The sunlight slammed into me at once, and I squinted. The Spires often distorted my sense of day and night, being trapped inside, and the upstairs featured so much shadow and darkness it was easy to drown in it. Yet out here, Casino Alley was as loud and vibrant as ever, without the allure the night delivered.
Shit, I needed to move.
The exit dumped me out into a stairwell that led to an alley, major streets filled with bustling cars on either side. I clattered down the steps, but when I reached the bottom, paralysis struck again. Which way did I go? I should’ve spent more time studying the layout outside the Spires and the area beyond. My calves spasmed. I pivoted to the right, hoping the direction would lead me to the light rail—how I’d first arrived weeks ago. My footsteps echoed, and shade obscured me slightly, though it wouldn’t hide me from anyone peering through the windows lining the place.
My heart slammed so hard I was shocked it didn’t just pop out of my chest. I jogged forward, my shins aching. When I reached the traffic, I’d try to cross the street, create some barrier between me and the Spires. The shadow of the building was immense, and a shudder rushed through me, as though no matter how far I ran, I’d never escape.
I gasped in a breath as I neared the edge of the alley.
So close.
A group of men stepped into view, blocking my way.
I skidded to a halt. They were dressed in different suits—not the standard security black.
“Well, well,” the guy in the middle stated, crossing his arms. He was taller, with broad shoulders, a steep brow, and a square jaw. He had a thick beard and sour scowl that fit the rest of his cruel features. The sight of him jogged my memory, but I couldn’t quite place from where. “Who’s the lost lamb?”
“Ashmore’s new personal assistant.” The slender guy to the right of him looked familiar too—from one of the meetings, even though his name evaded me.
“He’s taken on personal help again?” The man in the middle grinned, an ugly, vicious thing. His eyes held a malevolent darkness. While Cillian could be terrifying, it was in more of a force-of-nature sort of way, a wildness to him that couldn’t be replicated. Yet the look in this man’s eyes held a premeditatedand visceral cruelty that shook me to my core. “If you’ve escaped your master, I can introduce you to a new one.”
No, no, no.
I whipped around and surged forward.
A hand clamped down around my wrist.
Another guy rushed around to step in front of me—bulky, broad, and blocking my exit. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Make sure not to damage my new goods,” the bearded guy proclaimed. “That’s my job.”
Ice shot through my veins.
No. No. No.
I had to get free. Except I was surrounded.
If I didn’t escape here, I was in for a worse fate than being imprisoned in a tower.
The bearded man grabbed me by the shoulder, his fingers curling in like hooks. There were five of them, and two snagged onto me with rough grips, the others obstructing any clear path to freedom. The stench of their body odor and oppressive cologne surrounded me. My heart lodged in my throat.
I had to leave.
Had to break free.
“Quick, let’s get out of here,” the bearded man ordered. “Before we’re spotted.”
My whole body locked up, and even my breath remained stuck. Yet the moment they pushed me forward, it was like they hit a button. I thrashed in their grip, letting out a holler that echoed through the alley.
“Shut up.” The guy to my right smacked me in the face, the sting barely registering in the face of sheer panic.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I thrashed again, trying to kick out at the nearest shin.
They started to drag me forward, toward the edge of the alley. If they got me into a vehicle, my chances diminished drastically.Who’d be searching for me anyway? Dread coiled through me, even as I lashed out and struggled every inch of the way.
No one would find me.
