Celia leans her back against the door, her palm pressed to her chest, mumbling something in Spanish with her eyes closed.
Rona stirs. Her eyes blink open. “Mama?” She yawns.
I pull my hair over my swollen eye so she can’t see it. “Go back to sleep, baby. We’re just going to go for a little ride.”
She snuggles her head on my shoulder, and her breathing changes back to a deep sleep. I’m envious. I don’t know if I’ll ever sleep again. “Call an Uber to pick us up here as soon as possible.”
Celia’s face is worried as she looks at my eye. “You need ice. Where will we go?”
“We can’t go back to my apartment.” I wet a paper towel and wipe at the sweat on my neck and forehead. Then dab at the cut on my eyebrow. “We’ll have to stay in a hotel until I can figure something out.” This doesn’t seem to make her feel better. Her gaze travels from me to Rona’s sleeping form, and I see something in her eyes I don’t like. Something that looks a lot like defeat. “We’ll make it, Celia.”
We have to.
When the Uber arrives, we slowly open the door and step out into the quiet but brightly lit store. I can see the headlights of the Uber shining through the windows. Just a few steps to freedom.
And then Celia’s fingers clamp down on my forearm, her face stricken. I follow her stare to the concave mirror in the ceiling that shows the whole store and my heart stops. There’s a man loitering by the counter, checking his phone. It’s one of the Italian guys who work for Michael.
I meet Celia’s eyes, and I see the resolve harden them.
“Take care of our girl, Mama,” she whispers.
Then before I can react, she makes the sign of the cross and bolts for the back emergency exit. I watch in horror as the man lifts his head and takes off after her. They both disappear outside as an alarm on the door blares.
Fuck.She just sacrificed herself for us. My instinct is to go after her. But I can’t waste the opportunity she gave us to run. The opportunity to protect Rona. I abandon the suitcases and pump my legs as fast as I can out the front doors, diving into the backseat of the sedan. “Go. Go. Please Go!”
The older gentleman’s eyes are startled as he takes us in. And then by some miracle, he doesn’t ask questions, he just slams the car in reverse and takes off.
Chapter 33
Killian
I’m pacing back and forth in front of the main stage on The Lucky Sinner where the girls are practicing the new pole tricks they’ve been learning.
Sully walks in, nods to Pat, who’s been frowning at me from the barstool. I shoot Pat a glare and he just shrugs. He must’ve called Sully, who’s now standing in front of me, arms crossed over his bulky chest. “You’re gonna wear a hole in the fuckin’ floor, brother. What’s goin’ on?”
I grit my teeth then decide to tell him. After all, this isn’t doing any good. “Sam’s late. She told the girls she’d be here at one.” I glance at my watch. “Two hours late.” Something grips my chest, and I decide it’s anger. “If she thinks she’s gettin’ out of her obligation, she’s got another thing comin’.”
Sully cocks his head, his brows rising. “You’re worried.”
It’s a statement, not a question. I let my head fall back and curse at the ceiling.
He steps forward, squeezes my shoulder. “What aren’t you tellin’ me?”
I scrub a hand roughly down my face. Do I share her secret? It’s not mine to share, but she may be in real trouble here, so fuck it. “She’s runnin’ from someone. Someone she calls the devil.” Someone worse than us.
Surprise widens his eyes. “And you think this devil found her?”
My fists are curled into tight balls. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s possible, yeah.”
His eyes stay locked on mine, conveying his support without words. “Only one way to find out.” He tosses me the keys to his Harley. “I’ll hold down the fort. Go find the lass.”
As I climb on Sully’s Road King, I form a game plan. First stop, her apartment.
I knock, but there’s no answer. The hard way then. I pick the lock and let myself in.
It’s dark, the blinds are closed. I do a quick walk through. The sink and shower are dry, and there’s a glass on the kitchen counter with a shriveled lemon slice. It has the feel of a place that hasn’t been occupied by a soul for a few days. I open the trash can lid. There on top is a burner phone. I pull it out and check for the SIM card. Gone.
Did she run?Maybe her devil hasn’t found her yet, but he was on her tail.
