Page 119 of Borden 3

“Throne?” Theo cut in. “I didn’t know New Raven was a monarchy—”

“You were always a liar,” Emma growled out, shaking her head furiously. “Any other day I’d shut my mouth and let these talks commence, but you’re two-faced, Theo.”

All amusement faded from Theo as he really looked at Emma now. Borden had been quiet for this very reason. He wanted to see it play out. To understand Theo as Emma poked and prodded at old wounds.

“I don’t care about New Raven,” he said, gently. “I got into trouble. I have a bounty on my head. I need it paid off.”

Emma’s breathing was out of control as she stared hard at Theo. They looked at one another for some time. Emma still appeared distrusting. “Couldn’t have stolen it from somewhere, Theo?”

“Not that amount.”

“What’d you do to get a bounty on your head?”

Theo shook his head. “That’s my business, and last I checked, we ain’t friends.”

This Emma’s face cracked. She blinked rapidly and then stood up. “I’m done. I’ll be downstairs, Borden.”

She fled the room. Borden did everything to remain in control of himself. Inside, his rage was blazing. He fisted his hands, wanting to rip the face off this fucker for upsetting his wife, but the words on the paper kept him from doing that.

When the door shut, Borden leaned over the desk, peering at Theo with hard eyes. “You better tell me the what the fuck you mean on this paper.”

Theo’s expression cracked. All the hardness dissipated from his eyes as he said, “I’m a man outta options, Borden, and I need your help, too.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Emma

Past

We were leaving.

He said to meet at midnight by the old train tracks. Not a minute early, not a minute late. He emphasised we could not linger.

I had spent the entire day packing my things. I even spent an hour with Granny as she listened to Aretha Franklin on repeat. She shimmied her hips, wrapped an arm around me, singing as I laughed.

Yes, I laughed but my chest ached at the same time.

No, it wouldn’t always be like this, I told myself. I would forget about Granny, and she'd forget about me, too.

But then she looked down at me, her cheeks rosy from all the activity and whispered, “My precious Emma. Oh, how I love you.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d said those words, but it would be the last time she said those words. And she didn’t even know it.

I went to bed at my usual time. I pretended everything was normal as I laid in bed and she stopped by, poking her head in. I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. She shut the door, but not all the way. She kept it ajar and disappeared in her room.

I waited for over two hours. My pulse was through the roof. Adrenaline and fear. There was some excitement and…dread. My heart hurt. I kept imagining Granny waking up and finding me gone. I tried to believe she would be elated. Maybe even let out a deep sigh of relief.

I gave myself a pep talk, my body antsy. At exactly 11pm, I slid out of bed and tip-toed to my closet. I removed the heap of dirty clothes I’d thrown over top of my bulging backpack. I kept it hidden from Granny. If she saw it, she’d grow suspicious of its size.

I held my breath, my body breaking out in sweat as I swung it over my shoulder. Immediately, the muscles in my back screamed. I pressed on, stepping out of the bedroom, my gaze immediately on Granny’s bedroom. The house was silent. I shuffled down the hallway, cringing at the noise I was making.

I stopped in the kitchen. I had some cash in my wallet. Theo had mentioned he had enough for the two of us to float a while. For that reason alone I emptied the cash on the counter for Granny. She’d need it more than me. We were hardly surviving as it was. She didn’t need to look after me anymore. She’d have some breathing room.

I twisted around to go—

“Please don’t go.”

Her voice didn’t make me jolt. I half-expected her to catch me. Still, my heart sank into my chest as I slowly turned toward the living room. She was on the arm chair, sitting in the darkness.

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