Chapter Thirty-Eight #2
“Pajarito… You belong to only me. And I’m never letting you get away again.”
“Something important,” I whisper, seeing a birdcage made of gold in my mind.
“What’s—”
I slap my hand over his mouth to cut him off.
There are footsteps stomping above our heads, like a march of soldiers. But they’re scattering around, running after something. My determination is swept up in a cyclone of nerves.
Governor Russo is here.
“I have to get back to Byron,” I say shakily, frenzied and needing to protect him at all costs. “Russo is…” I clear the panic from my throat. “He can’t be near Byron.”
Felix simply nods. No need for context.
Fuck Governor Russo.
The plus side of having a serial killer friend. They don’t ask questions.
“I’m going back,” he says, spinning quickly in the direction he just came.
“W-wait…”
“Trust me,” he whispers. “I’m better out there. Go get Byron and Dash and find the keys. I’ll get eyes on Russo and come for you all in the garden. If you get out before I get back, stay west and head for the prison.”
I barely have time to register the plan before he’s darting away, into the depths of the tombs.
They must have opened the gate that leads outside… Good to know. Still, there’s so much I need to do, and not enough time.
Back upstairs, I head straight for the atrium, jogging while trying to remain inconspicuous, my pulse leaping in my neck. I take a corner fast and come crashing right into the solid frame of Manuel Blanco.
“Jesus,” he grunts, visibly agitated and unkempt.
His eyes are wide, fraught and momentarily crazed. I don’t think I was supposed to see that look, because he covers it up fast and with hostility.
I steady myself with a hand on his hip…
“My apologies.” My head tilts.
His gaze narrows. “What are you… Where are you going?” His voice goes from a flutter to a hiss.
“Nowhere,” I murmur, knowingly soft, as I pull my hand back slowly.
He looks like he wants to say something, but is distracted when Kent and another one of Manuel’s personal security team, Paulino, come storming up to us.
“Sir,” Kent says, appearing concerned. I notice it right away, because on him, it’s rare.
“What…” The Ivory growls.
“There’s a problem…”
I blink at The Ivory. His jaw tics.
“What else is new,” he bites out, stomping past me.
“Sir…?” Kent shouts again, chasing after him.
“Fuck off,” Manuel Blanco barks, practically running away from them.
My lips twist subtly as I rush off to find Byron. All these years and I’ve still got it… Like muscle memory.
I squeeze the skeleton key tightly in my palm. Never underestimate a lad from the streets.
I’m chuckling to myself, considering what I’ll need to do with this key as I head toward the atrium. I wasn’t able to locate the remote to our collars… Maybe it was in his other pocket…?
Still, I’m filled with a renewed sense of confidence. I’ll get to Byron, and we can go search upstairs. Clearly, The Ivory is distracted…
The lights go out.
Out of nowhere, I’m bathed in pitch-black, coming to a stop before I crash into a wall.
The entire mansion has gone from light to dark in a split second.
Well, bugger me sideways…
So much for that idea.
“Something’s wrong,” Dash mutters, shaking his head. “Where’s The Ivory? He’s been too quiet…”
He’s right, but I’m too busy freaking out about other things. Like Trevel leaving me. And the sound of a helicopter off in the distance…
It was loud at first, as if it had landed on the roof. We heard voices and commotion, but figured our best bet was to hide out in here just in case. It’s not like we can leave the damn mansion anyway…
But the idea of being sitting ducks isn’t sitting right with any of us ducks. We’ve been pacing around for minutes on end, wondering what’s going on, and now I swear to God, I can hear a helicopter again. Though, it sounds farther away than before…
It doesn’t make any sense. Why would it land and then leave so quickly?? Would Russo really get dropped off by a helicopter on its way somewhere else?? That seems ridiculous.
“If your boyfriend ratted us out, I’m gonna kill you both myself,” Hancock hisses at me.
“Fuck you,” I growl. “If he had, wouldn’t The Ivory have come back by now??”
“Not if he’s planning something worse,” he grumbles.
“Stop,” Dash scolds us. “We can’t turn on each other. That’s what he wants.”
“Too late…” I grumble, pacing. I just want Trevel to come back.
I need him.
“Hey, I know you’re hurting,” Dash says to me. “I know that. But you don’t get to just shut down because it’s easy.” He pins me with a look that cuts like a knife. “You’re stuck with us, whether you want to be or not, okay? Deal with it.”
I’m balancing on a tightrope, clinging to my anger because it’s been a loyal companion to me for so long. At the same time, I’m so tired. I’m exhausted from running and hiding, and I just want my strength back. I want to feel like me again.
I need my Leo…
My lips part, the longing gaze of someone who’s fucking lost aimed at my friend. But I flinch when I hear The Ivory’s voice.
He storms out into garden, but he doesn’t come for us. He’s heading in another direction, literally running away from his men, who are calling after him.
“What the hell?” Dash whispers.
And then everything goes dark.
In a blink, the lights are out, everywhere . Not a single lamp or goddamn emergency sign to be seen. It’s dark as fuck.
The dull orange glow of moonlight is coming in through the skylights, but it’s not exactly illuminating anything. I can barely see an inch in front of me.
“Now!” Dash grabs my hand. “ Now now now , come on, right now . Let’s go!”
He pulls me and Hancock as we all stay close together, trying to find some way out.
There are voices coming from somewhere in the distance, but we don’t stop.
We just keep moving, shuffling slowly while feeling around and trying to gauge where we are.
Eventually, we make it to the veranda and inside the mansion.
“It’s way darker in there,” I huff. “We won’t be able to see shit.”
“You two know this place better than me,” Dash huffs. “Where should we go?”
Hancock is silent, just breathing because I think he’s panicking a little. So am I. I’m not afraid to admit it. All it takes is one of The Ivory’s guys bumping into us with a goddamn M16 and it’s lights out for real.
“Byron!” Dash gasps.
“I’m thinking…” I stammer, racking my brain for thick seconds chugging by slow, until finally it comes to me. “There’s a panic room. It’ll have backup power. Maybe even something that controls the collars.”
“Perfect. Let’s go,” Dash breathes out as I lead the way.
It’s difficult when I can’t see a damn thing. And all the while, I’m freaking the fuck out.
Where’s Trevel?? Is he okay?
I need to find him. I’m not leaving without him.
This adrenaline that’s been coursing through my veins for minutes, hours, days, weeks at this point is doing nothing to thwart my feelings for him. If anything, it’s clearing my vision. Like a fog light, I can see .
I just want him, and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it. I care more about him than I’ve ever cared about anyone else… I feel things for him that I haven’t felt for anyone before.
Not Michelangelo… Not Ren.
This is different. It’s more than a secret lust, hidden away in the dark, or a fucking proxy. It’s so much more than physical.
I think he might really be it.
My real, true partner. Not just in crime, but in life .
“Is that it?” Hancock whispers.
There’s a faint glow coming from up ahead in the distance, and now that my eyes have adjusted, I can see that we’re in the library. Just beyond the study is where the panic room is located.
“Yea.” I bring them with me, through the rooms, slowing down when I hear hushed voices coming from inside the panic room.
“Fuck,” Dash mumbles. “This might not be a good idea…”
Swallowing, I release Dash’s hand, inching closer by myself.
“Byron!” Dash whisper-shouts after me. But I’m still going.
Whoever they are, I can take ’em.
“Ha! I fucking told you I’d find it,” a familiar voice rumbles.
All the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
“You’re a genius, baby. We all know that. Now what?”
My heart is lurching up my throat and out my goddamn motherfucking mouth as I peer into the room.
Everything falls…
Heart, gut, hands, head. No air in my lungs… My knees are buckling.
“W-what…” is all I can say, eyes wide and burning with baffled emotion.
They jump at the sound of my voice.
“Oh, thank God,” Luthor cries.
“Babe, shh! ” Ren scolds him, tripping over his feet to get to me. “Byron, Jesus, you’re here…”
He throws himself at me, knocking me into the wall. His entire body is coiling around me, but I can’t… move. I can’t breathe .
I’m fucking stunned, coming apart at the seams of my soul.
Is this a dream…? Is this some kind of sick joke??!
What?? How??
Luthor curls around me too, the both of them hugging onto me tight. But I’m limp, arms hanging at my sides.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Luthor whimpers.
Ren sniffs in my neck. Like he’s… crying.
Jesus Christ, what is happening??
My heart can’t deal with this much emotional whiplash.
“You’re… you’re…” I stutter, unable to catch my breath as my hands lift to touch them. To verify that they’re really here . “I thought…”
“Kang, what’s—” Dash’s words come to the same frozen halt when he enters the room. “Holy fucking shit…”
“Dash?!” Luthor squeaks, his voice a broken sob of disbelief as he pries off of me and Ren to attack Dash. “What the fuck, man?? How are you here?!”
Ren finally releases me, tear-stained sky-blue eyes finding mine. “I’m sorry I left you,” he sniffles, then chokes. “We had to try… You understand, right??”
He seems desperate for me to know this, but I’m too busy losing my sanity… Attempting to unlearn everything I thought I’d known for the past however many weeks.
I… think I’m… having a… panic attack.