I might not survive what’s coming.
The realization has me pulling out my phone again and firing out a quick group text to Meg, Allecto, and Aurora. My fingers shake as I type.
Me: You guys are the best friends I never realized I had. Thanks for that. Kind of wish I’d been less of an asshole so we could have hung out more.
I send it before I can talk myself out of it. It takes all of three seconds before a flurry of responses appear.
Aurora: We’ve been friends for years. It’s okay that you never noticed!
Meg: Tink … Why the hell does that text sound like a last letter to your loved ones before you make your last stand?
Allecto: Who do I need to kill? Peter or Hook?
Meg: There’s no way it’s Hook, so it must be Peter.
Allecto: I’ll get the car ready.
I blink. That escalated quickly.
Me: This is territory business, ladies.
Allecto: That’s bullshit. Meg, tell her it’s bullshit.
Meg: Unfortunately, we can’t interfere without a formal invitation.
Aurora: Screw that. Tink, where are you?
Meg: Aurora, no.
Aurora: I can help, so I’m going to help. Tell me where you are, Tink. I can be out of here in five.
Apparently I misjudged the depth of our relationship on a fundamental level. I’ve barely come to terms with the idea that these women are friends with me, and now they’re willing to ride into battle without explanation or hesitation. My throat goes a bit tight, and I have to blink rapidly a few times.
Me: Stand down, ladies. I’ll text you tomorrow, when everything’s over.
Me: Thank you, though. I really appreciate it.
There’s no point in saying that I might not survive the night. That will just panic them. Hell, I’ve probably already panicked them without intending to. I pocket my phone again, this time ignoring the series of vibrations that signal incoming texts.
Nigel motions me back over. “You’re with me. You walk where I walk and obey my every order.”
I don’t have the wherewithal to make a joke, so I just nod. “Okay.”
“Let’s go.”
We file out the back door and half the men split off. I don’t ask where they’re going. Nigel has a plan, and my only role is to not get anyone killed while we save Hook. I wish I were more confident that we’ll come out of this conflict victorious.
Our group circles the building, and all the men except Nigel melt into the deep shadows caused by broken streetlights. Nigel moves to the main door, and I shadow his steps.
Impossible to push through this rickety door without remembering the last time I did it. I still can’t believe I had the balls to come here alone, to bet my life on Peter being gone. I found the woman in the apartment on the second floor, an old one-bedroom filled with secondhand furniture. Compared to where Peter kept me five years ago, it was a palace.
I’d only been there five minutes before the woman realized what I was trying to do and punched me in the face. My cheekbone gives a phantom throb in remembrance. I don’t blame her for the attack or for kicking me out. Didn’t I do nearly the same thing to Hook when he offered me a way out? It was something I should have considered before I even tried, but being confronted with a past version of yourself has a way of messing with a person’s mind.
The door leads into a narrow hall with an out of service elevator and a stairwell leading up. Nigel keeps his gun down by his side. “Stay close.”
I nod. “Okay.”
We inch past the second door and the third. Every muscle is so tight, I’m surprised I can take a step. Something bad is coming. I just know it.
When it does, it happens fast.
The door behind Nigel eases open, and then two men appear. One knocks his gun away. The other punches him in the back of the head, sending him to his knees. They look at me. “You go up alone.”
I haven’t even had a chance to move. I clutch my purse close and try not to look as terrified as I feel. “Let him go, and I won’t fight.”
They exchange a look. The guy on the left finally shrugs. “Whatever you say, lady.” They haul Nigel to the front door and toss him unceremoniously out. I wince at the sound of impact, but at least he’s alive. I hope.
They follow me up the stairs, a weight at my back that prevents me from running. As if that’s an option. It feels like the last five years have been leading me to this place, to this moment. I never wanted this confrontation. I only wanted to live without the threat of Peter dragging me down.
I should have known he’d never let me go unless I forced him to.