Page 15 of The Echo of Forever

“Mercy, look at me,” I demanded.

I pulled my hood to the tip of my hairline so our eyes could actually meet.

“Every second we stand here could cost you your life. The driver is a trusted ally…” I pointed to the card clutched in her hand. “Follow those directions and don’t deviate.”

The less she knew about every move to be made from this point on, the easier it’d be to keep her safe until she reached the West Coast.

“I’m glad you aren’t a myth,” she whispered, walking around me to get to the truck.

I watched until Lucky pulled from the curb, then slipped back into the theater.

The Carroway loge was high and centered on purpose. Mostly for security to keep an eye on all exits from every direction, but Jeremiah Carroway was too arrogant to keep a team with him.

I stood outside the curtain for a second, blending in with the dark hallway.

“Keep doing that,” he groaned from the other side, a whimper dripping in fear following.

I secured the silencer on my gun and slipped inside; the girl, perched between Jeremiah’s thigh’s had her eyes shut tight with his fingers threaded in her curly hair.

Sick bitch.

“These are the moments I live for,” I mused, pressing the silencer to the back of his skull.

He pushed his victim away and tried to stand, but I got my free arm around his neck to keep him down.

“Do you know who the fuck I am?” he growled breathlessly as I tightened my hold.

“Who you are means nothing to me, Jeremiah Carroway. And if I had the time, you’d get more than a bullet.”

I cracked him over the head with the butt of my pistol, then put a hot one in him after taking a step back.

“A-Are you going to kill me, too?”

I locked eyes with the girl assigned to his box; she’d backed herself into a corner, years of what I could only guess was mental and physical torture, keeping her silent until now.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” I muttered, tugging my hood down as I concealed my weapon. “Follow me. I’ll lead you somewhere safe.”

There was no time to wait and coax, not when the auction was about to end and my chance to get out undetected slipped away.

Either she took a chance and followed or stayed and faced the consequences of my actions.

I poked my head out the curtain and looked down the hall both ways before ducking out and taking the same stairwell toward the side exit, light but quick footsteps trailing me. She followed until I came to a stop a block away, where another truck waited. This one had been meant for me, but I ushered the girl inside instead.

“From here on out, your life belongs to you now.”

I shut the door and got out of dodge, sending a text to Oliver and Solei.

Done. Leave now.

CHAPTER 5

FOREVER

My life didn’t belongto me.

It never had.

“Where’s your head?” Jayden asked, tightening his hold on my hand. “I need you focused.”