“If you say anything to anyone, I will kill you and your fucking kid. Got it?”
My knees buckle. “I won’t. You know I won’t.”
“Smart girl. You were always so smart. Now move.”
He gives me a small shove, and I pick up my pace, forcing my legs to carry me to the checkout. I stand in line, every second stretching, the bulk of the gun at my spine keeping me straight.
The cashier rings me up, her attention flicking between us. I paste on what I hope passes for a normal expression, praying she doesn’t see the terror behind it and call the cops.
“Thank you,” I manage, grabbing my bag with shaking hands.
Eli steps up beside me, close enough that our arms brush, and walks out of the store with me.
“My car is right here.” He points to a white Benz and opens the doors. “Get in.”
My pulse batters at the base of my throat. I don’t know if he plans to kill me now or later, only that either way, this is how it starts.
He doesn’t wait for me to move on my own. The passenger door swings open, and he shoves me inside when I hesitate, my shoulder knocking the seat. The door slams with a sharp bang that makes me jump, and he’s in the driver’s seat a second later, locking the doors.
The tinted windows turn the car into a dark little box, cutting us off from the lot, from the world. And all I can think is no one can see in. He can do whatever he wants to me and no one will even know I was here.
For a moment, he just sits there, studying me in silence in a way that unnerves me more than any threat. Then he reaches into the glove compartment, pulls out a manila folder, and sets it on his lap like this is a business meeting and not a hostage situation.
“I have a job for you.”
My fingers curl against my thighs. “What kind of job?”
“I’ve been following you for a while now.”
What?
The words make the inside of the car tilt. I grip the edge of the seat. How long has he been watching?
I don’t even want to know how he found me. That’s an answer that will only make everything worse.
“What's in the envelope?”
His grin widens. “Straight to business. I love that about you. I remember when you first started with us. A shy little thing like yourself.” His gaze drags over my face like he’s cataloging every flinch. “Did you forget who molded you into what you became, Ghosthands? Fuck, I miss watching you work.”
Just thinking about those days makes me want to retreat and forget I was that person, because I'm not her anymore. I'm Sloane. Eden is dead, and I want to keep it that way.
“I'm not going back,” I tell him, clinging to whatever semblance of strength I have left.
He lets out a short laugh. “You really think you have a choice?” The laugh cuts off almost immediately, his amusement draining away until what’s left on his face is darker. Colder. “You do what I say, how I say it, or I tell Barrett exactly where you are. You know he still has a bounty on your head, right? I’d be happy to cash that in.”
Fear slides icy fingers up my spine. I’ve known this was hanging over me since the night I ran, but hearing it out loud makes it feel real in a way it never has before.
He leans in. “I’m doing you a favor, little girl. You should thank me.”
My mouth goes dry. “This is your idea of a favor?”
He ignores the question, eyes gleaming. “And if you don’t behave…” His smile sharpens. “I’ll take your kid. I’ll bring him to Barrett myself. I’ll make sure he never leaves our world. Grows up in it. Belongs to it.” He watches my face, clearly enjoying the way it drains. “Because for you, that would be worse than death, wouldn’t it?”
Something tears inside my chest. He’s right, and he knows it.
In one breath, he wraps a leash around my throat. In the next, he fastens the other end around my son.
Of course I would never want that life for Milo. Who would? They’re criminals, murderers. They’ve done things most people can’t even imagine. I came close to killing for them once, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. Eli did it for me, and he never let me live it down.
