Semua Bab DIRTY ANGELS: Bab 51 - Bab 60

Isla could still feel her father watching her long after the room had fallen silent, and it was that silence more than anything that made fear begin to creep its way under her skin, because Marvin did not need to shout to make a room unbearable, did not need to throw things or slam doors or raise his voice like lesser men did when they were angry, and somehow that made him worse, made him feel larger than the space he occupied, until the air itself seemed to belong to him.She had never wanted to leave a room so badly in her life.Her pulse thudded hard in her throat as she edged a step toward the side table where she had dropped her keys earlier, trying not to look hurried, trying not to give away how badly she needed to get out of the house, away from his eyes and the cold, controlled fury that had settled over him like another skin.She had almost reached them when his voice cut through the room.“Sit the fuck down.”The words stopped her in her tracks.She turned slowly, every ner

The bus rumbled along the interstate, creating a world apart for Isla and Chad. They took the back row on the right, where it felt more private and the lights didn’t flicker as much. Backpacks filled with cash, spare clothes, and nothing that could identify them sat at their feet. Their phones and cars were gone, left behind in a dumpster at a rest stop hours earlier. For the next five days, they planned to disappear.Isla leaned her head on Chad’s shoulder, her hand resting casually on his thigh in a silent reassurance. The bus was only half-full, most passengers dozing or staring at their own screens. The driver had the radio on low, some classic rock station droning through the miles. She glanced up at him, eyes bright with that mix of adrenaline and mischief that had defined the last twenty-four hours—her heartbeat quick and her nerves buzzing.“Still nervous?” she whispered.Chad gave a small, uneasy laugh, but his fingers tightened anxiously around hers, betraying the anxiety he

Ethan sat alone in his office with a glass of wine untouched in his hand. Vince had called, something had gone sideways, and he already knew it was Remy because lately everything seemed to find its way back to her, whether he wanted it to or not.He leaned forward, pressing his fingers to his temple, then ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm the restlessness inside him. There was a time when nothing got past him, when every move felt deliberate and clear. He could read a room, a person, a situation, and always knew where he stood. That certainty had faded, worn away bit by bit, until he no longer trusted his own judgment.He knew when it had started.Lila’s death.For a moment, he closed his eyes, and he could see her as she had been before everything turned to shit, before the distance, before the secrets, before the night she walked out and never came back.He had thought, for one brief second that morning when Marisol walked into his room, that somehow life had decided to

The engine ticked quietly as it cooled, the night pressing in around them. He had parked the car at the river where they found her, Lila.He sat with the bottle resting against his knee, his fingers loose around the neck of it, staring out through the windshield as if the answers might be waiting out there if he looked long enough.Beside him, Marisol shifted slightly, the leather seat creaking under the movement. She didn’t rush him, didn’t fill the silence the way most people would. She just waited for him to grapple with his thoughts.Ethan lifted the bottle and took a long drink, the burn hitting harder than usual, settling somewhere low in his chest without easing anything.“Are you sure?” he asked finally, his voice rougher than he intended.Marisol didn’t answer straight away. She watched him for a moment, then reached for the bottle, her fingers brushing his as she took it from him, not pulling away immediately.“I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t,” she replied, quieter now.

Ethan woke slowly, wiping his mouth where a little dribble had gathered. He had dozed off from the heavy fog of too much weed, his body stiff where it had settled awkwardly on the couch.For a moment, he didn’t move. There was warmth pressed along his side.He turned his head.Marisol was lying on him, her head tucked against his shoulder, one hand resting loosely against his chest as if she had fallen asleep there without thinking. The robe she wore had slipped open in the night, just enough to leave the shadow of a pink nipple exposed to the cool air.Careful not to wake her, he reached down and pulled the fabric back into place, covering her properly.She didn’t stir.He eased himself out from under her, shifting her weight just enough so she settled back against the couch, her breathing steady and undisturbed.For a second, he stood there and watched her sleep.The apartment felt chilly now, so he turned and went to fetch a blanket to cover her.Ethan moved to the kitchen, grabbed