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I push my cheek out with my tongue and think of the restroom I left not long ago. The door to the back hallway is still ajar. I head over to it, using my toe to nudge it open.
The man I shot is nowhere to be seen. There are several bloody handprints on the wall, where he got up and exited through the store.
Blood rushes through my temples, making it hard to think. In my limited capacity, I step into the building once more and find my way to the bathroom. It’s my safest bet, for the moment at least.
I slink backward, opening and closing the door quietly. Then I lock the deadbolt.
As I pull out my phone, I realize just how badly I’m shaking. Going to the contacts, I select the only number saved in my phone.
I press dial, clenching my eyes closed and whispering a prayer.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
“Come on… come on…”
Hades picks up with a grumble. “This had better be fucking important, Persephone.”
“Hades?” I whisper. “I’m in Monaco City… and I need your help… I just saw Constantine. He’s… he’s here. And I’ve been stabbed.”
The last few words are lost, swallowed by my tears. I try not to panic or get hysterical, but it’s almost impossible.
Constantine almost killed me once. I know too much, and I can testify that he’s a bad, bad man.
If he finds me, I am absolutely certain that he is going to finish the job.
“Fuck,” Hades curses. There is a pause. “Where are ye?”
I take a deep breath, trying not to cry. “Parapharmacie Édouard. I’ve locked myself in the bathroom.”
There’s a silence on the line. For a second, I think he’s considering whether I’m worth the trouble of saving or not. Big, fat tears leak from my eyes.
“Please, Hades,” I beg. “Please, come get me.”
Another second. Then he grates an answer.
“Stay put. I’ll be there shortly. Do not open that fucking door for anybody but me.”
He disconnects the line before I can say another word. It takes a few seconds of gaping at my phone before I can put it away. I move away from the door, one eye on the tiny window, more afraid than I can ever recall being.
And my vision starts fading in and out. Touching my wound again, I look at my hand. It’s stained dark red with my own wet blood.
Shit.
I sit down in the middle of the bathroom floor, feeling woozy, and wait for my white knight to arrive.
Chapter24
Hades
Iwind our boxy SUV around the sinuous coastal road. The pale sunlight filters through the dark-tinted windows, casting a wide box of light that falls upon still-sleeping Persephone. She’s been sleeping for hours now, ever since the doctor gave her some pain medication.
My eyes are fixed on the still silhouette of her face.
Even in sleep, her face is pale with two heavy smudges of shadow under each eye. I can’t look away.
