protect me?
I scanned the faces passing me, then slowly stepped inside.
Heads turned as I made my way toward the bar. I glanced around, finding nothing but cold, calculated stares and contempt.
“Can I help you, Miss?”
I jerked my gaze to a waiter beside the bar. He took one look at me and forced a smile. I knew that smile. It said this wasn’t the place for me. I shook my head. “No, thank you,” and walked back outside.
Cold night air was a slap in the face. I kept walking, heading to one of the bars we always stayed at.
Beep .
I lifted my phone.
Silas: You make it too easy for me, little sister.
I spun around, searching the cars…but he wouldn’t have his car would he? No, Silas would be on his bike.
Single headlights became beacons of terror. I could almost hear the bike engine revving like a predator scenting its prey and my pulse raced in time with the sound.
The wind whipped my hair across my face, lashing my eyes until they watered. Run…NOW.
I lunged, driving myself forward. I didn’t search for bars now. There was nowhere he wouldn’t find me. No where I could disappear.
That’s it, Angel. You’ll do exactly what you’ve been taught to do, won’t you? WON’T YOU?
That monster’s voice echoed, relentless and cruel as I ran. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps, my chest burning with the effort. Panic clouded my vision, and I stumbled down side streets, unsure of where I was going, only knowing I had to keep moving.
The night around me was oppressive—shadows stretched across brick walls, the only sound the frantic rhythm of my own footsteps. But I knew better. I wasn’t alone.
The low growl of a motorbike’s engine cut through the air. It wasn’t close, not yet, but it was getting louder. My stomach twisted into a knot of pure terror. I knew the sound of that motorbike’s engine anywhere. I should…I heard it in my dreams.
I glanced over my shoulder, my vision blurring with tears. The headlights hadn’t turned the corner yet, but the sound was unmistakable. He’s Here. He’s here.
I forced myself to move faster, ignoring the burn in my thighs and the stabbing pain in my side. Turning hard around a building, I barely registered the shape of a figure before I slammed into him—a wall of muscle and authority.
“What the fuck?”
The impact was so brutal my teeth gnashed together. My head spun as I stumbled backward, legs buckling beneath me. Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground, dragging me upright with a force that left me gasping.
“Why don’t you look at where the fuck you’re going?”
The voice was sharp, cutting, filled with irritation. But it wasn’t his voice. I looked up, blinking through the haze of fear, and saw a man towering over me. A cop. His uniform gleamed in the dim light, his features carved with fury.
Relief hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over every cell in my body. I didn’t think—I couldn’t think. “Thank God,” I choked, the words barely audible as I lunged forward.
I threw my arms around him, clinging like he was the only thing tethering me to the earthy. My entire body trembled as the adrenaline began to fade, leaving only the raw, overwhelming sense of survival behind.
“Hey, hey—” His voice softened, though his hands came up stiffly to pull me off him.
Dark, piercing eyes locked onto mine, his expression caught somewhere between irritation and confusion.
His gaze flicked down, taking in the dirt smeared on my arms, the wild look in my eyes and the ragged rise and fall of my chest.
That anger in his eyes faded, replaced by something colder. Controlled. He shifted, turning his head to scan the alley I’d just stumbled out of.
“Are you in trouble?”
The question hung in the air, cutting through the haze in my mind. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The lump in my throat was too big, the relief too overwhelming. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as my knees finally gave way, and this time, he was ready.
He steadied me, one hand gripping my shoulder, the other hovering at his hip near the holster of his weapon. “Hey, look at me, " he said, his tone low, steady. “Who’s after you?”
I shook my head, there was no way I could say his name and no way this man would believe me.
The gunning of an engine echoed in the distance, closer now, and I flinched violently. He noticed, his body tensing as his gaze darted toward the sound.
“Stay here,” he ordered, his voice sharp and commanding.
But as he moved, I reached out, gripping his arm like a lifeline. “Please,” my voice husky. “Don’t leave me.”
For a moment, he hesitated, his dark eyes meeting mine again. Something in his expression shifted—resolve, maybe or understanding. His hand tightened on my shoulder.
“All right,” he said, his voice softer now. “I won’t.”
The promise was enough to keep me upright, though the shaking didn’t stop. Relief slammed into me, almost suffocating in its intensity. I wasn’t alone…not anymore. And for the first time in what felt like forever, a flicker of hope surfaced, one that told me I might survive the night.
“Why don’t you come with me?” He said. “The station’s right around the corner. We can talk there, if you feel safe. You can tell me who’s after you and I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”
Those tears came harder, silently sliding down my cheeks. I gave a nod, the words forced around the lump in my throat. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so very much.”