Chapter 3

“Cause trouble on our turf, and this is what happens. Lucky for you, that’s all you got,” the security captain said. “Now behave.”

I tried to twist free.

The movement only made things worse.

There was a sharp ripping sound, and cold air hit my skin. The collar of my old T-shirt had torn open, exposing my shoulder and the strap of my bra.

A few people gasped.

Then came the whispers.

Blaze’s eyes lit up like he had just been handed the perfect headline.

“Oh, wow. Everybody seeing this?” He shoved the camera closer. “She’s putting on a show now. Trying to seduce security after getting caught.”

I clutched the torn fabric to my chest, humiliation burning hotter than the pain in my knees.

“Stop filming me,” I screamed. “Get that camera away from me.”

He didn’t.

“Screenshot this, guys. Screen-record it. You don’t get content like this every day.”

Leo strolled over, looking down at me as if I were something he had scraped off his shoe.

“Enough with the innocent act,” he said. “Drag her out. She’s holding up the VIP lane.”

The captain grabbed my arm and hauled me across the floor.

My scraped palms burned against the polished tile. I kicked and struggled, but he was stronger, and the other guards were laughing.

“Where are you taking me?” I shouted.

“To cool off.”

He dragged me down a service corridor, away from the crowds, away from the boarding gate, away from anyone who might have helped.

Then he shoved open a metal door.

A janitor’s closet.

“No,” I said, my breath catching. “You can’t do this.”

He pushed me inside.

I stumbled into the dark, hitting my shoulder against a shelf. A mop bucket rattled beside me.

Leo appeared in the doorway, smiling.

“Stay in there and think about your behavior. Once the plane lands, maybe we’ll let you out.”

“This is illegal,” I shouted. “You’re detaining me.”

He tapped the doorframe.

“Soundproof enough. Scream all you want.”

Blaze laughed behind him.

“Good call. A little dark-room therapy might cure the princess complex.”

The door slammed shut.

The lock clicked.

For a few seconds, I just stood there in the dark, breathing too fast.

Then I threw myself against the door.

“Let me out!”

My fists hit metal until my knuckles throbbed.

“Open the door!”

No answer.

Only their footsteps fading down the hall.

I reached for my phone.

My pocket was empty.

I froze.

During the struggle, Blaze must have taken it.

My phone. My only way to reach Dad. My only chance of arranging a private flight.

Gone.

The closet smelled like bleach, dust, and stale water. I sank against the wall, the torn collar of my shirt still clutched in one hand.

Somewhere above me, faint and distant, an engine roared.

The flight.

My flight.

The one I should have been on.

The one carrying strangers to the city where my grandmother was dying.

My throat closed.

“Grandma,” I whispered into the dark. “I’m sorry. Nessa might not make it.”

I curled into myself and cried until my chest hurt.

Hours passed. Or maybe minutes. I couldn’t tell.

My cuts dried. My body went cold. I hadn’t eaten. I hadn’t had water all day. The air in the closet grew thick, and my thoughts started to blur at the edges.

At some point, the lock finally turned.

Light split the darkness.

I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut.

Leo stood in the doorway and tossed my phone at me. It struck my cheek before dropping to the floor.

“Enough drama,” he said. “Plane landed ages ago. Get lost.”

I picked up the phone with shaking hands.

The screen was cracked.

Before I could stand, the security captain grabbed me by the arm and yanked me upright.

He shoved me through the corridor, through the terminal, past people who turned to stare but did nothing.

At the entrance, he pushed me hard toward the doors.

“If you come back here making trouble,” he said, “we’ll make sure you regret it.”

Then he threw me out.