LOGINChapter 159Brenda I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was tied back neatly. My face looked calm, though my heart felt anything but. I was wearing a red top â not because he told me to, but because I wanted to face his poison with fire. If he thought he still had control over me, he was wrong.âLetâs end this,â I whispered to myself.When I stepped out of the car, the morning air felt heavy and cold. The sky was pale gray, and the wind carried a faint smell of rain. Each step towards the cafĂŠ felt slower than the last.The bell above the door jingled softly when I walked in. The place was half empty. Only two people sat near the window, sipping coffee. I scanned the room â and then I saw him.He was sitting at a table in the corner, his back straight, his eyes sharp and proud as ever. The moment he saw me, a smile spread across his face. It wasnât a kind smile. It was the same one I used to fall forâ smooth, practiced, and dangerous.âBrenda,â he said, st
Chapter 158BrendaI didnât want to repeat it. The words tasted like poison. âHe said⌠he has things. Pictures. From before. He said heâll show them if I donât meet him.âJaceâs jaw tightened. âThen heâs blackmailing you.âI nodded. My eyes burned, but I refused to cry. I had cried enough for men like him.Kira came back then, holding a jug of water. She looked at us and frowned. âWhat happened?âI shook my head. âNothing. Itâs fine.âBut Jace spoke before I could stop him. âItâs not fine. Someoneâs threatening her.âKira dropped the jug and water spilled on the floor. âWhat? Who?ââAn ex-boyfriend,â I said quietly. âFrom before everything.âKiraâs eyes softened. She came and held my hand. âWhat does he want?ââHe wants to see me,â I said, my voice small. âHe said heâll⌠expose things if I donât.âKiraâs face went pale. âHe canât do that.ââBut he can,â I whispered. âHe has them.âFor a long time, none of us spoke. Jaceâs face looked like stone. Kira squeezed my hand tighter.Finally,
The sun came through the window and touched my face. I blinked and turned away from the light. For the first time in a long while, I slept without fear. No nightmares, no screams in my head, no enemies waiting in the corner.Kira was already awake. She stood near the small table, brushing her long hair. She smiled when she saw me open my eyes. âMorning,â she said softly.âMorning,â I replied, stretching my arms. My body still felt sore from everything that had happened before we came here, but the quiet made it better.âJace went to get breakfast,â Kira said. âHe said we should stay inside today.âI nodded. It didnât bother me. I liked staying in. The air outside was still new, still strange. I didnât know the people here, and they didnât know me. That felt safe.I sat by the window. From there, I could see the street below â small houses, people walking, a fruit seller calling out to customers. It was normal. I had forgotten what normal looked like.Kira came beside me and handed me
KadenShe closed her eyes. âAlways,â she whispered.We walked down the steps. The rain from yesterday had dried. The grass smelled clean. The men moved like they had done this a hundred times. The guards watched the road. I made sure every exit was watched.Before they left, I told them one last thing. âIf anyone asks where you are from, say you are from the city to the east. If anyone asks your name, give the one you like. Do not tell them where you live. Do not tell them who I am.âBrenda nodded. She got into the car. Jace took the wheel. The other guard sat in the front. Kira sat next to Brenda. She held Brendaâs hand like a lifeline. The car rolled away slowly. I watched until it turned a corner and was gone.When they left, the house felt emptier than before. The room where Brenda had slept felt quiet and hollow. I closed the door softly. My fingers stayed on the wood for a long time.I went back to the map table. There were papers and names and lines. Our work lay on those paper
KadenThat night, Brenda slept in the next room. She had cried hard last night. Her shoulders shook when she slept. I watched her for a long time. Her face looked small and tired. The fear left little marks on her. I wanted to take them away with my hands. I wanted to make every hurt go away.I stood up and put on some clothes. I walked out into the hall, my boots clinking softly. I met with Luis and Tom near the map table. They looked ready. Their faces were sharp. âBrenda will leave today,â I said. My voice was low. The men nodded. They already knew. We had talked last night. We had planned. But saying it again made it real.âWhere will she go?â Luis asked. He always asked what I wanted before he acted. He wanted to know so he could do it right.âTo another city,â I said. âFar from here. A place where no one knows her face. A quiet place. How soon can you have the car ready?ââTwo hours,â Tom said. âAnd Kira can ride with her.âKira. The thought of her warmed me. She was brave. She
Chapter 154BrendaThe room felt very loud even though everyone was quiet. My heart beat like a drum in my chest. I could hear each breath I took. I could hear Kadenâs shoes on the floor. I could hear my own sobs, small and soft.Kaden put his hand on my shoulder. He was gentle. He pulled me a little to the side. His voice was soft, so only I could hear him. âWhat do you want now, Brenda?â he asked. He looked at me with kind eyes. His jaw was hard, but his voice was gentle.I looked at him. I wiped my face with the back of my hand. My fingers were shaky. I felt tears already gathering at the corner of my eyes again. It all still felt like a dream, and I really wished someone could snap me out of it already.I looked up and my gaze met theirs again, and that only ignited the anger in my heart.I swallowed. I thought of all the nights I cried. I thought of the empty bed and the long days. I thought of the face that lied to me and smiled while I hurt. I thought of the way they told me I







