Page 206 of Chandelier Sin
“My friend Greyson will meet you out there,” said Atticus.
“Where are you going?” I asked him.
“I’m looking for someone.” He gave me a nod and started to head in a different direction. “Go.”
We rushed off to the back of the building, making a sharp left and reaching the rear door of the club.
Carefully, I opened the exit and stepped out, and was hit by a wave of heat.
Taking a few short steps into the rear parking area, I checked to make sure no one else was outside.
I studied the private space, looking left and right, and then had to shield my eyes from the glare of headlights. I only hoped they belonged to Greyson’s car.
Iturned and gestured for Inaya to go back inside, but she was frozen in place.
Pivoting to face the car again, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Greyson climbing out of the driver’s side. I’d never spoken to him before, but he seemed to know who I was—or perhaps Atticus had told him I’d be out here waiting.
He had a young woman with him, sitting in the passenger seat. The blonde had a blue streak in her hair, and she was pretty, too. A girlfriend, maybe?
Greyson approached me with a smile and then focused on Inaya. “I’m gonna take you somewhere safe,” he said. “Does that sound good?”
She stepped forward. “Where?”
“We’ll talk on the way,” he said.
“Promise me this is real,” she said, as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Handing her over to a stranger was terrifying—all I had to go on was he was Atticus’ friend. But I was good at reading people and Greyson had a kind demeanor.
Trusting people lately had been one of the hardest things for me to do.
“Take care of her,” I said.
He met my gaze. “Of course. Tell no one about this.”
Greyson held out his hand to Inaya. “Let’s go.”
She responded to his gentleness, and he helped her into the vehicle.
As I watched Greyson’s car speeding off with Inaya safely inside, I was finally able to catch my breath. As wispy raindrops hit my face, a wave of relief crashed over me, mingled with a sharp pang of loneliness.
Hopefully, Inaya wouldn’t be the last to escape. No one had fought for me like this. No one had dared. I appeared to be living a life of luxury, even if it was in a gilded cage. I’d never known anything else.
What I’d believed had been love was a lie.
I saw that now.
Haunted by the echoing mansion of my youth, with its starched staff and absent parents, I’d learned to navigate a world of whispers and veiled glances. The old woman who ruled the house, a ghost in a silk gown, flitted from room to room, leaving behind a faint scent of lilies and regret.
They’d called it a boarding school, but in truth it was a home for broken girls.
Inaya would fly free.
I turned and went back inside.
Atticus was waiting there, looking pensive. “Greyson has her?” he asked.
I gave a nod.
