He furrowed his brows. She’d interrupted him, but it didn’t matter. She hadn’t listened to a word he’d said.
“Give me the child and you’ll get her back, alive and unharmed. We’re even prepared to release you from your contract, no foul.” He looked at her expectantly. This was already a done deal in his mind.
“I need to see Bel first. I need proof.” It was her only shot. She needed to buy time, buy them all time. Cedar had better be fucking working on something to get them out of here. The man, Thoai, narrowed his eyes before his gaze snagged on something over her shoulder.
“Dad?” Cypress’s soft, confused, terrified voice came from behind Vesper, and she whirled around.Shit.
“Cypress,” Vesper hissed, eyes wide, taking in the kid’s slightlydisheveled appearance—her oversized t-shirt and baggy jeans and tangled hair. She looked like she’d just woken up, so why the fuck was she here right now? “Go back to your room.”
“Cypress?” Thoai sounded surprised. His mouth parted before he shook it off. “Mom and I have been so worried about you, I didn’t expect to find you here.” Thoai took a step forward but Vesper moved in front of Cypress, blocking her from his view. “Let me see my child,” he ordered, his tone hard and commanding.
“You’ve seen her. Let me see Bel.”
“Where’s Cedar?” Cypress interrupted, inching closer and taking hold of the end of Vesper’s loose shirt, just like she had when she was a kid, seeking comfort when scared.
“Your sister came back to us,” Thoai explained gently. He smiled sweetly, the picture of a loving father, and took another step forward. He addressed only Cypress as if Vesper wasn’t even there. “She told us who was keeping you from us. She just wants us all to be a family again. That’s all your mom and I want too, sweetie.”
“I don’t believe you,” Cypress sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye. “I wanna see Sissy.”
“Of course you do,” he smiled, holding out his hand. “Come with me. I’ll take you to see her.”
“You’re not taking her anywhere.” Vesper threw her arm out to block Cypress, not that she thought the kid was going to just go with him. “Where is Bellamy?”
CHAPTER SIXTY
Bellamy
Bellamy didn’t want to be near anyone. She needed to get away. To fucking breathe. Sure, maybe she was overreacting, but she remembered that day so clearly. The day she’d tried to kill Mazz. She hadn’t known they were together in that sense. It had been months since Vesper touched her. She hadn’t understood why, and in that moment, she had been willing to do anything to get her attention again. She’d have tried to kill anyone Vesper was with—it just happened to be Mazz.
Then the fucking blindfold. She’d known it was too soon to put that on Vesper, to demand the trust they’d once had after she spent years destroying it. That didn’t stop it from hurting.
Business hours had already started. She could tell as much as she stormed through the lobby past the girls in their skimpy little outfits waiting for clients. She didn’t want to look at any of them. To wonder which one Ves would have picked that day.
No one had come banging on their door yet, so she figured it was safe to leave the Downstairs. They’d done it already without the veils—fuck it.
She was debating between ransacking Cedar’s room to make herself feel better, or seeking comfort in Vesper’s. But maybe that would hurt too much. Her own stuff wasn’t there after all. Itwould just serve as a reminder that Vesper still didn’t love her. She didn’t hate her anymore though. So, that was something.
“Bellamy,” a surprised voice called from behind her as she turned to go up the stairs. “Where are you going? Did something happen?”
Bellamy wiped her cheeks with her hands before turning around. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this. “Nothing happened,” she groaned, rolling her eyes when she saw it was Cedar who’d stopped her.
“Where are you going?” Cedar asked. Her voice sounded raspier than normal.
“None of your fucking business,” Bellamy snapped, squinting at Cedar and cocking her head. Something about her looked… off. Bellamy couldn’t decide if her hair was just a little too red, too short, or if it was that she was out of her normal clothes—but that could be explained by her working today. Whatever. It didn’t matter. Bellamy was done talking to her.
“Bellamy!” Cedar called again when Bellamy turned to continue on her way. She was exasperated and clearly closer this time. “Where is my sister?”
“Right where you left her! Don’t worry,” Bellamy said over her shoulder. She wished Cedar would leave her the fuck alone. A hand grasped her wrist and she automatically yanked away. “Fuck off,” she hissed.
“Are you going to see her now?” Cedar asked, face inches away.
“What?”
Up close, she could see Cedar’s face rippling under illusion like waves. The eyes shifted and changed—narrow and green in one second, wide and blue the next. Bellamy tried to pull away again, harder this time, bringing her magic surging forward, rushing through her veins. Like a fire lighting up and prickling her blood from inside.
Then, something pinched her neck and the fire dimmed. The world began to spin around her, vision blurring. Bellamy reachedout for purchase, anywhere she could find. A hand grabbed hers, slowly lowering her to the ground.
“Shh,” Cedar’s distant voice cut through the ringing in her ears. “You’ll be asleep soon. You’re not dying. Don’t fight it.” The words were surprisingly soothing. Bellamy’s body relaxed but she fought to keep her eyes open.
