“Her son. Use him.”

I felt like I was being strangled. If it showed, he didn’t let on. He continued to talk and eat those damn grapes.

“You saying I should hurt her kid?” I’d much rather hurt the prick who fathered him.

“You don’t have to.”

If you can’t.

It was the real meaning he’d left unsaid.

Son of a bitch.

“Maybe I just need to make her think I will.”Chapter EightPretty girls shouldn’t starve.

MIAN“So he justlet you go?”

Anna showed up to see if I needed her to babysit about ten minutes after I rolled out of bed. If I hadn’t been so afraid of who might have been standing on the other side of the door, I would have cried at her thoughtfulness. Last night hadn’t gone as planned.

Scratch that.

Last night, I’d made the second biggest mistake of my life.

“He let me go,” I confirmed. When Anna noticed how spooked I was when I opened the door, the confession of my first and last job poured out of me.

She didn’t sound as if she believed I had gained my freedom so easily. She wasn’t the only one who found it strange. I was just glad I didn’t have to add paranoid to my list of faults. It would have gone right under moronic.

“What do you think he meant byseeing you soon? I mean it’s so spooky. Do you think he’ll come after you?”

“I don’t know.” He’s stayed away all this time. A part of me was hoping last night wouldn’t change that. The other part—the moronic one—was curious. It’s been three years since I’ve seen him. What kind of man was he now?

His errand boy insisted on seeing me home safely. So, not only did Angel have reason to come after me, he now had access to me. During the ride back to the city, I just knew he was taking me somewhere private to dump my body after silencing me forever. But then he asked for my address and actually drove me home.

“But what if hedoes?” Anna whispered as if Angel could hear her. “Maybe you should call the cops. He basically threatened you, right?”

“He’s not going to kill me. He’s probably just blowing smoke.” No matter what our fathers did to each other, we were the innocent bystanders. Surely, he knew that?

Maybe he did before you broke into his house and stole from him.

My worry shifted to the expensive watch burning a hole in my hoodie. There was no way Z missed the watch when he searched me. He had to know I lifted it yet he let me get away with it.

“But didn’t you say your father killed his? What if he wants revenge?”

“He would have come looking for it long before I broke into his father’s home.” After his father was dead and mine was imprisoned for it, he’d forgotten all about the stupid kid with a crush.

“Just be careful. You’re the only friend I’ve got,” she pouted.

“I promise. I don’t plan on ever seeing Angel Knight again, and there’s nothing he can do to change that.”

She laughed, making her eyes bright again. “Well, good. Just as long as we’re clear on that.”

I stared at Caylen sleeping on a blanket a few feet away but felt her watching me. “What?”

“How did you get all the way out there anyway?”

“Borrowed a car.”

“Whose?”

“Joey’s.”

She groaned probably guessing what that meant. “Mian,” she whined.

“I’m sorry, but I promised him.”

“I’m still not interested.”

I smiled sheepishly. “He just asked for me to talk you into catching a movie with him.”

“Mian!”

“Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is. Joey’s sweet.”

“Yeah, you’d think so because he doesn’t drool all over you.”

“Please? Would you just consider it? One date. That’s it. You’ll never know for sure until you give it a try.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure. Joey doesn’t do it for me. He doesn’t give me butterflies. There’s no electricity.”

“Ok. I need to confiscate your library card. You really need to cut down on the corny romance novels.”

“You should give it a try. You never know until you give it a try,” she mimicked. She made a face, and I laughed.

“Tell you what… you go on one date with him, and I’ll read one of your embarrassing obsessions.” She seemed to mull it over but didn’t seem convinced. “Ok, I’ll suffer through two books, and I’ll even discuss them with you.”

“Deal.”* * *My nails bitinto my palm, and I welcomed the pain. I read Jerry’s sign a second time. He was the neighborhood pawnbroker, sometimes loan shark, and it appeared he’d chosen to indulge in the holiday festivities.

I walked away with the watch tucked securely in the pocket of my baggiest jeans. I knew better than to flash or flaunt a watch this expensive-looking around here. I wiped away the tear that escaped and kept my head low.

I had about a day’s worth of food and supplies. Jerry wouldn’t be back for two days.