Cas
I attempt to raise my head, even though my limbs feel like pins and needles and my eyes are heavy. The Doctor. I need to speak with him. I know it’s a slim chance, but maybe he can get me out of this. No matter how crazy, I’m willing to do anything to escape.
To my disappointment, when I finally open my eyes, he’s already gone. Mars gave me the shot right after the Doctor examined my face. He kept looking at me almost as if he had seen a ghost.
“He left this for you.” Zane scares me as he walks from the shadows. He passes me a piece of paper. It takes me a minute to read his handwriting, but when I do, tears spring from my eyes.
Recognized you from the night Ash brought you to me to stitch up that leg.
Placed the tracker in your hand, where a wound already exists to keep it from being detected. I put fake stitches in between your shoulders. Where they wanted the tracker to go, so you couldn’t reach it.
Don’t remove it until you’re close to your destination. When you do, tell the men you’re afraid you cut your hand. That’s code and Denz will help you. He’ll know what to do. Once the ship docks, he’ll help you escape.
My heart sinks at that, knowing I’m going to have to get on that ship.
I’m uncertain how this happened, but I’ve known Francesco to be a snake for a long time and suspect he’s taken my granddaughter. Her name is Madz. Been missing for about as long as you. She also has a scar that looks like the letter B on her right wrist and has blonde hair and green eyes. I know the chances are slim, but if you see her, take her with you.
At first, I’m confused. If he put my tracker in, wouldn’t he have done hers? “I don’t understand. Wouldn’t he have seen his granddaughter when he put her tracker in?” Zane shakes his head at me and proceeds to tell me that they had someone here in Italy that normally places the trackers, but they were unavailable today.
Zane takes the note from me as he pulls his lighter out. “No,” I say, reaching for it.
“If they find this, you’ll both end up dead and me right along with you.”
“It’s all I have right now. I need this hope. This reminder.” I plead. My voice is weak and pathetic. I hate that—that’s exactly how I feel right now. Zane’s eyebrows pull together. When I see the pity, I instantly recoil, shriveling up inside. As much as I hate it, I need his pity. I can use it. I also hate that too. But in my situation, I have to do what I can to survive.
“All right, but I’m going to hang onto it until you can hide it somewhere.” His eyes rake over me, reminding me that I’m naked and have no place safe to hide the note.
Swallowing, I shake my head. He’s right. I can’t put them in danger and with nowhere to hide the note that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.
“You’re right,” I tell him, motioning my hand toward the note that is still pinched between his fingers. My eyes burn and my throat constricts. He looks at me hesitantly but flicks his lighter then dips the note into the flames.
I bite down on my bottom lip to keep my tears from falling while I watch the fire eat away at the paper.
Ash
D read builds in my gut as I pull into the school parking lot. What a fucking waste of time and energy. It doesn’t feel right being here without her. And now I have to go in there and act like I’m with Beatrice as if Cas meant nothing to me.
If that isn’t bad enough, I had to call Francesco back about my announcement on the news. I put it off for as long as I could. I told him it was an act like I was just putting on a show of the hurt boyfriend. He bought it, but I felt another piece of my black soul die, knowing that I was and am betraying Cas. I’m surprised he didn’t chew me out for not calling him back sooner.
Lighting up a cigarette and taking a drag, I exhale with an aggravated breath and watch the cars pack into the parking lot, waiting for Emery and Edward. One fucking thing I know is I can’t make it without them, and Beatrice is just going to have to deal with that. A knock on my window pulls me out of my reprieve.
“A.” Beatrice’s muffled whine carries through my rolled-up window. I swing the door open, causing her to take a couple of stumbling steps backward. Pinching the cigarette between my thumb and finger, I take another drag, kicking my door shut. Not something I would normally do, but I don’t give a fuck about anything right now, especially not my Jeep.
Beatrice lets out an irritated huff, but it doesn’t stop her from latching onto my free arm. I quickly tuck my hand in my pocket to keep her from looping her arm through mine.
She really is acting like she didn’t show me the love of my life being tortured or that I didn’t nearly strangle her to death. She keeps walking as I spin and continue to wait for the guys. “A, we’re going to be late.” Her voice makes my body tense up. It’s like nails on a goddamn chalkboard.
“You don’t have to be,” I sigh, taking another drag. “Don’t tell me you’re waiting for the two losers to show up.” Really, I do try to talk myself down, but I’m stubborn and listen to no one, including myself.
“Call them that again,” my anger comes out in a growl. Her eyes go wide, but she straightens out her spine and squares her shoulders before walking into the school.
“Hey man,” Edward says, clasping my shoulder. Flicking my cigarette down onto the black asphalt, I pull him in for a one-armed hug.
“How’d you sleep last night?” I ask. Last night was our first official night apart. AJ went back home yesterday and there’s no reason for me to want to be at my apartment anymore. It was hard as fuck to not have them with me. I don’t even care if that makes me sound like a pussy. Okay, maybe I care a little.
“Awful.” He replies as Emery squeezes between us, draping his arm over our shoulders, and hugging us into him.
“Tell me why again, I’m going to deal with Bitchy-Beatrice?” Edward asks, arching his brow at me. Instantly humbling me. He doesn’t owe me anything, especially with the way I’ve treated him. There’s no need for me to answer. He says what I would have. “No, I know. We need each other now more than ever.”
School was even more dreadful than I thought it was going to be and that’s saying a fuck-ton. It took everything in me not to punch someone in the face with all the rumors going around school about Cas. One being that she was a hooker and probably met up with the wrong people.
After much debate, I decided that I’d be useless in jail. Plus, I’d raise suspicion and I can’t have Fuck Face aka Francesco—knowing I’m on to him. I meet up with the guys in the hallway and we exit the school together, trying to lose Beatrice.
When I approach my Jeep, there’s a big motherfucker standing there. My first reaction is to ask him who the hell he is. He lowers his sunglasses, staring at me. Then he looks around as if he’s watching his back. Once he scans the parking lot, he tilts his head toward my Jeep.
Emery and Edward walk up behind me and his eyes dart around our faces. We must have a don’t fuck with us look because he rips his sunglasses off his face and talks in a deep, low voice. “Look, I need your help, but I’d rather get out of here before Beatrice comes out here.”