“And you get to seem magnanimous and clever, because not only did you accept that the city was more important than your daughter, but you still managed to negotiate for them to come peacefully. And all it'll cost me is the rest of my life, because I'm officially dead.” Apparently I understand politics better than I thought.
“There are ways to make sure you still have a lovely life. There are still suitors who would have you, and with a brief name change and a little help from some people I know, you could be living the rest of your life in luxury, away from crime, from danger, hell, even from me, if that's what you prefer. And you would've saved the lives of the misfits over in that compound. All I ask is that you come with me peacefully.” He holds a hand out.
My shoulders slump. I know when I've lost. I wish I'd listened to King after all, and that my last words to Wild Child hadn't been annoyed ones. “Not much of a choice, is it?”
“I'm afraid not.” This time his smile is genuine, but it has nothing to do with reassuring me. He just knows that he's won. “Come here.”
He puts his arm around my shoulder, holding me close as I walk with him. To anyone around us, I'm sure we look like a relieved father whose rescued daughter is back together with him, but even Dad must feel how stiffly I'm walking. How much I loathe him touching me.
How much the limo looks more like a prison transport.
But better that, if it means that he won't be killing the guys.
Still, it’s with a heavy heart that I climb into the back.
31
HERO
“Where's Emily?” I look around the common room one more time before I'm sure she's nowhere around. King and Wild Child are out here, so they didn't even sneak her away for some one on one fun.
Wild Child looks up at me from the couch. Jupiter's doing figure eights around his legs. “I thought she went to her room. I think I pissed her off a little.”
“Great work,” says King sarcastically.
“I just looked. There's a pile of books strewn on her cot, but there's no sign of her. Not in any of our rooms either.”
“Anyone else missing?” King's on his feet immediately, and Wild Child a moment later. With three of us searching, it goes even faster to confirm that she's gone. And not just her.
“Where the fuck is Janey?” asks Wild Child suspiciously. “Emily kicked her ass in the kitchen, but it's not like her to stay away.”
King rumbles like an earthquake. “I told Janey that I'd have her the fuck out of here if she came near Emily again.”
“It's all good. Emily dealt with her, established herself as top slut and Janey slunk off with her tail between her legs.” Wild Child laughs. “You should've seen her damn face after losing to a rich girl from uptown. She was furious.”
“And you didn't think to mention that? Jesus Christ, you know what Janey gets like. If she's fucking hurt Emily, I can't be held accountable for my actions, just so everyone's warned.”
Just then Snark comes out from the back corridor. “Hey, any of you guys mean to leave the emergency exit in the pantry open?”
All three of us say it at once. “Fuck.”
It doesn't take us long before we're out on the other side. In theory, only blooded members should know where these escape hatches are, but the sluts were let through a couple of them during the raid. The question is, what has Janey done?
Fuck, if we after all this have managed to fuck up protecting her… I don't even want to think about it.
I throw the door open, nearly knocking Janey over with it. She yelps in surprise and jumps back. She doesn't look exactly reassured when she realizes it's us. I'm the closest, so I lock my fist around her arm so she can't run away. “Where the fuck is Emily?”
“I don't—”
“I would think very, very carefully about how you answer right now,” says King. It's his deathly quiet voice. Wild Child already has his knife out, and he flips it casually as he nods.
“She went that way, okay?” Janey points. “She made me promise not to tell.”
She what? “Bullshit.” I give her a shake, just enough to know we mean business. “What wouldn't you tell?”
“She's meeting her father. Just that way.” She points with her free hand. “You can't miss them.”
“Why is she meeting her dad?” Wild Child frowns in confusion, as he looks in the direction she points.
“I don't know. I swear, I don't.” There's a wildness in Janey's eyes that I'll never trust, but the fear seems real. I point to the abandoned apartment. “In you go. And you'd better fucking be at the clubhouse when we get back.”