“What if we find a way to get you out too?” I asked. “The Tritons…they’re distracting you for a reason.”
Their fingers stilled in my hair again. “Leaving with you is all I’ve ever wanted. But without concrete proof, I’m tethered to them. I can’t put you at risk of being hunted for the rest of your days. The Tritons are relentless.”
It’d be worth living on the run if we could be together, but the words lodged in my throat. Ursuline seemed to be wavering, but if they left with me, it had to be their decision. I couldn’t stand it if I’d pushed them and then retribution rained down on their family in response.
“By the end of this week,” Ursuline said. “Get your most important belongings together. Pack a bag but keep it under your bed. I’ll get you out of here.”
My mind whirred at the shift. The reality brought up the main problem I’d been dancing around. “What about Jason?”
“He’s on my list to contact. Given a heads-up, he can lay low. If…” They paused, the quiet laden as if they were deep in thought. “If my concerns are founded, we might have a much larger problem on our hands.”
The gnawing in my gut emerged again, the same as when I’d found the Alpha Blue token in Triton’s office. Something terrible brewed, and we were in the epicenter of it.
“You won’t put yourself in danger?” I asked. If they wouldn’t come with me, the idea of them staying behind to face repercussions for helping me…fuck, I couldn’t bear the thought.
“Sunshine, I haven’t been surviving up here for this many years without a few tricks up my sleeve,” they said. “When I send you the text, you’ll need to head to the back entrance where the staff deliveries happen. A car will be waiting for you.”
Which implied they wouldn’t be there too. My throat tightened.
“Please come with me,” I begged again, needing to try one last time. I wouldn’t push, but I couldn’t fathom heading out of here without them. Knowing they were still trapped in this misery, a punishment without end.
Their tentacle stroked at my ankle again, but their silence gave me the answer.
When I escaped this place, it would be alone.
Chapter 23
“Are you down here again?” Arielle’s voice sounded from the doorway of the studio. I’d been painting furiously, even though I’d known I would need to leave all these behind.
I almost jumped out of my skin. A week had passed since my conversation with Ursuline, and they hadn’t returned to the manor. At least not that I was aware of. The Tritons had been more present this week, Frederick and Darla emerging at the beginning, appearing at random when I was painting or in the kitchen, but then they’d abruptly left yesterday. All three sisters had been in and out in regular occurrences, but with the weekend approaching, Arielle would want to head to the club every night.
“Yeah,” I said, attempting a fake smile. “Just working on a piece.” Trying to pretend I hadn’t seen an uglier side of her exposed beneath the plastered, empty grins. After seeing that glimpse, I couldn’t buy the superficial front any longer. The truth leaked out of every tiny twitch to her expression, every sharper edge to her words.
“I’m supposed to invite you to the club tonight,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “But you hated it, right? Papa isn’t here, so we can claim you went with me.”
“Definitely not my scene.” I told the truth there. “Go ahead without me. I’ll pretend I went.”
“Oh, thank fuck,” she said, flashing me another empty grin. “No offense, but I didn’t feel like babysitting.”
“None taken,” I said, forcing a smile. The idea of being away from the manor now, when I could get a text at any moment, sent a spike of panic through me. I’d been existing on a perpetual state of adrenaline throughout the week, the readiness stamped into my bones. My go-bag waited for me beneath my bed. I’d even packed the key to the cage, the pressure around my cock a reminder of who I belonged to—and I didn’t want to take it off.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and said adrenaline shot through the roof.
Arielle lingered in the doorway, even though I itched to check.
“This week we’ll be starting the preparations for the wedding,” she said. “A whole lot of boring stuff and decisions. Plus a prenup, you know, the usual.”
My grin faltered. The urgency filtered through my system stronger than ever. Once I signed those papers, the Tritons would own me. In the eyes of the city, in the eyes of society. Ursuline had already warned me the clauses worked in there were nasty, not the normal stuff included in a prenup, and out of everyone, they would know.
My legs trembled with the itch to run, to bolt to my bedroom and grab my bag, but Arielle was still in the doorway.
“Sounds good,” I forced out, trying to keep my tone normal. “I like the details. I’m happy to do most of the work if you find it boring.”
“Perfect,” she said, her expression lightening. One of those tinkling laughs escaped her again, but everything had a phonyedge in the wake of seeing her in a different light. “I’ll see you around. Have fun with your art.”
With that, she disappeared out of the doorway.
I let out a held breath and snagged my phone. The message was from Ursuline.
