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My shadow grows larger on the wall, and I hear Townes’ swearing. When I turn the corner, I see this Olivia in her dirtied, white nightdress, holding a heavy enough piece of iron in one hand. She has both arms spread out beside her as she guards her father’s cell. Lucian is right. Even if only lit by the flames of a lantern, I can see that her lips are naturally pink. Such a pretty shade. She pants and looks at me as if she’s both scared and ready to fight. But she must have reconsidered because she’s yet to swing the iron at me. Good of her not to. It would be too heavy for her to handle quickly enough, and I’d only end up taking it from her.
“You’re out of your depths here,” I say to her, smirking.
She gulps but says nothing. Townes yells out, “Please, let her go. She has nothing to do with this. This is my debt. I’m the one who owes you. Please don’t hurt her.”
My breath tremors as I inhale deeply. My mind is reminding me that she’s a Primrose, which means that she also has her family’s debt on her head. But something else tells me to give her a chance. It would bring hassle to my door if she spoke of this to someone, but I could fight whoever I needed to. She looks so pure, and her genuine love for her father renders me to a moment of weakness.
“He’s right,” I say, lowering my head. “This is between me and your father. Now, leave before I change my mind.”
She shakes. “Sir,” she says. Her throat scratches. “If this is about a debt my father owes, I’ll pay it back.”
I laugh. “And how do you intend to do that? Do you have money of your own?” I ask.
“No, b-b-but… what are you going to do him? Whatever you plan to do to him, do it to me, instead,” she says.
“No! Olivia, what the hell are you saying? Keep your mouth shut,” Townes mutters beneath his breath. “Mr. Molotov, my daughter doesn’t know what she’s talking about…”
“Shut up! Both of you,” I yell.
“Now listen here, on the count of three, I expect you to leave this cell. If not, I’m throwing you in there with him,” I bark.
“Look what you’ve gone and done!” Townes whispers to her.
“I don’t care…” Her voice breaks. She drops the iron she’s holding, breathing heavily and gripping her belly and her chest. “If I can’t save you, I’ll die with you,” she cries, and it’s so loud, I must grit my teeth.
“Well,” I say. “Isn’t this something? Love. It makes you do stupid things, doesn’t it?” I ask, recalling how I almost got married to that wench, Agatha. And how it drove me to kill Alfred before pushing me out of the life I had imagined for myself. Thank goodness I’m no longer a fool. But well, they are. “It seems there might be a solution after all.”
Her loud cries turn into hiccupped sobs as she raises her head. Brown eyes wide with hope. “What is it?” she asks, stepping forward. “I’ll do anything.”
I back up, swallowing as she says that. My mind goes somewhere it shouldn’t.
“It’s clear your daughter would do anything for you,” I say. “Would you do the same for her?”
He nods. “I’ll do anything for her. She’s my world.” His voice cracks.
“Oh, please. Turn off the waterworks.” I grimace. “Here’s the deal.”
They both look at me with their mouths agape, hanging onto my words as they leave my mouth.
“I’ll let you out,” I say to Townes. His lips flap together, and nonsensical mutters fall from his mouth.
“You will?” Olivia’s brows lift as she looks up at me. I can see her chest pulsing with the beat of her heart.
Swallowing, I nod, moving toward the cell and unlocking it. Townes can hardly believe he’s free. He just stares at the open cell and doesn’t make a move toward it.
“Well?” I say.
It’s like he’s frozen.
“Don’t you want to be free?” I ask.
He finally blinks and looks at me. “I don’t understand,” he says.
That’s when I grab Olivia by her nightdress, rumpling the back of it into my fist. “You’re free to go, Townes. But if you’re not back in thirty days with my money, your precious little world will cease to exist,” I say.
Townes grabs hold of the metal door and pulls it shut. “That’s okay. I’ll stay here.”
Frustrated, I fling the metal gate open until it bangs a deafening echo. “Get out of the cell and don’t make me come in there. It’s either this, or you’re both dead.”
