Page 64 of The Stolen Dagger

Adrian’s cousin, Javi,I thought.

He was in jail for gang-related activities but got out about six months ago. Adrian had mentioned he and Hunter started working with Javi, but I didn’t think?—

“Your cousin Javi?” I asked. “And Hunter, too? That’s who you were on the phone with just now, wasn’t it?”

“Very good,mi princesa,” Adrian praised. “You put everything together on your own. I knew you were more than just a pretty face.”

“H—have you killed before?”

“Yes, I have,” Adrian said, “and I’d do it again to eliminate any threat toward me or the Phantoms. Let that be a reminder.”

As Adrian drove me home, so many thoughts ran through my head as I tried to make sense of everything that had just happened.

One thing was for sure: Adrian was dangerous.

I needed to get as far away from him as possible. But he’d kill me if I tried to leave him.

The walls around me were caving in.

I had nowhere else to go.

My mom was gone.

I didn’t have any friends because of Adrian.

I didn’t even have any way to make it on my own because Adrian talked me out of going to college.

I was trapped, and Adrian made sure of that. He made sure I’d have no one else to turn to, no other options but one: Him.

I wanted to scream but knew that wouldn’t do anything. No. I had to leave. I couldn’t stay with him anymore.

What if Adrian or his gang, the Phantoms, changed their mind about letting me go? What if they killed me anyway for being a liability?

I needed an escape plan, and I needed one now. Adrian may have made sure he was the only stable thing in my life, but he didn’t know about Pearl.

Pearl would help me. She was my only chance to get away.

Adrian parked outside my house and reached for something in the back seat of his car. I kept my gaze on my hands in my lap, afraid I’d see something else I wasn’t supposed to.

“Now, while I go clean up this mess,” Adrian said, “you go inside and stay put. So that I know you’ll do as you’re told, I’m taking this.” He took my cell phone out of my purse. “And this.” Then my car keys. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours so we can talk about what happens next.”

He tossed my purse into my lap, then revealed a beautiful vintage jewelry box from the back seat.

“This was going to be one part of your anniversary gift before everything went to shit. I need you to take this and keep it safe.”

I looked at the box in my hands, confused. It was gorgeous. A little bigger than both my hands with intricate designs in the wood and gold accents on the corners.

When I went to open it, the latch caught. It was locked.

“It contains something very valuable, and no ordinary key will open it.” Adrian roughly grabbed my left hand and slid something onto my finger—my ring finger. I tried to swallow the bile that rose in my throat at the sight of the ring and what it symbolized.

The glint from the princess cut—at least I thought it was a princess cut—diamond ring shone on my finger. It wasn’t any kind of ring I’d seen before. It had multiple layers of smaller diamonds that created a strange star shape. I’d seen the shape before but couldn’t place it.

“Don’t take this off. When I get back, I’ll explain more, but you have to promise you won’t do anything with these until then, understood?”

I nodded.

“Now, be a good girl and go inside,” Adrian instructed. “I’ll be back soon.”