“Oh God. It’s just you,” I breathe.
Kayleigh stands with her back against the door. She’s in a matching dress and heels, minty fresh against her smooth, tanned skin. Her hair is loose, extensions cascading down her back.Sometimes, I wish I could be as put together as Kayleigh, but we’re just two different types.
“Get me a glass,” she says, voice hushed. “And be quiet. Leland can’t know we’re talking alone.”
I pour her one, and she sinks down at the table. I sit next to her.
“You alright?” I whisper.
She leans in. “Listen, we’re getting you outta here tonight. With Landis.”
A tingle of hope appears.
“What?”
She pops her gum. “Leland and the boys are all going out for a fight in the gorge tonight. I’ve got a driver we can trust to take us to Byway. Then, I’m sending you on to a safe place to meet with Jensen.”
My heart leaps. This is the distraction, the way Brothers plans to roll the dice and give me a chance to get Landis out. “Really?” I whisper.
“Yeah, keep up,” she says, having a sip of wine. “Yuck, this is awful. Anyway, all you need to do is be at the door, and I’ll get you out.”
I take a beat.
“I don’t like you getting involved with this,” I say finally.
Her face softens as she taps her nails on the table, thinking. Finally, she crosses her arms and lets out a little huff. “If I could make a break for it, I would. I’d like you and Landis to get out.”
She doesn’t need to explain why she can’t leave. Kayleigh was born and bred into this life. She has no way to make it on her own. Eventually, if she doesn’t make a change that could cost her her life, she’ll be married off to some rich man who gambles at the same tables as Leland. She’s wealthy, but she’s not free.
“Are you sure?” I whisper.
She nods. “I’ve never been more sure.”
Neither of us talk for a while. I wish I could have a glass of wine, but I’m worried about it making me sleepy. I need my wits tonight. Finally, Kayleigh pushes back the chair and stands.
“Be at the back door, off the kitchen, at eleven,” she says, voice low. “Brothers has the driver waiting on the other side of the fence. We just have to cross the yard and get into the SUV before the security notices.”
“And if they notice?”
“We’ll be in the car and on the road before they can alert Leland,” she says. “He’ll be over an hour away, by the highway, into the gorge. Security can’t get there faster than that.”
“There’s no signal,” I say, remembering the time I joined Leland for the fight.
“Nope,” she says.
Hope rises in my chest. “This could actually work.”
She shakes back her hair. “Well, it was my idea, so yeah, it’s a pretty good one.”
We both laugh. Then, impulsively, I hug her hard. She melts into me, holding me close. Kayleigh always smells good, like sweet perfume, and she leaves traces of glitter from her body spray wherever she goes. I love it, it’s like her signature. When she pulls back, her eyes are wet, makeup a little melted.
“Kayleigh,” I whisper. “What happens to you if you get caught?”
“I won’t,” she says.
“Why don’t you leave?” I burst out. “Go to Brothers after we’re gone, get your happily ever after.”
She sniffs, wiping her face. “It’s not that simple.”
