Page 51 of Luka

But Luka feels otherwise.

He breaks our kiss and pulls away enough to take out his wallet. The space between us feels too empty, and the urge to pull him back is so strong, I shake.

Luka pulls a few bills out and hands them to the man lounging by the tent, casually peering up at us. “For the shirt,” he says, gesturing to the man’s chest.

The guy looks down, no expression on his face. “You wanna pay me sixty bucks for this shirt?”

Luka nods.

The guy smiles, revealing rotted teeth. “It’s at least worth a hundred.”

Luka’s hand drops. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters under his breath and reaches behind him again, except not for his wallet. For his gun.

When he points it at the man, I suck in a breath, my gaze darting between the two.

“Just give me the shirt.”

With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, the man takes off his shirt and holds it out for Luka while Luka puts his gun away. My face falls with confusion as I watch the weirdly calm interaction.

Luka snatches the article of clothing and tosses the cash on the ground before turning back to me and lifting my dress over my head without warning. I tense but put trust in him I didn’t know was possible. When he hands me the gray, tattered shirt, I immediately pull it on and tug it down like it’s a dress. It’s hideous, but it looks less like me.

“You got a hat?” Luka asks the guy.

“I got a middle finger.”

When Luka says nothing, the guy grumbles and retrieves a ballcap from his tent. Luka puts it on my head then pats my cheek. “Time to go, Peach.”

I follow him through the alley, holding his hand like it’s my lifeline, and the whole thing is so twisted. It doesn’t strike meuntil we’re in my abductor’s car and driving away that in my mind, I’ve stopped thinking of him as Tall.

15

LUKA

It’s nearing midnight by the time my car pulls back onto the cliff.

Lucia sits beside me not saying a word, her arms wrapped tightly around the moth-eaten shirt. She stopped looking scared miles ago when it became clear her friends weren’t following us, despite her current company. In some ways, it’s fascinating, and in others, it’s chilling just how little her fear for me measures up to her fear for them.

My phone dings as soon as I put the car in park. It’s Arseni, asking for an update. I open up the thread and type “No sign of her yet. Time to ditch phone. If you need me, call me off a burner.” before locking my phone and slipping it back into my pocket. When I shut the car off, the silence is deafening.

“So,” I start, glancing over at Lucia. She peers out the windshield seriously, her jaw clamped. “I guess you didn’t feel like introducing me to your boyfriend, huh?”

She says nothing in response, and after a beat, I face forward and just wait. I was sitting here quietly before I went to get her. I can sit here some more.

Minutes pass.Minutes.

At first, I glance at the clock on the dash to count them, but eventually, I relax back in my seat and close my eyes. When my phone dings again, I pull it out.

Do you know how much this thing cost?

Letting out a sigh, I text back.I’ll buy you a new one.

Not the point.

“You were right,” Lucia says at last, her voice barely above a whisper.

I put my phone away and turn to her, but she’s facing the passenger window.

“I’ve been trusting and naive, and it’s gotten me nowhere but here.”

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