22. Angie
ANGIE
“Where’s Colm?” I stand at the end of my wing in the doorway. It’s empty and open. Rowan’s leaning over the banister staring down at the first floor.
“I told him I saw some shady guys lurking in the back yard. He went to check it out.” She’s frowning, face screwed up. “Timing’s all wrong,” she mutters.
“What timing?” I creep out to stand beside her. “Listen, Rowan, I shouldn’t have asked for your help. This is stupid. I can handle it on my own.”
She puts a hand on my wrist. “Angie, you saved my life. This is the least I can do. Besides?—“
Explosions go off. Loud bursting pops like gunfire echo from somewhere far back behind the mansion.
“What was that?!”
“That was our cue. Come on.” Rowan runs to the stairs and descends at a manic, wild pace.
“Wait!” I chase after, heart racing. There’s yelling from somewhere near the back. Angry, panicked men. Doors slam nearby.
Rowan hits the bottom landing and doesn’t pause. She hurls herself at the door, reckless and fearless. She yanks it open and there’s the night, the driveway, the darkness, waiting. It’s freedom, and god, I’ve wanted it so badly since coming here, but now I’m not sure.
“Hold on, what if they shoot us?”
She doesn’t even look back, sprinting out into the evening. I curse and have to follow, out of control and regretting every single decision I’ve ever made. If she gets hurt, I’ll never forgive myself. Connor will never forgive me either. How could I put her in this position?!
But Rowan’s whooping and laughing as she sprints between the trees. Men nearby shout for us to stop, but Rowan only flips them off and keeps going.
And I realize something: she’s been living this life for years, for her entire existence.
She’s never known a world without guards, mafias, danger soldiers.
To her this is a fun excursion because she knows everyone in this place knows her like the backs of their hands.
She knows there’s no real threat for her.
I’m out of breath, gasping, sweating, running all-out to try to keep up with the wiry teen. She flits between the trunks and reaches the wall, cackling madly.
“Wait, wait, hold on.” I moan as she climbs like a monkey to the top. “Please, Rowan, wait a second.”
“No time to wait. Those guards are coming and they’re gonna drag you back. You wanna face Connor?”
Shit. She’s right. Three men are coming at us, shouting for me to turn around.
No time to hesitate. Rowan reaches down and I jump, catching her hand, using her as leverage to drag myself up. “I’m so… out of… shape!” I grunt as I reach the top of the wall. “I swear, I’m going to start running.”
“Another time!” She swats my ass and leaps off the other side. “We got to catch that ride!”
The silver Nissan Altima is parked half a mile further down the road. Nadia seems surprised when we show and jump in. “Better get moving,” Rowan advises. “Before the guards come searching.”
“Guards?” But Nadia sighs at the look I give her and pulls out.
Rowan goes over her master escape plan on the way to the bar. She set fireworks on a timer in the back yard. “Connor taught me how, believe it or not,” she says proudly. “He’s gonna love it.”
“He’s going to kill me,” I say under my breath, pale and clammy.
“Can anyone explain what’s going on here?” Nadia looks at us like we’ve lost our minds. “Angie, who’s this?”
I introduce them and find myself telling her more than I planned, about my marriage to Connor, about the mansion, about my mother moving in with us. I don’t mention the war or the fact that I’m technically a captive, though Nadia asks some pointed questions about why we had to escape our own house.
We reach Heart and Stone at exactly ten. Nadia finds a spot nearby and kills the engine. She turns to face me and puts a hand on my leg. “Two things. First, you’re okay?”
“I’m okay,” I assure her. “It’s complicated, but I’m okay.”
“And second…” She leans in, grinning. “Holy shit, you’re married to Big Boss?”
I laugh, with a look at Rowan. “I know, right?”
“Is he as hot as I think he is?”
“Gross,” Rowan says, getting out of the car. “That’s my brother.”
We head into the bar together. I take point with Rowan and Nadia backing me up.
It’s crowded and dark. Young people gather at tables drinking and laughing over the too-loud music.
And for the first time in a while, I feel strangely good, even though I’m marching to pay off my ex-boyfriend and his awful new girl, I have friends at my back.
It’s weird how nice that feels, knowing Nadia and Rowan care about me enough to drop everything.
Rowan took risks to get me out, and Nadia agreed to drive us without so much as a second question.
I never thought I’d have people like this in my life, and it gives me hope for the first time in a very long while.
Brad and Lavender are huddled at a booth in the very back corner. I immediately see why they picked this spot. It’s relatively private, tucked around a jutting wall.
They look like shit. I’m stunned. Brad seems thin and gaunt and pale. His eyes twitch from side to side. Lavender’s worse: she’s all bones and stringy hair and a terrible low-cut top with bad tattoos and cheap nails. She leaps to her feet, glaring at me then at Nadia and Rowan.
“I thought we said for you to come alone? What the fuck is this?”
“They’re my friends. It’s fine, I’m here to pay you, okay?”
“More than you deserve, bitch,” Nadia says, crossing her arms.
“Fuck you. Do I even know you?” Lavender cocks a fist back. “I’m gonna break your smug fucking jaw, cunt.”
“Babe, stop it.” Brad appears at her side, grabbing her wrist and pulling it down. “That’s enough, okay? Let me handle this shit.”
“Fucking sluts.” Lavender spits on the floor at my shoes. “Bitch.” She slips into the booth and throws back her drink, scowling.
“Wow.” I look at Brad. He looks back sheepishly. “This is your life now, huh?”
“Look, I didn’t want this, okay? I’m sorry, Angie, I really am.”
“Don’t apologize to her, you dick,” Rowan snaps. “You’re no better than a rapist, you realize that, right?”
Brad flinches, looking away. “Let’s just get this over with.”
I take him in, and finally, any last attachment I felt for my former boyfriend fades. He’s small, scrawny, pathetic, and weak. I can’t believe I ever thought I loved him.
“I deserved better than you,” I say, taking out my phone. “You’re going to delete all my pictures?”
“I swear. But I thought we said cash?”
“I can’t get five thousand dollars out of a bank on short notice. We’ll do a transfer. Give me your details.”
Brad looks back in a panic. “But we said cash. I mean, do we have a bank, babe?”
“FUCK YOU,” Lavender screams. “We had a deal!”
Rowan starts yelling. Nadia shouts too. Brad shrinks back, making himself small, and I feel the moment about to spiral. This isn’t how I wanted it to go down. Lavender’s waving a bottle around, threatening to kill everyone, and I don’t know what to do.
Until a shadow falls across the booth.
Lavender stops first. Her jaw drops open. She sinks down, lowering the bottle. Then Rowan yelps in alarm and I turn.
Connor looms over us.
Oh, shit.
My husband’s eyes settle on me. His face is impassive and hard. Compared to Brad, he’s a god on earth. Connor’s jaw is cut and sharp, and his tattoos look like fire on his gorgeous tan skin. He fills out his suit like it’s going to break.
“Nadia, please take my little sister outside. I have a car waiting for her.”
Nadia clears her throat. “Uhm, yes, right away, Mr. Maguire.”
“Thank you.”
Rowan allows herself to be dragged away. She cringes at me apologetically, but then my friends are lost to the crowd.
Leaving me alone with my ex, my current, and a crazy bitch.
Connor steps forward. His bulk presses to my side protectively. He faces Lavender down before turning to Brad.
“Here is what will happen,” he says, speaking slowly and clearly. Brad trembles, deadly white and sweating. “You will delete my wife’s photos and videos. You will smash your hard drive with a hammer. I will send a man to ensure this happens. Do you understand?”
“Y-y-yes, Mr. Maguire. Sorry, Mr. Maguire.” Brad stammers, flinching away.
“Apologize to my wife.”
“I’m sorry, Angie!”
“You too, Ms. Lavender.”
“I’m sorry.” Lavender keeps her eyes down in her lap. “I didn’t mean it. I really didn’t. The money?—“
Connor grabs Brad by the throat and slams him against the wall.
It happens so fast. One moment we’re talking, Lavender is apologizing, and the next Brad’s skull bounces against the plaster. He groans as Connor draws a knife from his belt.
“Please,” Brad gags.
Connor drives the blade into Brad’s right knee, stabbing deep.
He screams in horror. Connor twists and yanks, the steel coming free in a spray of blood. I see bone, cartilage, something yellow. Brad collapses to the floor, sobbing in pain.
Lavender tries to scramble away, but Connor catches her by the hair. His face is calm as he carves a line down her right cheek, cutting her from eye to jaw, then saws away her long hair, tossing the severed locks down over Brad.
“Photographs will be deleted,” Connor repeats, shoving his knife away.
I’m aware of people staring. Blood wells down Lavender’s face, dripping down her front.
Brad’s rolling in a pool of it, sobbing.
I don’t think he’ll ever walk right again.
“My men will confirm.” Connor offers me his arm. “Wife? Shall we?”
As if in a dream, I slip my hand against his elbow, and he draws me back through the bar. “Cover your face, angel,” he says quietly, holding a hand to block his eyes as if shading them from the sun.
I realize why. Phones are held up all around. I quickly duck my head and raise my arm, stumbling after him, until we’re out on the sidewalk again.
“Connor, I?—“
“Don’t talk.” His demand is sharp. Marcus waits a few feet away beside a black Mercedes.
Nadia and Rowan are with him, both looking ashamed, while Marcus seems like he’s having the time of his life.
“Marcus will take these two home—“ Connor gestures at them and tightens his grip on my arm. “You and me are going to have a chat.”
“Don’t be mean to her, Connor, I’m the one who got us out of the mansion,” Rowan says quickly.
But her brother silences her with a look. “I’ll deal with you later. Get going.”
“Ladies.” Marcus draws them away. “I’ll handle your car too, don’t worry, Nadia. I’m Marcus, by the way, nice to meet you…”
I hurry to keep up with Connor as he pulls me to a waiting G-Wagon. I climb into the back with him and the driver pulls away without having to be told.
“Where are we going?” I ask, shame and fear flooding me. I never should’ve done this. I never should’ve snuck out like that.
Except… watching Connor stab Brad in the knee and slice Lavender’s face up, dispassionately and efficiently, sent an electric trail down my skin, and now it feels like I’m on fire.
He protected me.
I broke his rules and he still came here to help.
“I want to show you something.” And he doesn’t speak another word for the remainder of the ride.