3

ROSE

I ran, faster than my legs could carry me, faster than I'd ever run in my entire life. I wasn't an athletic person, and my legs were bound to hurt when I started pushing it past its limit, but it wasn't the case this time. To an extent, I felt like I wasn't running fast enough

I didn’t stop running until my lungs burned and my legs threatened to give out. I didn’t look back, not once. By the time I reached home, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely get the key into the lock.

I slammed the door behind me, my chest heaving and falling rapidly like my internal organs had gone haywire.

“Rose?” my father called out, startled. He looked like he'd seen a ghost, and I mentally scolded myself for bursting in here like a mad woman. What if I'd given him another heart attack? “What happened?”

I opened my mouth to tell him about the car, the men, and the fear still buzzing under my skin. Then I looked at him, really looked z and when I saw him standing there, thinner than he used to be, one hand resting lightly on his chest like it didn’t quite trust his heart anymore.

I swallowed the truth.

“uhm, nothing Dad, I was… exercising,” I said, forcing a breathy laugh. “A dog decided it would be fun to chase me.”

“What?” He blinked, then laughed, and this time, I actually allowed myself enjoy his hearty laugh. “You? Exercising?”

“Don't sound too surprised.” I walked over with a small smirk and kissed his cheek. “Stranger things have happened.” And you have no idea the shit I’m in.

His laughter warmed something in me, and I smiled to myself as I turned away. It was nothing, it had to be. As long as no one said a word.

I dropped my bag and went straight to the kitchen, throwing myself into making dinner like the smell of food could drown out the dread twisting in my stomach.

While I worked, my phone kept buzzing, and every vibration made my heart stutter. Before now, I had no reason to shiver when a notification came in, but thanks to the unfortunate event that had happened in school, I just couldn't help it.

Has someone in the school seen me? I barely have a presence in school, and if this were to blow up, I would be cooked.

More and more thoughts swirled around in my head, but I pushed it aside as I focused on the meal I was making. I didn’t check it until dinner was done and I was safely in my room, door shut, and back against it. I sat on the edge of my bed and finally looked.

Levi.

A brief wave of relief flooded through me, but at the mere mention of Levi, it quickly made way into disgust.

“I’m worried about you.” I murmured the words underneath my breath.  “People are saying things at school. I miss you.”

I exhaled slowly and let the phone fall onto the mattress. I didn’t have the energy for him. Not tonight, and not anytime soon if I was being honest.

After a little bit of deliberation, I took a long bath instead, letting the water go cold before I even noticed. Still, sleep refused to come no matter what I tried. I tossed, and turned, groaned into my pillow, I counted sheep, and even the invisible specks of dust on the ceiling, but nothing seemed to work. At one point in the night, I'd padded down to the kitchen to get myself a glass of warm milk.

I'd read online that it helped with falling asleep, but it only made whatever was wrong with me worse. My thoughts wouldn’t slow, my body humming with the certainty that if I did manage to get some sleep, tomorrow would be worse.

I was right.

It started from the weather. By the time I was ready to head to school, the sky had been painted a dull grey, like all it needed was one tiny provocation and all hell would break loose. I thanked my stars that it didn't rain when I eventually got to school, but as usual, that relief was short lived.

The moment I stepped into school, a secretary approached me.

“Miss Callaway, the dean would like to see you.” her voice was cool, but the words weren't.

“Oh.” My stomach dropped. “Is there a problem?”

I felt stupid the moment those words slid past my lips, but I felt even worse when she stalled out of my presence without so much as another word in my direction.

“I’m getting expelled,” I muttered under my breath as I followed her down the hallway. The walk to the office was a short one, and when I arrived, the door to the office was open.

Inside, three men sat casually, with their legs crossed, and shoulders relaxed. One of them was smoking, like school rules didn’t apply to him, and that didn’t just sit right with me.

They looked out of place, all three of them. They had this aura that screamed power, wealth and danger, a combination I wasn't sure I would be able to handle if I ever got into trouble with them.

If I wasn't already in trouble with them, that is.

I swallowed hard, just as someone's voice filled the office.

“Rose Callaway?” the dean said, and I raised my head to the sound of my name. “Take a seat.”

I sat, but before he could say another word, one of the men lifted a hand.

“We’ll take it from here, dean…” he said calmly. His voice was a deep baritone, one that sent shivers racing down my spine, while I struggled to get a grip on myself. “You can go.”

The dean hesitated, then stood and left without protest. My pulse thundered in my ears the minute he was gone. In the blink of an eye, one of them leaned forward. He had sharp eyes and a smile that didn’t reach them.

“Someone’s been a bad girl,” he said lightly. “Do you have any idea what should be done about that?’

“If this is about the car,” I said quickly. Fear crawled up my spine, but I only hoped my voice was a doing a good job at keeping it concealed. “I can pay for the damages.”

“Is that so?” He nodded slowly. “Good.”

Again, I felt relieved, until he continued.

“It was an expensive car, though.” He shrugged like he hadn't just asked me to replace something that might as well cost me my entire generation. “You’re going to need thirty million for a new one.”

“Wait.” My breath caught, but none of them seemed to be bothered, like this was normal practice for them, and what if it was? “What? Why? I only smashed the window, not set the whole thing on fire.”

“Doesn't matter.” Another man spoke this time, his voice bored. He looked like he would rather be anywhere but here, but it still didn't make him any less dangerous. “…he never uses anything broken.”

“But I don’t have that kind of money,” I snapped, anger cutting through the fear. “And even if I did, I’d rather spend it on my father than replace a car that belongs to the people who put him in the hospital. So arrest me if you want.”

“For someone young, you sure have a big mouth. Are you tempting us right now?” The first man asked, a certain glint in his eyes, almost as if he was threatening me to be careful with my answer. “Is that it?”

“I'm telling y'all to go rot in hell.” I had no idea where that had come from, but it didn't matter because it was too late to do anything about it now.

They didn't say anything after that. Instead, they watched me closely, and only one thought circled at the back of my head.

They knew.

This probably wasn't the best time to think about it, but last night and over dinner, my father had admitted something I never thought I'd hear.

 “We might have to file for bankruptcy.” He'd said it in a tired voice. Why? His business was failing, and his health was too. I didn't like the news, and while I had always been his biggest supporter and cheerleader, I couldn't tell him to hang on this time. If the man I'd walked in on sprawled on his floor was the man I was going to have to keep seeing if he continued with his business, then I was willing to close the damn thing down myself.

I pushed the thoughts aside as I stood abruptly. It was stupid, reckless, but I was done being talked down on, so I walked out.

“If that's all.” I cleared my throat. “I'll see myself out.”

I didn’t wait for any parting words before I walked out. As I headed down the hallway, my mind crawled with thoughts. The first one was to tell my father, but I decided against it. Instead, I texted Cathy.

“Hey girl, I’m about to be homeless.” I punched in the words on my phone before hitting send. “I need a job. Any legal job. Can you help me ask around?”

Her reply came fast.

“Meet me at Royale Club.” I almost smiled at her response. I didn't know how she did it, but somehow she always managed to come through for me at the right time, even when I least expected it.

That evening, I kissed my father’s cheek and told him I was going out with friends. Luckily for me, he didn't ask a lot of questions. When I arrived at the club, Cathy was already there, waiting.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “I've been worried about you since I got your text.”

“Well, Dad’s business is declining,” I said quietly. I caught a glimpse of the emotions in Cathy's eyes, and the moment I recognized them as pity, a lump formed in my throat. “and so is his health… so I need money. And a lot of money if I want to be able to keep him safe.”

“I'm so sorry, Rose.” She sighed.  I shot her a look she quickly interpreted as to not give me any form of pity, and she understood. “My sister works here, and I already talked to her. They need a waitress. Except after talking to you now, I’m not sure what you need is a waitress job…”

“This is a great start, Cathy, thank you.” I nodded. “When can I start?”

She blinked taken aback but she smiled. “When can you?”

“Today.”

She grinned and dragged me to the back. Club Royale was one of the top clubs in the city and anyone who was anyone always visited here. Neon lights flashed around as Cathy pulled me deeper into the place. I greeted her sister, Maddy, changed quickly, and before I knew it, the club was filling up. Music pulsed through the floor, lights dim and heavy.

Before I started off officially, Maddy was kind enough to run me through the basic rules of the place. I needed to smile more to attract customers. Conversation worked too, and I could always call for backup if things were about to go out of hand.

My first order was big, top shelf drinks, and I smiled, hopeful that tonight was going to go well. Rich customers meant tips, those were the words that kept me going, until I looked up, and the smile died on my lips.

The same men from the dean's office. I wanted to convince myself that I didn't know them, or better still that they wouldn't recognize me, until one of them tilted his head and smirked.

“Hello, little flower,” he said softly. “We meet again.”

Shit.