Page 49 of Vicious Games

Because if I didn’t, he’d destroy me.

Because I was in love with him.

Because he terrified me.

Because we were completely wrong for each other.

Because what we had was twisted and dark and toxic and not the kind of thing you built a lifetime on.

I shrugged. “Just because. I have my reasons. Are you going to help me or not?”

She sighed. “Of course I’m going to help you.”

We went into the pawnbroker’s. It took several hours. At first, the pawnbroker didn’t believe the diamonds were real. Then he suspected they were stolen. He insisted on getting a second opinion on the value of the necklace and checking some kind of police database of stolen items before he finally offered an outlandishly low price for the necklace. I took it. I literally couldn’t afford to be choosy. I had no money and would risk being found out by Roman if I tried to shop the necklace around London for a better price.

“I’ll need it in cash,” I stated as the man wrote a check.

That took another hour while he sent an associate to make a withdrawal from his bank since he didn’t keep that amount of cash on hand.

After an eternity, Eleanor and I finally left the shop. I pressed the roll of money into her hands. “Keep this safe for me.”

She nodded. “When are you going to do it?”

“I’m not sure. Soon. Very soon. Tonight at dinner, I’ll try to find out Roman’s schedule next week. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and he’ll have an evening meeting or business event.”

“Where will you go?”

I averted my gaze. “It’s best if I don’t tell you. If Roman guesses at your involvement, I want you to be able to answer honestly that you don’t know where I am.”

She scoffed. “It’s not like I’d tell him! I’m your best friend. I wouldn’t betray you like that.”

I swiped at an errant tear. I seemed to always be crying lately. “You don’t know what he’s like. He has ways of making people give him what he wants, even against their will. Trust me.”

She hugged me tightly. “You’ll reach out and let me know you’re safe, right?”

I nodded. “As soon as I can.” I looked at the clock on my phone. “I have to go. I don’t want Roman wondering where I am.”

She clasped my hand. “Stay safe.”

“I will. I’ll text you in the next couple of days.”

“Remember, the code word is diamonds.”

I nodded. “Diamonds.”

We hugged one last time and parted.

Once again, I crisscrossed the streets of London, making sure they didn’t follow me before sneaking into a side entrance of a music shop I had entered several hours earlier. Taking a deep breath to calm my breathing, I exited out the front and waved to Roman’s driver, who had been patiently waiting for me. It wasn’t unusual for me to spend a few hours looking over sheet music and playing the different instruments.

He opened the back passenger door. “Did you get what you needed, miss?”

I gave him a watery smile, hoping he wouldn’t notice the tears in my eyes. “Yes, thank you, I did.”

I got what I needed. Money to leave Roman.

Whether it was what I truly wanted was another matter…

CHAPTER 20

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