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“Thanks for the opportunity,” I barely managed to crack.
“Bianca…”
I hesitated, but didn’t turn around.
“You don’t have to leave like this. You can still stay and work for me. I meant what I said about earning some money.”
It took every fiber of my being not to beg him to help me once more, to save us from Jesse.
“For how long? Until I am pregnant with Jesse’s child?” I spat, storming off toward the stairs.
“There’s a car waiting for you!” he yelled after me, but I ignored him and circumvented the back entrance, remaining in the shadows.
I didn’t want to get in a car with one of his people when I was sure I wouldn’t be able to keep the tears from flowing down my face now. I needed the walk, even if it was more dangerous. It would do me good to clear my head.
But as I crept through the darkness, determined to avoid Atlas’ people, my heart sank deeper into the pit of my stomach, and I knew that my head would never be clear again. The wedding was only two weeks away, and the amount of money I had on me was a lot for two nights of work. The cash would only get us so far, though, even if I could get Dahlia on her feet. Jesse wouldn’t let us go without a search. I had heard what he had said, his fascination with our twinship, and the many fantasies he had ready for us to play out with him.
It was the only shot we had. We would have to run the second Dahlia could stand. It was our only hope in hell of making it out with any shred of dignity.
Chapter17
Atlas
Isat in the office for a long time after Bianca left, staring at the ever-blinking telephones. I eyed the small list she’d started.
George and Junior again. I’ll have to deal with Melissa,I thought absently, fingering Bianca’s even scrawl on the page. Her smell lingered in the office, even though I’d scrubbed her off my face to the best of my ability. The effort had been futile, of course. She was in my pores now, and she wasn’t going anywhere. I’d crossed the line, the point of no return.
No. No. I just won’t touch her again. Everything will be fine. I didn’t go all the way with her. I didn’t take her from Jesse. Nothing will happen.
Cold beads of sweat broke out over my forehead and under my armpits as I thought of Jesse’s great-grandfather, Gabriel, and his dying words to me. I’d managed to block Gabriel’s words out for so long, the immortal’s desperation to keep his bloodline alive almost comical at this point. I’d been able to put Jesse in the far recesses of my mind, where he and his pathetic family belonged.
Why was this all coming back to haunt me now?
“Mr. Atlas?”
I whipped my head up toward the door, eyes narrowing to see my driver standing awkwardly at the threshold.
“Did you take her back to the wall?”
The driver shook his head.
“I thought she might still be down here. She never came to the car.”
I jumped up, a mild panic striking me at first.
“She left half an hour ago,” I declared, but as soon as the anxiety formed, it dissipated.
Bianca had chosen to walk. Nothing had happened to her. She was mad at me.
“Should I go looking for her, sir?”
I shook my head.
“Not necessary,” I sighed. “She clearly doesn’t want to be found. You can go home.”
Gratefully, the driver bowed and backed out of the basement, eager to be on his way before I could change my mind. Not that it was happening. I couldn’t let it happen.
* * *
