“Oh, and Maddox sent a message.”
WHAT? No! I reach for the door handle.
“There’s no need for that. I’m not kidnapping you. Though it was discussed. He told me to tell you that Max is coming for you. Be ready and don’t die.”
“No promises.” Does that mean he’s decided to help?
Men and their cryptic messages.
***
“Thank you for the party.” I take the money he holds out and stuff it in my bra as we slide to a stop in front of my new friends.
“We’ll have to do it again soon, beautiful.”
The cold hits me as soon as I step out.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were his?” The unfriendly one comes and gets in my face. “Is this some kind of test?”
“No test. I’m working the same as you.”
“But you’re not the same. No one knows who you are.”
A van pulls up.
Vex said nothing about a van.
“The Spider wants to see you.”
Those are the last words I hear before I’m tossed in the back of the van and the world goes dark…
Mouse
Fiona
My body lifts up off the ground as I wake up, head throbbing worse than it ever has in my life. Why there? Why did I have to hit that exact spot on my head?
Did the chip break?
It could have. That tiny thing didn’t seem all that shatter-resistant, even though Everett seemed to think it was the end-all be-all of trackers.
“How long before the boss kills this one?” The man holding my left side asks.
“She’s prettier than Trixie. Maybe he’ll keep her.” The man on the right slides a finger down my face.
It takes everything in me to remain impassive.
“You know he always ends up selling the pretty ones. The Spider is greedy, and she’ll fetch a fair price. If I thought he’d let us, I’d offer to buy her.”
“How do you think she got the brand?” Left side guy sure asks a lot of questions.
“She could be one of the original crop.” Right side guy sniffs. “But she doesn’t look that old.”
“Maybe she’s one of the kids who escaped?”
Someone other than Daria and I escaped. Maybe that’s what happened with Sweetums. Gemma wasn’t useful to them anymore without Sweetums, so he ditched the kid.
Except The Spider didn’t leave loose ends.
