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“We’re going to the shelter,” Easton said evenly.
I took another step back, wary. “I don’t believe you.”
He shrugged. “The word is trust.”
I snorted. How could he say that? After what I’d done, there was no getting any semblance of trust back.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’ll find my own way.”
“It’s not.”
“Then we’ve got a problem.” If I got in a car with them, they’d take me straight to the FBI or cops or whoever could lock me up the longest.
“You know the choices.”
Ah, so my father could speak.
“I should’ve known you were behind this. In your mind, there’s only one place for me.” I gripped the doorframe, struggling to ignore the onslaught of hurt. It wouldn’t go away.
“She wasn’t supposed to see you,” he said through tight lips. “But this is what Loretta wants, so it’s what’s going to happen.”
Easton looked at his watch. “They’re expecting us. Do I need to call Mrs. Quinn and tell her we’ve made other arrangements?”
I glanced back and forth between the two of them. A powerlessness swept over me.Iwas always in command.Ipulled the strings. That way I wasn’t left exposed. Now? What choice did I have?
I pushed off the doorframe. “If y’all think it’s a good idea to put me in a place full of women, that’s on you.”
Chapter Four
Sonya
Walking barefootthrough New York City sucked.
It didn’t help I had to stick to side streets and alleys to avoid Tamas and his goon. Yet with every block of distance I put between me and the apartment, the easier I breathed.
That hadn’t gone as planned.
Esmerelda had snitched on me. She’d seen me nosing around Tamas’s study, and of course he’d take her word over mine.
But a black eye was worth it.
I couldn’t say worse had happened, though it would heal, and I’d still have the coin . . . as long as I lay low for a while. My head smarted where he’d yanked out a chunk of hair. I hadn’t seen the aftereffects yet, but I was sure it wouldn’t be lovely. One thing was for certain: Tamas wouldn’t stop looking for me until his last breath. I’d heard countless conversations—more like threats—when he’d found out his chief engineer disappeared after he’d stolen and attempted to sell the new technology for his company’s latest rechargeable battery. Three days. That was how long the engineer was able to hide from Tamas. But he’d never think of the place where I was headed. Andhewas the one who’d introduced me to it.
Turned out the state he’d left me in would play to my advantage when I got there.
A whimper came from a shadowy doorway. I knew better than to go into dark corners I couldn’t see, but that plea for help had me backtracking. As I crept toward the cry, I heard it again. What a time to have no phone for a flashlight.
When I was just outside the doorway, something licked my foot. I let out a startled screech and prayed it wasn’t a giant rat even as I squatted.
In the darkness, big, sad eyes met mine. My heart lurched. “What’s the matter, baby?”
I held my hand out. The dog lifted his head and sniffed, swiping his tongue over my fingertips. I stroked down matted, dirty fur and felt bones where meat should’ve been.
“Are you hungry?”
With my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw his tail wag. This baby was starving and who knew what else, yet he was trying.
“Can you come with me? I don’t have anything, but we’ll find you something.”
