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I gripped the book harder in my hand until my knuckles turned white. “I was trying to make Blaise jealous, and it worked. I never wanted to hook up with you. I’m sorry for leading you on, but I’m not interested. Please, leave.”
Once he stared at me for a couple silent moments, Jim nodded and walked out of the aisle toward the exit of the library. I stared at him until he walked out those doors and disappeared into the darkness, and then I shoved the last book onto the shelf.
After wheeling the cart back to the counter, I grabbed my coat and my backpack and waved goodbye to Sue, and then I headed toward the door to leave for the night. Blaise was supposed to pick me up in about an hour, but he was at the skatepark, so I didn’t even bother texting him to tell him to come get me now.
He was doing his own thing, which he needed after this past week. I’d make it home before the hour ended.
Plus, my phone was dead.
I stepped out into the chilly night and walked down the front steps to the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the slums. Within three strides of the building, I caught Jim pacing back and forth and running a hand through his hair.
“I thought I said to leave,” I said, capturing his attention.
Jim snapped his head to me, showing me his teeth, and suddenly lunged toward me. Before I could stop him, he seized both my arms and pulled me toward him. I pushed away from him, wondering what the fuck had gotten into him, but he snatched my wrist and hurled me toward the ground with so much force that I tripped forward, my head bounced off the concrete, and stars danced in my vision.
I tried opening my eyes, tried to figure out what was happening, but the darkness was quickly taking control of my body. And I felt so limp, so weak, like I couldn’t move any single part of me.
The last thing I remembered was Jim picking me up and saying, “I can’t leave without you.”
ChapterSeventy-Seven
BLAISE
When Avery pulled up to the library, I leaped out of the car and ran into the building. Fuck theno running, no shouting, no nothingrules here. Vera was in danger, and I needed to get her to safety as quickly as possible.
An older woman checked out a mother with her son at the front desk. I scanned the library for Vera, not catching sight of her, and rushed up to the front desk, placing my hands on the counter, heart pounding.
“Vera …” I looked behind the desk to see none of Vera’s belongings. “Where is she?”
“One moment, dear,” the old woman said, sliding the books back to the family. “Let me—”
“Where’s Vera?” I asked again, not giving a fuck whose books she scanned. “She was supposed to be working until six tonight, for another forty-five fucking minutes. You need to tell me where she is right now.”
After the woman smiled at the family and waved them off, she turned toward me. “You’re the boy that she’s been talking to me about, aren’t you? I recognize your face. Vera was telling me how much she—”
I slammed my palms down on the counter. “Where. The fuck. Is. Vera?”
She widened her eyes and shook her head. “S-she’s gone. I gave her the rest of the night off. She left only a few minutes ago out”—the old woman pointed at the door I’d just walked through—“that door.”
“Fuck,” I growled. “Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, brows furrowed. “What happened?”
But I didn’t even have the strength to answer her. I needed to find Vera on her walk home. She had to be on the way back to her house, but why hadn’t she called me to pick her up? Why hadn’t she fucking messaged me?
I stormed out of the library, bumping into Avery on the way out.
He followed after me toward his now-parked car on the side of the road. “Where is she?”
“She’s gone. She’s fucking gone.”
My chest tightened. All I could think was the worst of the fucking worst. My mom had found Vera. My mom had captured Vera. My mom had thrust Vera into a sex trafficking ring that I would never be able to get her out of.
And if by a miracle that I did, if someone had touched her … Vera would never be the same.
“Fuck,” Avery cursed, running a hand through his thick hair and storming to the driver’s seat. He started the car and sped down the road, heading toward the slums. “Where would she have gone? Home?”
Unable to stop myself, I hurled my fist into his dashboard. “Fuck!”
