Page 5

CHAPTER 4

CRESSIDA

D iscreetly flipping my phone up, I checked the battery. I had four percent left. That was enough. I just needed a reason to get away from Gio and Adrian.

Fuck that, I had my reason.

I needed an opportunity. As I watched more road signs race by than I was comfortable with, I ran through my options. I could ask to go piss. But that was a blatantly obvious ruse when trying to get away from people.

I could say I started my period. Glancing at Adrian, I studied his profile. His easygoing facade was still nowhere in sight. I doubted this version of Adrian would care about blood on his seats.

Bringing my face back toward the windshield, my gaze caught on the gas gauge. We were on yellow, dangerously close to the E.

That was it. That was how I would get away. They'd have to get gas and I'd say I needed to piss. It would be more believable if I wasn't the one who asked for the stop.

Five minutes passed and I was so nervous, I bounced my leg to hell and back. Another five minutes passed. The entire time, we rode in silence. I didn't have anything else to say to these men, and they were content not to give me any more information than I already had.

For now, they believed they had my full cooperation.

Then finally, the bell for low fuel chimed.

"God damn it," Adrian cursed under his breath. "We're going to have to stop. I wasn't even paying attention."

"It's fine,” Gio said. “There's a gas station at the next exit. Maybe a mile away. We'll make it. And it won't take too much time to get there. We're only about five minutes away from where Danny is anyway."

Leaning up between the seats, Gio placed his head close to mine. "Cressida, when we get there, we're going to give you Danny's number. You're going to call it, say you have the information he's been trying to erase. Got it?"

I nodded, releasing a long breath as if I was psyching myself up to help them. "What if he doesn't buy it?"

"He will. Do you remember how Donnie came to judge Amateur Night at Snatched?" Gio asked.

I wished I could forget. "Yes."

"They want that information from you. Which means he wants to know who you've told, and he'll want to make the problem go away." He pressed his lips together.

Donnie Pesci, one of the heads of the mafia, wanted to kill me. That was what Gio was telling me. There was no other way to make the problem of “information” go away. If I could pluck it from my head and catapult it at theirs, I would.

These smarmy motherfuckers.

That was why they told me the information Stevo had. They wanted me to get deeper into this mess. If for no other reason than to force me to help them draw the Pescis out.

It was like I was seeing them for the first time in full light. They weren't the “decent” bad guys I thought they were.

Oh, I was never under any illusions. I knew they weren't good men, but they didn't quite cause my alarms to blare.

But now, I could see what they hid so well before. They were ruthless to get what they wanted. Their ability to disguise it with any amount of goodwill was dangerous.

Lake and the others never tried to snow me over like that. My boys were bad, and they didn't hide it. They were honest with me. I was coming to realize just how important that was.

"Got it."

Gio sat back and started typing on his phone again.

Just to continue playing the game, I added, "You'll make the guys a priority? As soon as you have Danny?"

"You have our word," Gio said with so much authority, I almost believed him. Except, I could see the excited tremble in Adrian's hands, how he sat forward like he couldn't wait.

I didn't trust them, and I'd get my boys back my own way.

Adrian pulled off the highway and into the gas station. The pump was on his side, and he hopped out as soon as he parked.

"I need to go to the bathroom," I told Gio, unbuckling my seatbelt.

He shook his head. "You can't go in there. Your dress is torn and dirty; your hair's worse than a rat's nest. They'll call the police."

I froze.

Were the police really so bad? My hands started sweating as Adrian placed the nozzle in the gas compartment. After a few presses of a button, the gas started to pump.

My window was closing.

I needed to run.

"I really have to go. I can't remember the last time I went." My voice started to shake.

"It's too risky," Gio returned. Not like he was suspicious, just cautious. He didn't want anything to fuck up his plans to take down the Pescis.

"What's your deal with them anyway?" I snapped. That came out way too aggressively.

"That's none of your concern."

Shit! I needed to get away from them.

The gas station was secluded. Well, except for a carwash behind it. Beyond that were dense woods with thick trees.

If I could just make a run for it, I should be able to hide.

I threw open my door. If they weren't going to let me go, I needed to just run and pray they didn't have guns to take me out.

I didn't think they would, I was too valuable to them, but I didn't know nearly as much as I thought I did.

"What are you doing?" Gio's hand caught my arm as I swung my legs out.

"I'm going to help you, but I have to piss. You can let me go and I'll go to the bathroom by the carwash," I said, pointing to the bathroom sign hanging around the side of the gas station, "or I'll go right here in the seat and you can smell urine for weeks to come."

My chest rose and fell far too fast for the words I'd said. I was worked up.

"Fine I'll come wi–"

Adrian's phone rang again. This time it didn't come through the speakers since the car was off. Adrian popped his door open and snatched his phone.

"What do you have?" He ducked his head and shoulders in the car. I could barely make out the voice on the other end, but whatever was said, Adrian wasn't happy. He shot Gio an indecipherable look before he flicked his gaze to me.

"Fine." Gio let go of my arm. "Make it quick."

My breath rushed out as I hopped out of the car and slowly walked toward the bathroom. The sign was on the corner, but the bathroom was around the backside. I couldn't make a break for it before I was out of their sight. With any luck, I'd be able to walk to the edge of the treeline before I ran.

I just hoped like hell that I had reception in the woods.

Gio's and Adrian's murmured voices chased after me, but they weren't coming any closer. Just before I rounded the building, I peeked to see what they were doing.

Gio stood with Adrian by the gas pump, arguing with exaggerated hand gestures.

Good. They weren't looking at me at all.

Out of sight, I kept my pace, cutting straight through one of the carwash bays, the kind where drivers had to manually wash their cars themselves.

I was past the carwash. About seven feet from the treeline.

My heart fluttered. So close.

The shadows of the woods called me. They offered a security I desperately needed.

"Cressida?" I heard my name called, followed by a quick succession of knocks.

Shit! Gio was at the bathroom door.

I bolted straight into the woods, running as fast as my feet could take me. I kicked off my shoes in the first few steps and ran barefoot. I'd get farther and faster without them.

I ran until my side stitched with pain and overtook the weakness of my lungs. I needed more cardio.

Breaking, I bent over, gasping as I grabbed my knees, my phone still clutched in one hand.

I rested for only a few minutes. Just enough to catch my breath and let the side pain subside. Then I took off in a different direction, one with more trees and deeper shadows.

Leaves and branches battered my arms and legs. But I didn't stop. Not until I physically couldn't run anymore.

Dropping to the ground, I fell onto my back, leaves crinkling underneath me.

I did it. I escaped them.

It was hard to listen over my harsh breathing, but I didn't hear any voices, no stomping footsteps through the woods. The typical chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects were the only noises. Those were even less because it was the middle of the day.

I checked my phone. It was only mid-morning.

My phone had two bars of service and three percent of battery.

Opening the internet browser, I searched for the one person I knew would be on my side. The only person I trusted, even if I was coming to see his farewell message as a detriment to my life instead of guidance to follow at all costs.

Books.

His business popped up as did his phone number.

"Please, please, please, be there." I dialed the number. Static crackled, but it rang.

One ring. Two rings.

Three goddamn rings, then a click.

"Luck Be a Lady. How can I help you?" asked a nasally teenage voice. Did he only employ teenagers? It didn't matter. I needed to find my guys.

My chest was ripping apart each minute I was away from them.

"Can I speak to Books?" Damn, my voice sounded rough and I could barely get out his name while still catching my breath.

"I'm sorry, he doesn't take calls during the daytime."

"Please!" I cried. I was going to lose it. "He helped me before, I need his help now. I just– please! "

"Okay, okay, lady. Calm down. Give me a sec to see if he's here."

This was a good sign. He was checking to see if Books wanted to take my call.

Pulling the phone away from my ear I check the battery. Two percent.

Pick up, Books. Help me. Please, fucking help me.

The phone clicked twice more, then a "Hello?"

It was him.

Even though I'd only spoken to him once, I'd recognize his voice anywhere. "Books, I need help." My eyes teared up as frustration hit me like a ton of bricks. I pulled my phone away from my face, putting it on speakerphone.

Still at two percent.

My fingers hit the wrong keys over and over as I tried to pull up maps.

"Who is this?"

"Beasty–Cressida. I need help. The boys, they've been taken. I-I'm running from someone. I need to be picked up and I need to find them!" It was almost a wail.

"Calm down," he soothed. "It's going to be okay. Are you in town?"

"No, I'm hours away from you. But..." Maps opened. I was close to a road! Like a beam of sunlight hit me after the longest night of my life, I started laughing. "Here, here are my coordinates." I rattled them off as my phone hit one percent.

"Shit, okay. I'll see what I can do. I'll call you–"

"No! My phone is about to die. Send someone! I'll be by the road." My screen went black and the hum of life died, leaving me holding a chunk of useless metal and plastic.

I could scream. Let a little of the steam of stress out. But I didn't. Just in case Gio and Adrian were closing in on me, I didn't want to give away my location.

Instead, I got to my feet and walked toward the road. It was visible through the trees, I just hadn't noticed it before. I stayed in the woods, sitting with my back to the tree trunk, hiding from passing cars.

I waited.

And waited.

I had no idea how long it was. Cars passed, none slowing down. I didn't take a chance and peek. It’d be my luck that I'd stick my head out as Gio and Adrian drove by.

Closing my eyes, I rested and did my best not to think about the boys. It was pointless. All I saw were their faces. Their handsome, strong faces twisted up in anger and pain. Or even worse, their childhood faces drooping with pain and terror.

I saved them once. I could save them again.

Eventually, a car slowed down and I snapped my eyes open.

Don't move.

A car door opened. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours before the sound of boots hit the asphalt.

Oh fuck. What if this wasn't Books or someone Books sent?

I pushed to my feet, keeping my back pressed to the tree. Squeezing my phone in one hand and making a fist in the other, I was ready. If it was Gio or Adrian, I'd fight them.

If it was a stranger, I'd fight them too.

"Cressida?" A woman's soft voice called like she was trying not to scare me.

I slumped as a sob wracked my chest. This was someone Books called in.

"I'm here," I said just as softly.

Walking out from behind the tree, I found a woman coming straight toward me.

She was beautiful. With long wavy dark hair and a trim figure. She was shorter than me by a couple of inches, but somehow her presence seemed bigger.

Maybe it was because I needed a savior and she was the only one here. Or it could be the warmth radiating off of her. There were no dangerous vibes.

"I'm Cressida." I kept walking toward her. When I reached her, she spun and we both headed toward her car, not wasting any time.

She snuck a glance at me. "I'm glad I found you safe. Books told me about you years ago."

We got in the car and I was so happy, I could cry. Adrian and Gio wouldn't be able to see me through her tinted windows. We could get away. Head back toward the parking lot from this morning.

"Who are you?" I asked, needing to know whose car I just climbed into.

"Bishop." She pulled back onto the road and started driving at an easy speed. "What's going on?"

Bishop…

Why was that familiar? Then it hit me.

This was the woman Books had wanted to take me away from Megan and Ed's back when I was in foster care. From first impressions, I think if I'd had the chance to meet her as a kid, I'd have taken her up on the offer. Or just asked her to let me go with her.

"Do you know Atlas Jones and Isaac Kim?" I turned to face her. She glanced at me, then took her attention back to the road.

"The models?"

"Yes, do you know their story?" Was this even necessary? I just wanted to beg for her help, but how could she help if she didn't know what was going on?

"Of course, everyone in America does."

"There are four of them. Atlas, Kim, Lake, and Joaquin. They were held by a man named the Curator. At least, until I saved them." I shivered. "I've been staying with them, and we were headed to an event last night, but they were taken and I was dumped in a parking lot. I need to find them.” One word tumbled out after the other.

I couldn’t stop, the need to tell her as much as possible to convince her to help me find them burned in my chest.

Her eyebrows kissed her forehead and she whistled through her teeth. "Damn."

"When Books told me about you, he didn't tell me you were the one who took that monster’s collection away from him. I would have abducted you from those twats for your own good." She sucked her teeth. "Well, you're in luck."

"Why is that?"

Please, be something good. Tell me you know where they are or you can find out.

She smoothed her curtain bangs out of her face. "I mostly deal in helping women and kids get out of bad situations. Books probably mentioned that. But in order for me to do that successfully, I have to be damn good at finding people and places. I also have to be an expert in extraction."

She grinned as she pushed her foot down on the pedal. My shoulders hit the seat and I sighed.

This was good. I was going to get my boys back.