![]() She’d never let her daughter be used as a pawn in his desperate power game. As if a spin in the washing machine would wash away the dirt from what he had planned for me. As if I were nothing but a ragdoll in a toy store, free to be used and tossed around. ![]() Where Mamma went crazy because he-the man who dared to call himself my father-had sold my body. Twelve hours before, when I was supposed to be doing schoolwork, I’d heard the argument. I was glad for her unwavering protection. We can’t waste time tonight.”ĭarien bundled me into the back seat with Mamma and carefully shut the door behind me. He illuminated the path with the flashlight, flicking it up so I could see the waiting car, lights off, engine not running. ![]() The warmth of his hand spread up my arm, filling me with comfort. “Quickly.”ĭarien’s soothing tone calmed me instantly, and he shone the light right at me, his hand outstretched. After she’d followed me outside, she closed it with the quietest click, locked it, and hurried past me, down the stone path that cut through the backyard.Ī flashlight flickered through the scary darkness, and I froze, backing up. Before I could speak, she pulled the door open and pushed me through it. Her chest heaved as she took a deep, steadying breath before she released me. She stilled, turning to me slightly, then I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. I tiptoed my way to her and grabbed her hand. The light over the cooker was on, and from where I was standing, I could see the back door wasn’t fully shut. She was shaking as she heaved the gym sack onto her shoulder and walked through the mansion to the kitchen. I swung it onto my shoulders and wrapped my arms around my waist. Wordlessly, she handed me a black backpack. I had the most terrifying feeling that was what was going to happen tonight. All fake, all forged, all necessary if you needed to… disappear. It was the thing that held everything you’d need for a life on the road as another person, from wigs to hair dye to passports and birth certificates. When you were at both the heart and the top of the mafia, the escape bag was a part of your life. The black bag I’d found myself familiar with was waiting by the front door. The way we moved from side to side to middle made me wonder how many times she’d practiced this. We went down the stairs, our backs pressed to the wall, without any more creaks. It seemed as though hours had passed before she moved again. Once again, she pressed her finger to her mouth. The door was open, illuminating the hallway and the stairs. Mamma turned, her lips drawn together in the moonlight streaming through the bathroom window. I was afraid to breathe as she gripped my fingers so tightly I thought they’d fall off. Her movement was the request, the hard glint in her eyes the demand. My pajamas lay discarded on my floor as Mamma grabbed my hand and held one manicured fingertip to her lips. Mamma held a gun to her head, you did, too. My respect for her had always been unquestionable. Mamma would never ask me to do something like this without a good reason. My feet hit my cold wooden floor with barely a sound, and I changed without a word. “Get up.” She stood from where she was crouched at the side of my bed and reached behind her. Our eyes met through the pitch black room. I need to do what I say, exactly how I say, exactly when I say it, without asking me anything. “I don’t have the time to explain right now. Mamma took a deep breath and pushed a loose bit of hair from her forehead behind her ear. “What’s going on?” I whispered back scratchily. “Adriana, I’m not joking.” Her voice was a whisper, but the urgency in it made me roll over and find her gaze in the darkness. ![]() She grabbed my covers and whipped them off me. I rubbed my left eye and batted at her with my other hand.
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