The idea of Sasha grilling Angie makes me a little sick to my stomach. “I know. I hate it, but?—”
“It’s okay,” she says, cutting me off. “If it keeps you and the babies safe, I’ll do it. Just one condition.”
“What’s that?”
She smiles. “I come stay with you when the babies are born. Assuming we can keep it on the down low.”
“Deal.” I pull her in for a tight hug. I slip my phone out of my pocket and check the time. “Okay, I need to go nowbefore I lose my nerve. And before Bogdan gets antsy and comes up to help.”
“Got it. Okay, the maintenance door is this way.”
Together, we go back out into the hallway, where she leads me to a rusty green door at the far end of the hall.
“It’s normally locked, but I figured out how to open it.” She grabs the handle, jiggling it a certain way. Sure enough…click. The door opens, revealing a set of stairs heading up.
“After you, my co-conspirator,” I say.
“Just up the stairs to the roof.”
We head up, Angie pushing open one more door. The view hits me right away. The Blue Line is just behind us, the gorgeous Chicago skyline off in the distance.
“Wait, you had this kind of roof access, and you never told me?” I ask, stepping out into the middle of the space.
“I know, I know. It was just kind of my private Zen zone. Anyway, here.”
I watch as she hurries across the roof, squatting down next to a fire escape staircase. I join her and look down; the stairs go right down to street level.
“Get down there and call your Uber. You should be able to get one right away.” She purses her lips as she turns to me, looking me up and down with worried eyes. “And be safe, okay? Get in touch as soon as you can.”
“I will, I promise.”
She pulls me into another tight hug. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this, you know?”
“I know. It sucks. Really bad.”
Angie lets me go, shaking her head. “Go on and get down there before I force you to stay.”
“Love you, Ange.”
“Love you, too.”
I take one last look at my best friend before throwing the bag over my shoulder and starting down the fire escape, the din of the traffic below rising up to greet me, the Blue Line clambering along the track, my future completely and totally uncertain.
CHAPTER 38
GABBY
The Uber spits me out right in front of Union Station. I plan to ditch my phone here, making Bogdan or Sasha think I took a train. Instead, I grab a taxi to O’Hare, then I’m out of here.
Safe. My babies will be safe. It’s all I care about.
I tug on my bag, ensuring it’s there, and I scan the scene. It’s another slate-gray-sky day, steam rising from the street vents, throngs of people moving here and there. By now, Bogdan should be realizing that something’s off.
He’ll be looking for me. I have to move.
With one more deep, steadying breath, I start towards the station.
“Gabriella.”
