“No, you’re not.”
“I have to use the bathroom.”
The table grows silent. Lizzie appears uncomfortable and slides out, then disappears. Real hero, that one. But somehow it works, because Pete lets go of me.
Albeit with a warning. “Come right back. I want you to try their dessert.”
In the bathroom, I empty my bladder, then remain sitting on the toilet on the verge of crying again.
Making an enemy out of Pete would jeopardize my job. He has strong ties to the Selnoan healthcare industry, and besides being one of the best surgeons in the city, he’s friends with my supervisor.
Can I sleep with a man because I need him to let me keep my job? The job that feeds my baby. Selnoa General is the only hospital in the city. They own all the clinics in the area, so if I lost my job there, I wouldn’t be able to get another one in the clinics.
Witness protection works best in this city. It has something to do with the Crossbows being the enemy of the guy I’m hiding from. He’ll never come here, is what my contact said. Unless I leave the country, I have to figure out how to fit in here.
I hold my head in my hands. Why is adulting so hard?
If I don’t sleep with Pete, I’ll lose my job. And if I do, I’ll lose myself.
Pete trapped me when he set his sights on me. He doesn’t get rejected often, and he knew it was just a matter of time until I caved in. It wouldn’t have mattered if the date was great or average or even a complete disaster. Pete didn’t have to impress me at all. He knows I’m trapped.
I feel small. Helpless. Powerless. I’ll fight for my job tomorrow, but tonight, I want to go home.
There’s usually a back door in a restaurant kitchen. I know because my parents used to own a small deli. The exits are required by law in case of a fire. I walk through the kitchen as if I belong there, which I do, seeing as how I’m wearing a black dress like some of the staff.
It’s chilly outside. I cross my arms over my chest and walk to the bus station, checking the time as I go. It’s nighttime, and I’m alone, but at least I’m in a nice part of town. Even thoughcriminals run the city, you can find children kicking a soccer ball in the park late into the night with nobody bothering them.
Bus 74 comes first. That’s not the bus that takes me home, but it does stop near the bottom of the mountain where the manor road starts. On a whim, I take bus 74 and get off at the bottom of the mountain. It’s a few-mile hike, but it’s not too terrible. Besides, it’s only a matter of time before the Crossbow surveillance system picks up on a woman in a dress climbing the street to get to their house.
Barefoot, because one can’t hike with heels on.
Five minutes into my walk, an SUV with tinted windows blocks the path. The window rolls down, and a dark-haired man in a tactical uniform asks, “Are you lost?”
“No, sir. I’m making my way to the Crossbow mansion. Dina is my friend. My name is Ekatia.”
The man speaks on a walkie-talkie in a language I don’t understand.
Once done, he hooks a thumb over his shoulder. “Get in.”
Chapter 11
Renne
Dina greets me at the front door. She’s barefoot, wearing a cute blue dress, and her hair is pulled up in a deliberately messy bun.
“When they said there was a woman making her way up here, I thought it might be Chi-chi,” she says. “She’s into hiking now. Are you into it too? Seems like the whole city is motivated to get fit. Except me.”
I hug her, bury my face into her neck, and inhale. Dina smells like comfort and support, and I need that right now. I’ve needed that every day since my life changed, but especially tonight. I feel like discarded trash.
Dina rubs my back. “I take it the date didn’t work out? Wait, he was supposed to drop you off at the house? This won’t go well for him.” She squeezes me tightly. “We have really good wine. Come in, come in.”
I follow her in and wipe the tears off my face. My mascara is probably smeared on my cheeks. As we pass the cabinet at the entrance, I swipe a tissue and dab my face on my way to the kitchen, where Dina makes us drinks.
“Did you have trouble putting Hanna down?” I ask.
Dina cringes. Before she says anything, I know she let Hanna run the night. “They’re at the pool,” Dina says.
“They?”