Chapter 25 Miles
Miles
The room smells like weed and bad decisions. Jamie sits cross-legged on the floor beside the open window, exhaling smoke into the night. His laugh is slow and bitter.
“This is so fucked up,” he says.
“I know,” I answer, passing him the joint. The ember glows between us like a warning light.
He scrolls through his phone, thumb pausing on a message. “She texted.”
I already know who he means.
“Thank you for everything,” he reads softly, half smiling. “God. I really like her, Miles.”
The silence stretches. Outside, someone yells down the street, a bottle breaks, then the sound fades back into the city hum. Jamie leans his head against the wall, eyes unfocused. “Sometimes I wish we were just regular kids, you know? Hockey. Parties. None of this other shit.”
I stare at the ceiling, thick with nicotine stains. “There’s nothing regular about us.”
He laughs once, sharp. Then my phone buzzes on the counter. Victor.“Speak of the devil,” I mutter, showing him the screen.
Jamie groans. “What does he want now?”
“Guess I’m about to find out.”
I answer. My uncle’s voice is low, clipped. “Get down to the warehouse. Now.”
No explanation. Never is. “I’ll be there,” I say and hang up.
Jamie watches me stand, stub out the roach. “You want me to drive you?”
“Just drop me at Sammie’s. I need to pick up my car.”
The drive is quiet except for the rattle of the heater. Jamie drums his fingers on the steering wheel. I can tell he wants to ask, but he doesn’t. When he pulls up outside Sammie’s, I hesitate before getting out.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” he says.
“Define stupid.”
He shakes his head.
The warehouse at the edge of the industrial park is half-lit, half-dead. I brace myself before pushing open the door. The smell of oil and dust hits like déjà vu.
Victor sits at his desk, a beer sweating in his hand. Rico’s there too, leaning against the wall.
“About time,” Victor says. “We got news.”
My pulse jumps.
He continues, “The Ashford girl was seen at Marano’s office today.”
My throat goes dry. “So?”
“So maybe she knows something. Maybe she’s involved. Maybe she knows where the fuck my money is.”
Rico grins, ugly and sharp. “Guess daddy taught her the family trade.”
I want to hit him. Instead, I force a shrug. “Could be nothing. Maybe she was there for advice and stuff. You know, normal people reasons.”
Victor eyes me. “You sound awful sure about that.”
“Just saying we don’t know why she was there.”
He studies me for a beat too long, then snorts. “No chances. That’s too big of a fucking coincidence. You and Rico will pick her up. Keep her quiet until we figure out what she knows.”
My stomach turns. The words pick her up land heavy.
Rico straightens. “From the campus?”
“Outside the gates,” Victor says. “Today. And make sure she’s breathing when I see her. We still need her alive if we want access to that trust.”
The room tilts a little. My voice feels thin. “Got it.”
Outside, the cold hits like a slap. My hands shake as I pull my keys from my pocket. The parking lot is almost empty except for my car under the flickering light. I whisper, “Sorry, girl,” before jamming the knife into one of the tires. The hiss of escaping air is the only sound in the world.
Rico’s voice echoes behind me. “Yo, you good?”
“Yeah,” I call back, forcing calm. “Think I ran over something earlier.”
He jogs over, squints at the damage. “Damn, that’s shredded.”
“Guess we’ll have to swap it before we go.”
He groans, heading back for the tools.
I can feel Victor’s eyes on us from inside the warehouse. No chance to text Jamie. Not yet. Every move has to look natural. I kneel beside the flat tire, pretending to inspect it, my heart punching against my ribs.
Time. That’s all I’m buying. A few precious minutes before everything explodes.
It takes us nine minutes. I know because I keep watching the clock on the dash like it might save me.
Nine minutes of crouching beside the car, of Rico cursing and wrenching and wiping sweat off his face with the back of his hand.
Nine minutes of pretending this delay isn’t intentional.
The air reeks of burnt rubber and engine oil, the kind of smell that sticks in your lungs and makes your skin itch.
When the jack finally lowers the car, it’s almost one. My palms are black with grease, and Rico is still muttering under his breath about the “goddamn tire.”
He lights a cigarette the second we pull back on the road, blowing smoke out the window like it’s the only thing holding him together.
“You know what I was thinking?” he says, and I already know I don’t want to hear it. “If we’re gonna grab her anyway… might as well have a bit of fun before we hand her over.”
I grip the steering wheel tighter. “Fun?”
He grins, sharp and greasy. “You know. She’s a pretty one. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
My jaw locks. I keep my eyes on the road, heart thudding so hard I can feel it in my throat. “We better not.”
Rico laughs. “Don’t get all noble now, Thatcher. You’re not fooling anyone. We’re all in the same boat. You, me, the boss. Don’t matter how clean you act, you’re already dirty. Plus, if she is going to end up in the ground, does it matter anyway?”
Fuck!
Fuck!
He’s not wrong about me being dirty and just like my uncle. I helped him kill after all, but hearing it said out loud makes me want to slam my head against the dashboard.
I force a breath through my nose. “Do you think Victor’s really gonna… kill her?”
Rico flicks his ash out the window. “You ask too many questions.”
“That’s just one question.”
He turns to me, eyes flat and mean. “You think we’re keeping her around for company? We get what we need, then she’s gone. Victor doesn’t leave loose ends.”
I swallow hard. My throat feels tight, like I can’t breathe right. I’ve done bad things before—stupid things, violent things—but never this. Never something that feels like crossing a line I can’t come back from.
By the time we reach the outskirts of campus, I’m sweating through my shirt. The buildings rise up like ghosts—too familiar, too calm. The world keeps moving, students crossing lawns, laughing, carrying coffee cups and backpacks. They have no idea that monsters walk among them.
It takes exactly fifteen minutes before his patience starts to wear thin. Rico leans forward, scanning the crowd. “You see her?”
“No.”
He smirks. “You sure?”
I exhale through my teeth. “We’ve been waiting a while. How about I run in, check if she’s even around?”
Rico snorts. “What, you in a hurry to see her?”
“I just think if she’s not here, we’re wasting time. You want Victor pissed again?”
He thinks about it, then waves me off. “Fine. Go. I’ll stay here and keep the engine warm.”
He tamps the cigarette out on the dash and reaches for the radio. Static. He curses and starts fiddling with the dial. That’s my chance.
I grab my phone and slip out before I can change my mind.
The air outside feels thick, humid. My shoes crunch against some gravel as I cross the lot.
Every step feels like I’m walking toward my own funeral.
The main building is ahead, glass glinting against the sun.
I know she’s not here. She’s gone. I saw it in her eyes the last time, she was done with all this.
But the thought that she might be around, that I could be too late, makes me sick.
Inside, the halls buzz with the usual low hum—students, laughter, vending machines humming. I duck into the first empty restroom I find. The smell of disinfectant hits me hard. I check under the stalls. Empty.
Only then do I pull out my phone and hit Jamie’s name.
He picks up on the third ring. There’s music in the background—somewhere loud, maybe Crest.
“Avalon. Jamie, fucking Avalon.”
“Miles?” he says, already wary. I can hear him scrambling to find a quieter place. I wait until I hear a door click then his voice is much clearer now. “What’s wrong?”
I lean against the sink, staring at my reflection. I look like hell. “You have to find her,” I say. “Right now.”
“What?” His tone sharpens. “What’s going on?”
“They’re looking for her. My uncle—he got word she was seen at Marano’s. He thinks she knows something.”
Jamie swears so hard I almost flinch. “Tell me you’re not—”
“I’m not,” I say quickly. “But Rico is determined to kidnap her. And Victor’s serious. We are supposed to grab her. Today. Right now.”
Silence on the other end, then a low growl of anger. “Where are you?”
“At the school. They have no idea she’s not here so I’m buying time. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out she’s not at the campus, and then…I don’t want to think about it.”
“I’ll find her. Keep stalling.”
“I’m trying.”
“Miles, be—”
I think I hear footsteps so I hang up before he can say the rest. I can’t afford to be caught talking to him.
I splash cold water on my face, trying to steady my breathing. My reflection stares back, pale and hollow-eyed. I don’t recognize myself anymore.
When I step out of the bathroom, there’s no sight of Rico, but I almost collide with Bella. She’s got her hair pulled back, oversized hoodie, iced coffee in hand.
“Miles,” she says, surprised, then gives me a flirty, practice smile. “You lost or something?”
“Just passing through.”
She tilts her head, studying me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not now, Bella.”
“Oh, come on,” she teases, stepping closer. “You always disappear when things get interesting. You and Jamie. I have been looking for you to tell you that your precious cheerleader quit. What’s the deal with that girl anyway? You both—”
“I don’t have time for this.”
Her smile falters at my tone. I step around her, fast. My pulse is thudding in my ears. I can feel her watching me go, confused, maybe even hurt, but I can’t afford to care.
Outside, the sun hits hard. Rico’s leaning against the car, tapping ashes off another cigarette.
“Took your time,” he says. “Find her?”
I shake my head. “No sign of her anywhere. Might’ve skipped classes.”
“Fuck.” He flicks the cigarette into the gravel and climbs into the passenger seat. “Guess we wait.”
We sit there in silence, both smoking, both watching the entrance. My stomach twists every time someone walks by. I keep imagining her face appearing through those doors, her hair catching the light, and Rico noticing first.
Don’t show up, Chloe. Please don’t.
The minutes stretch. Rico hums tunelessly, tapping his foot on the dashboard. I stare out at the students, watching their ordinary lives play out like a movie I’m not part of. Every laugh, every careless step reminds me what I’ve lost.
Rico glances over. “You nervous or something?”
“Just tired,” I say.
He smirks. “You’ll feel better when this is over. Victor’s gonna reward us big for this one.”
I nod, pretending to agree, but my insides are rotting. Because I know this isn’t going to end clean. No matter what happens, whether Jamie finds her or not, something inside me has already snapped.
I flick the cigarette out the window and force a laugh. “Yeah,” I say. “Big reward.”
But all I can think about is that she’s running out of time.
And so am I.