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“I get it,” I say, picking up where he left off. “I did the same thing for Ais. We couldn’t wait. She was in too much danger.”
We both go silent, and Roman finally clears his throat. “I’m not going back to the club,” he says. “I’ll lay low for a while…then I’m coming to get her. You think there’s a place for me in the Angels?”
I think about my interactions with Vance Solace—how I know he’s dangerous, but he’s always been fairly kind to me.
Probably because he has a thing for my girl.
But it seems like everyone does.
“I’ll put in a good word for you,” I say. “But you should know…me, Gunnar, Ais? We’re on the outs with the Archangel. He’s pissed we’re not falling in line.”
“And what are you gonna do?”
“I thought we were just trying to find Aisling’s friends and get the hell out of town, but now I’m not so sure.”
I turn and look out the window, back at Pacific City—my home, my prison. The city lights flicker in the distance, a mirage of safety, and for a moment, I let myself believe that we can outrun the darkness chasing us. But the game we’re playing has no end, only the next move, and as we dock and drive back to our apartment with Cassie in the back, I know that come morning, we’ll be making ours.
Chapter fourteen
Aisling
Cassie sleeps for days…and the memories won’t fucking relent.
I can’t make sense of them; it’s more like flashes, a barrage of images that won’t stop. I see pictures from my past every time I close my eyes, nightmare shadows in the corner, faceless men with syringes.
I smell fir trees, feel pine needles under my feet as I ran.
My body remembers…but my mind can’t make sense of a damn thing.
I can’t sleep—so I watch Cassie do it instead. She stays crashed on the couch, and we dose her with sedatives to help with the eros withdrawal. It’s bad—just like it was with Oberon—but I manage to help her through it until she’s finally sober again.
Hurt, but sober. Anxious, but free.
Cassie’s eyelids flutter, and I lean in closer. The room’s air is heavy with the scent of stale sweat, her hair matted. I watch her glazed eyes open, confusion clouding her features.
“Hey,” I whisper, my voice a soft lifeline cast into the murky waters of her consciousness.
“Where…?” Her voice trails off, brittle as dry leaves. She tries to sit up but winces, pain lacing her features.
“Easy,” I say, pressing a gentle hand against her shoulder, guiding her back down. “You’re safe now.”
“Safe?” Cassie echoes, skepticism shadowing her voice. “That’s a funny word these days.”
I offer a weak smile, one that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. The room around us is stark—just four walls and the bare essentials. Comfort is a luxury we can’t afford. Not on the run like we are, from Angels and the Eclipse alike.
“Can you tell me what happened?” I ask, keeping my tone even. My fingers find hers, skin on skin, searching for a connection beyond words. “Roman wasn’t sure.”
“Roman…” she frowns, her eyes darting around the room—then they widen. “Oh my god. Did I—“
“We didn’t let you do anything,” I say. “He didn’t let you. Your safety was his priority, and ours once we got you here.”
“Which is…?”
“Our apartment in Celestial Hills.”
She fixes her eyes on me, and I’m surprised when they fill with tears. “Oh my god…I’m not in Echo Beach anymore?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re in Angels territory. You got out.”
