Page 102 of Escape from the Green

"We must bring it out of you."

"It must be your charm," I drawled, dragging a small chuckle out of him. "Just so we're clear, there will be no having of privileges while I am here."

Jet's head ducked to the side a little, watching me. "You've lost that virginity you just flung in my father's face," he observed, making me stiffen. "Don't try to deny it, I can practically smell the sex on you. Who was it? The Salamander? The lower female?" he asked, eyes dancing a bit at that prospect. "Or the unknown?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not particularly."

"Then I see no need to answer."

"In another world, Amethyst, I think you and I may have gotten on well," he declared, rising from his seat, moving toward the door. "There's no need to bolt this behind me. No one will lay a hand on you now. You're free to walk around. But make no moves toward exits," he told me, voice getting more serious than usual. "You need to appear like you plan to live out your life here. Don't look for opportunities until I tell you to."

Not having anyone else to trust, I had to blindly put my faith in this man who would stand by and watch me be tortured to death.

Life was full of strange choices, I guess.

"Okay," I agreed, reminding myself that I could bide my time, play a part.

Because I knew what was at stake.

My life.

My future.

The one I wanted to build with Drake.

It was worth a few fake smiles, some dinner conversation with a man who wanted to kill my brother and use his own daughter.

I could pull it off, bide my time, wait until Jet decided the time was right.

And then I would free myself.

I would find my way back.

And I would spend the rest of my life trying to put all of this behind me.

ELEVEN

Drake

"No," Smoky snapped, her surprisingly strong hand curling around my arm, yanking backward, forcing me to stop.

"What the fuck do you mean, no? I have to find her," I snapped, yanking my arm free, charging forward only to have Sal step in my way.

"Listen. This is not the way. What do you think you are going to do? Charge into the Dark Court all by yourself, and demand to have her back? Think here. You aren't going to do Amy any favors by getting yourself killed."

They weren't wrong.

I needed to be smart, to be rational.

The problem being, it was impossible to be smart and rational when the woman you loved was in the grips of Dark trackers.

When my feet had hit the ground to find her gone, I knew immediately what had happened. I had smelled them all around.

Smoky had come upon me first, swinging down from a tree while I frantically, irrationally called out Amy's name, hoping for some kind of response, a direction to go in.

Sal had come upon us just a few moments later, demanding details.