Page 64 of Her Nightshade

“Is someone threatening you?” I demanded, shouting.

“Charlie…” She shook her head, and then quietly, she spoke. “It’s Jake.”

I froze. The name hit me like a slap, and for a second, I thought I’d heard her wrong.

“Jake?” I repeated, my mind racing. “What the fuck does he want?”

She covered her face with her hands, her sobs muffled by her palms. “He knows,” she choked out.

“Knows what?” My voice was trembling now, barely controlled.

“About Sarah,” she whispered.

I staggered back a step, staring at her. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Ana wiped her eyes, her face pale. “He’sthe one who had her killed, Charlie. And he knows you hired someone, too. And now he’s threatening to expose you, hurt you, or worse…if I don’t end this.”

My blood turned to ice. “Hurt me? Why? What does he want from you?”

“He wantsme, Charlie.” Her voice was flat, cold. “He knows about you hiring someone to watch him, about hiring someone to rough Sarah up, about your past with your ex. He’s said things about Callan, threatening to use it so Sloane will leave him. He’s using it all to twist the knife. He says if I don’t comply, if I don’t go back to him, he’ll expose everything.”

I stared at her, anger and fear tight in my chest. “And you were just going to let him get away with this?”

“What choice do I have?” she snapped, her voice rising. “He knows too much. He’s dangerous, Charlie, and powerful. And he’s watching us. If he thinks I’m not playing along, he’ll…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

I shook my head, barely able to think, just react. “We need to do something, Ana. He can’t do this to us. Let’s just…let’s fucking kill him.”

Ana inhaled sharply, an audible gasp filling the room. Her eyes widened, a mix of fear and disbelief flickering in her eyes. “Charlie, you can’t just—”

“I know, I’m just thinking out loud,” I interrupted, shaking my head as my thoughts spun. “But we can’t just sit back and let him destroy everything. There’s got to be a way to stop him.”

Ana looked away from me, shaking her head. She was quiet for a moment, her head down, her thoughts clearly racing. When she finally looked up at me, her expression was guarded, but her voice carried her usual confidence.

“There’s one thing I could do,” she said carefully, almost hesitantly. “But you’re not going to like it.”

My stomach dropped. “What?”

She took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto mine. “I could pretend to leave you, Charlie. Go to Jake. Make him think he’s won. Pretend I…wanted him all along.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. “No, Ana.” My voice was trembling with disbelief. “You’re not serious.”

“I am,” she replied firmly, stepping closer. “It’s the only way to throw him off. He’s obsessed with control. If I give him what he wants, if I make him think I’m playing by his rules, it could buy us time. Time to figure out how to stop him.”

“No,” I said immediately, my voice rising. “Absolutely not. You think I’m just going to sit here while you pretend to crawl back to that psychopath? Do you even hear yourself?”

Her expression softened, but her determination didn’t waver. “Charlie, listen to me. This isn’t about pride or feelings. This is about survival. Jake has all the power right now, and the only way to tip the scales is to make him feel secure. If I go to him, act like I’m done with you, he’ll let his guard down. And that’s when we strike.”

My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. “You don’t understand how dangerous this is, Ana. You’re putting yourself in his hands, giving him every opportunity to hurt you—or worse.”

“I know the risks,” she said quietly, her gaze steady. “But he won’t hurt me. Not if he thinks he’s getting what he wants. He’s too arrogant for that. And I’ll make sure I’m always in control.”

“Ana, no,” I said again, my voice breaking. I reached for her hands, gripping them tightly. “There has to be another way. I can’t let you do this.”

Her eyes glistened, but she didn’t look away. “There isn’t another way, Charlie. I’ve thought about this for days. He’s too smart, too calculated. The only way to beat him is to play his game better than he does.”

I shook my head, desperation clawing at my chest. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“And you don’t know what I’m capable of,” she shot back, her voice rising. “I’ve survived worse than Jake. I can handle this.”

---