Page 24 of Carnival

Rose

“R ose, calm down,’’ Aria urges, trying to grab my hand and pull me to sit. I snatch my hand back, still pacing through her bedroom, my feet silent on the wooden floor. My mind’s been racing with too many questions, but most importantly, I cannot stop thinking about James.

“Stop telling me to calm down,’’ I snap, then immediately regret it. I take a deep breath and come to a stop in front of her bed, then take a seat on the edge, burying my face in my hands. “I’m sorry,’’ I mumble through my hands, the sound coming out muffled.

“It’s alright,’’ she sighs. “You’re stressed, you’re scared, I get it. Do you have any ideas how we can proceed?”

I lift my head from my hands, staring blankly at her.

Her expression is a mix of worry and annoyance, not at me, but at this entire situation, and I can’t help but share the sentiment.

It’s been a rough forty-eight hours, and I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold onto the hope that Hudson might succeed in doing anything.

The biggest issue is that we know nothing about Vivian Hunt.

Without knowing anything, Hudson can’t just use his connections or bribery to get James out. We don’t know how deep her influence is or who’s on her side and payroll, and until we do, we have to stay put, and that’s killing me.

A soft knock comes to the bedroom door, and a few seconds later, Blair pokes her head through, carrying a big mug of steaming tea. She hands me the mug, and I inhale, the soothing scent of chamomile allowing me to rest for a moment.

“Thanks.’’

“Don’t mention it,’’ she smiles softly, then sits next to me. “How are you holding on?”

“Terribly,’’ I admit, blowing into the mug to cool the tea faster, then taking a sip of it, enjoying the warmth that fills my mouth.

“Hudson and Noelle are still trying to figure out a way to see James. As of right now, he’s been admitted to prison, and no one can get to him yet.’’

“What about Arlo?”

Blair blinks. “What about him?”

“He massacred an entire prison to set you free; surely, he can do it again, right?”

She winces. “Sweetheart, that’s not the solution here.

Sure, he can do that, but what happens after?

He had pure luck the first time; I doubt it’ll repeat.

I know you want to see James again, and I promise you, we’ll do everything in our power to make that happen, but we can’t put Hudson and Noelle in danger or risk exposing their business.

That’ll just cause all of us to share a cell with James. ’’

I finish the tea and set the mug aside. I don’t want to admit it — but she is right. I’m not that selfish to ask them to risk everything for James, so that’s not an option. With a deep breath, I crawl onto Aria’s bed, hugging one pillow.

It takes them a moment, but both of them climb to lay next to me, one on each side, then hug me tightly. My body trembles, and silent tears stream down my cheeks. Blair’s softly stroking my hair, whilst Aria tightens her grip on me from behind. Neither of them speaks, but they don’t need to.

Their support is the only thing that’s getting me through this mess.

The truth is, I’m scared.

I’m scared of what will happen to James, and I’m scared that these people will come for me. I’m scared that without James in the picture, they will kill me without a second thought. I don’t want to die. I didn’t do anything in life; I didn’t get to live.

I’m only fucking twenty.

“It’ll be okay,’’ Aria murmurs. “We’re right behind you, okay? You’ll pull through this. I won’t let you drown.’’

A small sob slips from me, and the girls only hug me tighter. I let it all out — all the stress, frustrations, and fears — and let them hold me. I hate how weak this all makes me seem, but I don’t have the strength to put on a brave face and act as if nothing had happened.

Slowly, I sit up, wiping my tears with the back of my sleeve, taking in a deep, shaky breath. The two sit up right after me, still worried. I offer a small smile, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes.

“I should really schedule a session with my therapist.’’

Aria snorts. “You can say that twice.’’

Blair puts her hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I know it’s hard, and I know you’re feeling lost. I’ve been there, trust me. But you need to focus on figuring out what steps you want to take next. You can cry later.’’

I give her a firm nod, then stand up, walking over to the window and looking out at the scenery. It started raining last night, the last pieces of fall. It will start snowing soon, and the cold weather slowly started creeping up my bones.

“I need to see James.’’ I turn to look at them. “I don’t care how, I don’t care who gets me in, or what it takes, but I need to see him sooner rather than later.’’

Aria straightens up, grabbing a pillow and hugging it on her lap. “Any ideas what you want to tell him?”

“Just to convince him that I didn’t betray him and that he will be out.’’

“Hudson will find a way to get him out of prison,’’ Blair says. “He may not like him, but he does love you, so he won’t let you fall apart.’’

“Well,’’ Aria glances between the two of us. “James won’t have a fair trial, or a trial at all, so what if we just find him a good lawyer and try to give him one?”

“That will just prove that the law enforcement’s been bribed into sending him straight to prison, but the evidence of his crimes will still be there. He’ll be in prison regardless.’’

“Not if we find out who Vivian is and then pin it all on one of her men.’’

“I’m listening.’’

“James is no fool,’’ Aria starts, and Blair leans in closer, listening carefully. “We need to know what evidence they used to send him to prison. If they don’t have his DNA or any solid evidence of his killings, Arlo can easily plant some and pin it on someone else.’’

“The videos I’ve received on the iPad didn’t show James’ face,’’ I take a seat on the carpeted floor. “I know it was him because of his mask, but not once did he remove it.’’

“Alright then,’’ Blair gets to her feet, grabbing the dirty tea mug and heading toward the door. “I’ll see Arlo and help him track down Vivian. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.’’

Aria puts the pillow away and follows Blair out the door. “And I may or may not have used your bedroom as storage. I’ll go clean it for you, because there’s no chance I’m letting you out my sight until this is all resolved.’’

I snort, watching them leave and close the door.

The silence that follows is deafening. I sprawl on the floor, staring at the ceiling. I can barely move, breathe, or blink. It’s getting increasingly difficult to keep James out of my thoughts.

I can’t even begin to imagine how he must be feeling. He’s a master at concealing his true feelings and pretending he isn’t hurt, but something like this must hurt even his cold heart. If it were me, I’d be losing my mind.

I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to run away.

My phone buzzes, and I whip it out of my pocket. A small frown is on my lips as I see a text message from an unknown number. I don’t have a lot of friends, but those that I do have all have their numbers saved in my phone.

I sit up immediately, my eyes reading the text over and over again.

Luckily for me, I know this house like the back of my palm. Every nook and cranny, every single part that I could use to silently leave. And four minutes later, I’m out the door with the keys to Aria’s car.

◆◆◆

I started second-guessing my decision the moment the car hit the road, but now it’s too late to turn around and drive back.

I take a shuddering breath, my hand wrapping on the doorhandle of the small coffee shop.

It’s fairly close to Noelle’s home, and the drive wasn’t too long, just long enough for me to start figuring out whether or not this is a bad idea.

The small doorbell above the door echoes when I step inside, my eyes darting around, trying to figure out who the fuck I’m meeting. Then, they fall on a young man. He’s sitting alone, with a cup of coffee in his hands, in the darkest corner of the establishment.

The interior is rather cozy, with dimmed lights and that peaceful vibe all around, and it’s not the only secluded spot. I make my way toward him, heart pounding in my chest. Immediately, his eyes land on me, and he motions with his head for me to sit.

“Who are you?’’

There’s no time to waste. The question leaves my mouth before I’m even sitting properly. The man silently observes me for a moment, and I glare right back at him. I grip the car keys in my hand, folding my arms in front of my chest.

“Casper Di Angelo,’’ the man introduces himself. “I’m a friend of James.’’

My eyes perk up immediately, and I straighten up. What’s odd about the man is that he is a police officer — very clearly in his uniform. Why would James be friends with a cop?

“Really?” I ask, uncertainty lacing my tongue. “And why did you ask to meet me, Casper?”

He glances around the shop, then leans in slightly. “James managed to get a cell phone from one of the inmates, and he called me.’’

My heart skips a beat. “What did he say? Is he okay?”

“He is very angry. But overall, he’s hanging in there.’’

I release a deep sigh of relief, shoulders slumping a little. “Alright. How tight is the security on him?”

“Very tight,’’ Casper explains. “He’s pissed that he can’t reach you.’’

“Is… is there a way I can see him? Even if it’s for a single minute.’’

I hate how desperate I sound. This man is still someone I don’t know, and I’m not sure if he’s telling the truth about being James’ friend, but right now, I can’t afford to care about that.

If there’s a possibility of me seeing James, even for a second, I’m taking it, even if it means trusting the Devil himself.

Casper is looking at me as if he’s trying to gauge my reaction. His eyes don’t leave me, and while he’s staring, I can’t help the sense of familiarity I’m feeling, like I’d met or seen him before, but I just can’t place it.

“There might be a way,’’ he draws out, slowly, eyes glued on mine. “But it could go very wrong very quickly, and if it does, I don’t know how you’d be able to get out, and I could definitely lose my job.’’

“Are you willing to risk it?”

“Are you?” He shoots back.

“Yes,’’ I say, not missing a beat. “If there’s a way, I’m in. I don’t care what it costs or what I need to do.’’

“Good,’’ he leans in. “Then listen carefully.’’

He starts describing the plan and the way to get me in, and my eyes widen in shock. Out of all the things that I expected him to say, this wasn’t it. It’s a plan that could backfire terribly, and at best, we’re risking serious prison time.

But I don’t care.

I need to see James, and I need to see him as soon as possible.