Page 28 of The Devil

I nod quickly. “Mind if I borrow your book?” I ask only so that I can look away from him as I make my way to the bed and pick up the book I was reading last night.

“Sure.” He holds the door wider and gestures for me to go ahead of him and I’m not sure why I do it. Why I take the watch. But I do. I just walk out of there with his watch in my pocket.

There’s a part of my brain that is screaming for me to put it back but there’s another part that is forming a plan.

Today, Daniel and I fly back to Florida and tomorrow I’m back at school, back to my life of being watched, essentially a prisoner even if it is for my own protection. I have no money. Cassian controls that. He pays for my school and housing and food and pretty much everything and gives me a small allowance which is embarrassing to think about, but he won’t allow me to work. Says it’s for my own safety and I know he’s right to an extent. But also, this is how he keeps control of me. Makes sure I stay put.

If I just had some money, I could get away just for a little while. Just long enough to give Daniel a chance. Because maybe I can save him. Get him out of this life. Give him a chance. Maybe it’s dumb but I have to try. I have to find a way. This watch will get me enough money to do it. Jet won’t even miss it he has so many others. And he’d basically thrown this one out.

“Amal,” Cassian says when I walk into the living room to find him holding a cup of coffee. A soldier is standing near the elevator. “Your brother’s outside. You ready to go?”

I nod, turn to Jet. “Um, thank you,” I say, feeling so many things, guilt right at the top of that list while simultaneously trying to read what’s in his eyes. Wanting to memorize those eyes and the way they look at me when we’re alone. When no one is around. When he’s relaxed and himself. Truly himself.

“Remember what I told you,” he says.

I can feel Cassian’s eyes on us and nod.

Cotton makes her way over to me against Jet’s order to stay put and I crouch down to give her a little love.

“Thanks for the book. I’ll get it back to you,” I tell Jet before walking away from them both to slip on my shoes. I notice Cassian has my coat draped over his arm and when I walk to the door, he sets it over my shoulders.

I hug it to myself as the elevator doors slide open and when they do, Cassian gestures for me to go with the soldier. “He’ll take you home.”

“You’re not coming?”

“I’ll follow shortly.”

I glance at Jet who gives me a nod. I know he’s not scared of Cassian. I know he can walk away if he chooses and that gives him power. But I also know he doesn’t want to walk away.

“Okay. See you,” I say to Jet which feels so weird after the night we had.

“See you,” he answers.

The soldier climbs into the elevator after me and just before the doors slide fully closed, I hear Cassian.

“What in the actual fuck, Jet?”

9

JET

Present Day

Edinburgh, Scotland

When the door creaks closed behind the final parishioner and I hear the lock turn, Amal lifts her wary gaze to mine.

“Cassian sent you?”

“I sent myself,” I tell her, searching her face, remembering the last time we were together. Our stolen night.

Things were different between us then. She hadn’t stolen from me and disappeared for three goddamned months. Just vanished into thin air like what happened between us, the things we said, meant nothing. Not a damn thing.

“But you’re going to take me back.”

She has no idea that as I sit here this close to her, breathing in the scent of her, looking into those wide, bright eyes, I feel fury and relief and I don’t know what the fuck else but my heart is pounding against my chest and it is taking all I have to keep my fingers on her thigh from hurting her.

I found Amal about a week ago. What I said earlier, that I’d never lost her? Lie. I was beside myself. Not to mention cursing myself for trusting her because I know not to trust anyone. I fucking know that.