Page 23 of Pretty Dark Vows

A ragged sob tears from my lips, and I cover my mouth as hot tears pour down my cheeks in an unstoppable wave.

For a brutal, endless slice of eternity, I cry like I never have before, drowning in it. Grief, terror, and rage fill me… until finally, a white-hot hatred rises up above everything else, burning bright enough to pull me back from the darkness.

I swipe angrily at my cheeks, chest heaving, and shove everything but the hatred aside. None of that is going to serve me now.

There’s a reason why I didn’t say goodbye to Chloe. Because this isn’t the end.

Standing up, I curl my hands into fists and force my heart rate to slow so that I canthink.I’ll do anything to get my sister back. I just have to figure out what.

I want to force Frank to make this right, but I dismiss that thought as fast as it comes. That idea isn’t just stupid, it’s hopeless. He’s weak, and even if he didn’t already have a history of letting me and Chloe down, it’s clear there’s no way he can stand up against The West Point gang. They’re brutal, powerful, and feared in this corner of Halston.

And I’m nobody.

Not in their world.

I can’t go up against them, and I’ve never had anyone to turn to for help, but…

West Point has enemies too.

My heart is suddenly racing again, because the idea that’s slowly beginning to form in my mind is reckless and insane. It’s the kind of thing Chloe would rip me apart for even thinking of.

But it’s also the only option I’ve got.

I push away from the door and race into my bedroom, fumbling for my phone with shaking hands. I don’t care how insane this is. I don’t care about the risks. All I care about is getting Chloe back.

“Tai?” I say when the call finally connects after a thousand rings.

“Fucking hell, Riley,” my dealer groans, sounding half asleep. “Gonna charge you double. What the fuck time is it, the crack of dawn? You’re gonna have to wait. I don’t deliver until—”

“No. I’m not calling for weed. I need information.”

He snorts. “Not what I sell, babe.”

I hear the sound of bedding rustling and the low murmur of a woman’s voice in the background, and instead of trying to cajole him, I cut right to the chase.

“Where do the Reapers crew hang out?”

“What?” Tai suddenly sounds a lot more awake. “Why the hell would you ask me that?”

My knuckles ache from how hard I’m clutching the phone, and I lick my lips, staring at the wall as agitation churns inside me. “Because I know you keep tabs on gang activity around here.”

“Yeah, so I can make sure not to cross them.” He blows out a breath. “I’m small time, but the Reapers? Fuck. They’re not.”

“I know. I’m counting on it. So tell me where I can find them, okay?”

“No. Not okay.” His voice takes on a sharp edge, and the background noise fades, as if he went into a separate room. “What’s this about? Because you seriously don’t want to fuck with those guys.”

He’s right. I don’t.

But I have to.

I close my eyes, and the look on Chloe’s face when West Side dragged her out of here is all I can see behind my eyelids. “Tai. Please.”

He’s quiet for so long that I almost think he’s cut off the call. But finally, he lets out a frustrated groan.

“Shit. I don’t want to know what this is about.”

It wasn’t a question, but I reassure him anyway. “You don’t need to worry about your name coming up. I promise I won’t mention it. Just tell me where I’m likely to find them, and then you can forget we ever talked.”

---