Page 75 of As the World Falls

The window rolls down on the car the second I walk past it, and I see Hodge in the driver's seat. The sight of him stops my descent as I stare fearfully into the car. What the hell was he doing in Boston?

“Nice night for a walk,” he calls out, his face turned up with a smug smirk.

“I guess,” I answer, unsure what else to say.

“A drive would be even better.”

Anxiety slams into me. “I think I prefer to walk.”

He chuckles, and then, in a split second, a gun is pointed at my face. “Get in the car, Cecilia,” he demands.

I’m frozen on the sidewalk, but the clicking sound of the gun has my feet springing into action, and I carefully step off the curb and get into the car. My heart is racing now, and my stomach twists in sickening knots. I keep my purse at my side, which I sneak my hand into, hiding it behind the act of putting on my seatbelt. I’m unsure why it’s my first instinct, but I immediately dial James’s number.

I should have called my brother, but the stupid, overprotective sister part of my brain has me shutting that option down completely. Hodge was obviously unhappy with Tobias and me taking back the ledger. I didn’t want Tobias to be any more involved.

I also somehow knew that James would help me. I’m not sure why. I wouldn’t fool myself into thinking he genuinely cared about me like he’s been pretending to, but… something inside me was screaming that he would be my savior.

I see the call connect just as I buckle my seatbelt and set my purse on my lap, my phone sitting atop everything inside. I just pray he stays on the line and can hear us.

“What are you doing in Boston?” I ask Hodge, keeping my voice loud and clear.

He whips the car around the corner, making my seatbelt tighten and slice into my collarbone. I grunt in pain and take a deep breath, looking back at him as he chuckles.

What an asshole.

“You didn’t think I’d just let you and your brother get away with that stunt you pulled now, did you?”

“What are you going to do?” I ask nervously.

“Nothing too bad. Just going to teach your brother a little lesson. If he takes something from me, I’m going to take something from him.”

I swallow in fear and glance into my purse, relieved to see the call still connected.

“Where are you taking me?”

“For a drink,” he answers, turning down a familiar street. He pulls up to a large restaurant, one that I’ve never been to because it looks fancy and very much out of my price range.

“Alexander’s?” I say loudly, hoping James can hear. “What are we doing here?”

“I told you,” he gripes. “Get out of the car.” He exits the car after his demand and slams the door. I climb out of the car on shaky legs and stop, finding him just outside the door. He wraps a hand around my arm and begins aggressively pulling me inside. I stumble to keep up with his pace, but eventually, we make it inside, and I’m confused when I see the restaurant empty.

Dread fills me as the realization hits me that we are alone.

“Where is everyone?”

He chuckles again, the slimy sound of it like nails on a chalkboard. “We have the place to ourselves, doll face.”

He drags me to a table and shoves me down into a chair. A waiter comes by, but he doesn’t pay me any attention. He acts as if I’m nonexistent as he places two wine glasses on the table, pops open a bottle of red wine, and begins pouring some into each glass. He leaves the bottle on the table before disappearing behind the large swinging doors in the back of the restaurant.

Irritation begins to creep over me as I watch Hodge swirl the wine in his glass and sip on it as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“What the hell am I doing here, Hodge? If you’re going to kill me, just do it already.”

He laughs loudly. “I’m not going to kill you, Cecilia. I thought you and I were friends.”

“You were never going to help me,” I shoot back, taking my brother for his word.

He shrugs. “I guess we’ll never know.”

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