ELLIE
Ifidget with the sleeves of the oversized cloak as I stand on the front porch of Dominic’s father’s house.
It feels strange to be here, like two different worlds are colliding. I can’t fully articulate my emotions with words, but it’s as though I’m at a precipice, balancing on the very tip of a serrated knife. One wrong move will send me toppling head over feet, down, down, down…
Dominic presses his hand to the small of my back.
“Breathe, Ellie,” he reminds me, his gravelly voice doing wonders to soothe my frayed nerves.
“I’m breathing,” I counter immediately. And then add, “Sort of. Kind of. Probably. God, I can’t believe we’re doing this again.” I glance down at the cloak all Paragon of Prosperity members are required to wear. It practically dwarfs my small frame, obscuring my curves from view. Hopefully, it’ll make me unrecognizable, just another masked face in a sea of depraved monsters.
Dom’s platinum hair glistens in the moonlight, cascading around his face in loose waves. It’s gotten longer in the last few months, though I can’t say it looks bad on him. Quite the opposite, actually.
“I know. But we’re taking precautions. Everything will be okay.”
I’m unsure if he’s trying to convince me or himself.
We can’t sneak any weapons in—not with the amount of security we need to pass through. Though we could wear a small camera, it’s not a risk any of us are willing to take. Wedohave trackers, though I’m not sure if they’ll even make it past security. Right now, our goal is to have the others sneak through the employee entrance and join us.
My ribs strain painfully. The air suddenly feels unbearably heavy, like the breath wants to be pulled straight from my lungs. Despite the temperature dipping to dangerous levels, I feel incredibly hot, my skin flushed.
This has to work.
Ithasto.
The front door opens. Immediately, Dom and I stand at attention, shifting to face his father.
But he’s not alone.
Standing beside him, his expression solemn, is Dominic’s half brother and the person who may have saved my life.
Doyle.
I still have no idea why he warned Dominic that I’d been put up for sale.
Did he want to help us?
Lead us into a trap?
And how did he even see the list? Was he…? Was he buying someone? Fuck, the mere prospect makes me nauseated, my stomach roiling.
Doyle’s expression is entirely unreadable as he glides forward, moving to stand at his father’s side. He ignores me completely, keeping his focus straight ahead, just above Dominic’s shoulder.
Harvey grins from ear to ear.
“Son. Ellie. I’m happy you could finally take the time to join me. I know you’ve been busy with school and…erm…funeral arrangements. I’m grateful we could finally arrange something.”
Dominic’s father is an older man, handsome in a way that comes with age and consistent grooming. I can easily see Dominic in him, from the platinum-blond hair to the emerald-green eyes. But their similarities end there.
Dom could never be as cold and cruel as Harvey.
“I thought Doyle would want to come with us this time around.” Harvey slaps a hand on his older son’s shoulder, though Doyle doesn’t react to it. He continues to stare impassively ahead, his lips compressed in a taut line.
“Of course,” Dominic says diplomatically. He pulls me even closer to him, until my side is flush against his. “Thank you for inviting us, Father.”
Harvey’s smile sharpens, oddly resembling a shark in water circling a clump of raw meat. “Shall we head out?”
We move toward the limo idling in the driveway and slip into the back seat. My heart is pounding erratically in my chest, and my stomach is making a vigorous attempt to displace my lungs.
