I hop off my bike and march straight toward the Phantom Society building. The two guards outside watch me with keen eyes, but I don’t even grant them one look as I barge toward the entrance.
They broaden their shoulders and lift their arms. “You’re not allowed entry.”
“If you don’t let me through, I will personally cut off your fucking arms.” I hold my knife up for them to see. “With this fucking knife.”
One of them smiles. “I’d love to see you try.”
So I hold up my cell phone and show them the text Nathan sent me where he’s clearly inviting me over for tea before his untimely demise. “Last chance … now are you going to let me enter, or do you want to do this the hard way?”
The one that told me off swallows and lowers his arm but still holds out his hand. “Knife.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
Do I want to go into this starting a fight again?
Or do I want to approach this in a smarter way and beat them at their own game?
I don’t want to risk the chance of Nathan sending that damn photo to anyone.
Grunting, I slam my knife into the fucker’s hand. “Keep it fucking safe. If you so much as move from this spot, I will fucking haunt you into your death.”
He just throws me a glare as I walk to the door and push past the other guy, knocking him off balance. I enter the building and march across the hallway, my heels click-clacking on the marble floor, determined to give Nathan an earful.
I head straight for the chapter room and shove open the doors.
He’s standing there with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a glass in the other. He looks up at me with a devilish lopsided grin. “Lana … I’m surprised it took you so long.”
“Delete those fucking pictures,” I growl at him. “Every single one of them.”
He casually pours the drink, taking his time. “No, I don’t think I will.”
“Why?” I yell. “We had a deal.”
Clutching the glass tight, he takes a sip. “And now the deal has changed.”
“You can’t just change deals one-sided.” I get right up in his face, but he’s not swayed even a little bit by my rage. “You already took everything I had to give. When is it going to be enough?”
His hand suddenly rises to meet my face, and I freeze when he grabs a strand of my hair, gently tucking it behind my ear. His hand grazes past my cheek, and electricity crackles between us. “I will never have enough of you now.”
My teeth grind together, and I slap him.
Hard.
“How dare you?”
When I try to slap him again, he grabs my wrist midair. “You can slap me all you want. It won’t change what’s going to happen.”
“Oh, do fucking enlighten me,” I grit.
“You’ll be a good girl and give me the money I told you to give me, and I won’t release those pictures.”
“Fuck you,” I say. “Why are you so desperate, huh? Don’t you fucking have enough? Your parents are the wealthiest—”
“My parents are in jail,” he roars, tears suddenly staining his eyes.
My eyes widen, and he releases my wrist.
“And whether you are willing to give it to me or not, I need that money. And I’m going to get it.”
“Why?” I ask. “Give me one good reason.”
He clutches the glass so tightly I’m almost starting to wonder if it will crack beneath his fingers.
“You can’t … because you don’t want to,” I scoff. “Penelope was right. You’re just a fucking bully.”
“Penelope?” he grits. “You think she’s telling you the complete truth?”
I shove my finger into his chest. “You bullied her sister. Damn right I know she’s telling the truth.”
He grips my finger. “You have no fucking clue …”
“Did you do it or not?”
His face darkens. “I had no fucking choice.”
I snort. “No choice … no choice but to bully someone? Sure.”
He roars out loud and smashes his glass against the wall. “I was fucking forced to do it!”
I frown.
Who would force a guy to bully someone else?
“Why?”
“Ask your brother, he knows the fucking truth,” he grits. “If I didn’t oblige, my parents’ fraud would be exposed to the police. Did you think I wanted to be responsible for them going to jail?” he says, closing the gap between us. “I did what I had to for my family.”
“By breaking another family apart …” I mutter.
His face contorts with regret and guilt. “You don’t know the pain I went through for them.” His hand rises, the missing finger a thorn in his side. “I paid the price.”
“And all that bullying was for nothing because they’re still in jail,” I say through gritted teeth. I can tell from the look in his eyes my words are like tiny knives jabbed straight into his heart. “Just like you trying to threaten me with pictures will be all for nothing.”
“Lana, give me the money,” he says, his voice gravelly, too serious to ignore.
“No,” I reply, jerking my hand free from his grip. “You won’t even give me the reason. You’re fucking evil.”
“Just give me the fucking money, goddammit! The reason doesn’t fucking matter. Just give it to me, and I promise to keep the pictures safe.”
I step away from him. “You don’t want to tell me, do you? You can’t even face the girl you’re trying to extort.”
His face is marred with disgust and hatred, but I don’t know if he feels that way because of me or himself.
“It’s a matter of life or death,” he says through gritted teeth.
I tilt my head and smile wickedly. “Then die.”
And I walk off, sticking my middle finger in the air while I glance over my shoulder just to watch him seethe.
Nathan
I check my watch, the ticking making me anxious. I need to get there on time. If I don’t …
My heart beats in my throat, and I push the thought away.
I grab my bag and count the cash again, but I’m still short. They’ll never accept this.
“Damnit!” I slam my fists against the steering wheel.
Someone knocks on my window, and when I look up, Kai’s smiling at me. I don’t know what he’s smiling about.
I lower the window. “What?”
He pushes a wad of cash inside. “Here.”
I frown. “Wait …”
“I sold one of those stolen bags,” he says. “Found it in the closet underneath some shoes.”
I count it, and it’s the exact number I need. But it’s more than anyone would’ve given for that bag we forgot. “You added more. Did your mom give this to you?”
He shrugs. “No, but I figured it out on my own.”
My eyes flicker down his body to the hand that just gifted me the money. The ring that usually adorns his finger is missing.
When he sees me looking, he retracts his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks,” I say, tucking the money into the bag.
With this, I’ll have just enough to settle the score.
“This means more than—”
“I know.” Kai interrupts.
I return his smile and put the bag aside.
He taps the top of the car and then walks away, but within seconds, he’s opened the passenger side door and sits down beside me.
“What are you doing?” I don’t want him to get the wrong idea. “I don’t want you to be in danger.”
“I don’t care,” he says, leaning in. “You know I’d go to war for all of you fuckers, right?”
“It’s just a simple deal. In and out. That’s it.”
“And I’m coming with you,” he says while I put the car into reverse. “Now go.” His eyes flick to my watch. “It’s time.”
Not another second goes by before I race off and head out the gates of Spine Ridge U. The road down is long and winding, and with every curve, my heart picks up a beat. I’m anxious, beads of sweat rolling down my back as I make my way toward the city’s outskirts.
At the end of the long road, there’s a left turn, and instead of heading for the Crescent Vale City, I drive to the small parking lot in the back of the forest, where there’s a backpacking trail for adventurers seeking thrills near Spine Ridge.
A seedy-looking car waits for me there, headlights turned toward me as I park my car and turn it off.
“Want me to do it?” Kai asks.
I shake my head. “They want to see it’s me.”
He clutches the gun in his hand tightly and shows it to me from underneath the dashboard. “I’ll be here. If they so much as try anything, I’ll back you up.”
My heart’s racing in my throat, but I ignore it and step out of the vehicle, adjusting my suit before I grab my bag of cash.
Someone steps out too and walks to the front of their car. “Glad to see you showed up. Wouldn’t want to barge in unannounced.”
Must be that fucker who sent me all those texts.
“Romeo?” I ask.
“Talking to him. You got the cash?”
I hold out the bag like a severed head. “It’s all in here.”
“Hand it over.”
“No.” I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Not until you guarantee our safety.”
The pause feels eternal.
“That money belongs to us. Your mom and dad owe us.”
“I don’t give a shit about them. It’s not my fault,” I retort.
“That may be so, but family is family, and you will pay the price,” he barks, his voice low and intimidating. “Now give us the money.”
A gun clicking off its safety is all I need to hear to know my life is on the line right this very second.
“You will leave my family alone after this payment,” I grit. “Or the next delivery will be a bullet.”
The guy in front of me snorts but doesn’t say another word, so I throw the bag onto the ground in front of him. “This debt is out of my hands now. Pick it up yourself.”
And I march back to my car and slam the door shut before I race off into the night with a steadfast heart.
“Fuck, I can’t believe it’s done,” I mutter.
“You did good.” Kai slaps me on the shoulder.
I drive all the way back to the Phantom Society, despite wanting nothing more than to drive to my aunt’s house. It wouldn’t be safe. I don’t want to be the reason that …
My hands clench around the steering wheel.
Don’t. Don’t ever fucking think about it.
Suddenly, I hear something in the back of the car and immediately hit the brakes. “What was that?”
Kai’s eyes follow mine to the back. “Did you hear that too?”
I park the car on the side of the road and get out, slamming the door shut before I march straight for the trunk and open it up.
Inside is none other than fucking Lana Rivera, throwing me a vicious smile. “Surprise, bitches.”
