Not with all this heavy stuff on my mind. I’ve tried to let Carnage do things his way, but Leon is too shifty.
I slide out of bed, careful not to jostle Carnage. He looks so peaceful right now. So youthful, even soft. He’s beautiful, and if I want a real future with him, this chapter of my life needs to come to a close.
Quietly, I open the nightstand drawer and remove my phone, then I creep out of the room and walk through the dark house to the upper floor balcony off the landing. Then, with all the courage I can muster, I power it on and press the call button next to Leon’s name, hoping he still has access to this number. It’s a long shot, but it’s all I’ve got.
It rings several times and I wonder if he’ll even answer. It’s the middle of the night now and he could be doing literally anything. He could’ve given this phone to someone else or he could just have it in a drawer on silent, ignoring it.
“What?” he answers with a harsh tone. “Who is this?”
Swallowing hard, I manage, “It’s me, Leon. It’s Rue.”
“Rue! Where the fuck are you?”
I squeeze my eyes closed. “I need you to get me away from this guy.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue. “I need to meet you somewhere. He’s really scary, Leon.”
“Has he fucked you?”
Really? That’s what he cares about? “No. He’s had me locked in a room most of the time but he doesn’t know I snuck my phone.”
“Uh-huh. Why should I believe you? He made it sound like you went willingly.”
“You saw me. He threw me in a van.” I quickly come up with something that might sway him. “I heard him talking earlier tonight. He’s gonna sell me to some guys from Ireland.”
“Ireland? What? Is he talking to Seamus Balfe?”
“Yeah, that sounds familiar. Do you know him?”
“Fuck. I can’t fuck with this anymore. I don’t need you now.”
My stomach twists but I press on. “But you promised you were gonna be my first. Don’t you want me anymore?”
He hesitates, but then asks, “You still want to be with me?”
“Yes. ” I manage to get the word out even as bile threatens to rise up on me. “This guy is kind of unhinged.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
“I think he’s gonna sell me soon. You gotta help me, Leon. I’ll do anything you want. Anything at all if I can just come home.”
“Don’t live there no more. I got a new place.”
“Can I come? He leaves every night around nine or ten and I think I could sneak out. Maybe you could meet me outside the gates or tell me where you’re at now and I’ll figure out how to get to you. I need you, Leon.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds, then he says, “If you’re lying, I’ll fucking kill you. You got that, Rue? I’ll put a bullet in your pretty head.”
“I know. I would never lie to you.”
“I ain’t going anywhere near where that maniac lives. I’ll be at Haven tomorrow night at ten.”
“Haven?”
“It’s a bar on the east side of Mistone. New spot I’m trying. You come alone, Rue. If I find out you double-crossed me, I’ll do very bad things to you.”
A shiver moves down my spine, but I’m not scared. Not as much as I could be. I know Carnage won’t let anything happen to me. Now, it’s time to put on a show to seal the deal.
“Thank you, Leon. I knew I could count on you. It’s been so weird not seeing you anymore. I was afraid something happened to you.”
“Nah, nothing’s gonna happen to me. I’m too smart, remember?”
