Page 23 of Corrupted Union

You’re not helping!

I couldn’t risk it. What about calling the police? I could tell them anonymously that a girl was being held captive. Would that give them enough cause to search? Would they show up right away? If so, wouldn’t Stetson know that I was the one who called them? What if they only did a cursory look when Stetson told them it must have been a prank, which he undoubtedly would do whether he knew the truth or not?

I wasn’t sure what was best, and I didn’t have the time to think it through.

This is some dangerous shit, Rowan. You need to be careful.

I know, but I hate to leave her.

Just go tell Keir, then he can help you get her out safely. Getting yourself stuck along with the girl won’t do her any good.

I hated this so fucking much.

“I can’t get the chain, but I’m not leaving you, okay? I’ll come back with help. I promise.”

Two fat tears plunged down her cheeks as her entire body shook. She stared at me helplessly through wide blue eyes and whispered what sounded like a mix of pleas and prayer.

In the midst of heartbreak, inspiration struck. I took out my phone, noting a slew of missed messages and calls from Keir. I didn’t have time to text him yet. Instead, I opened the memo app and began to record, showing her what I was doing. I wasn’t entirely sure what I hoped to get—an explanation, or maybe a name? Whatever she was saying, I’d translate later.

Then it was time for the hardest part.

I started to back away, but she clamped down on my wrists.

“No, honey. Please, if I’m going to help you, I have to leave.”

Her head whipped back and forth in frantic denial. A trickle of panic swelled into a flash flood, soaking my blood in a new wave of adrenaline.

I pulled at her fingers, shaking my head just as adamantly. “You have to let me go,” I hissed with tears welling in my eyes. But she couldn’t hear me. Not through her desperation. She was a woman drowning and would use anything or anyone to keep herself afloat. If I had any chance of saving the situation, I had to act fast.

Whipping my arms around in sharp circles, I twisted her wrists enough to loosen her grip, then thrust my hands down against her hold. The second I broke free, I scurried backward. My eyes begged for her forgiveness.

“I’m so sorry, but I’ll come back for you, I promise. I promise,” I whispered hoarsely, emotion clogging my throat.

Legs giving way, she crumpled to the floor, sobbing, taking a piece of my heart with her.

“I’m so sorry,” I breathed one last time before closing the door behind me.

Each step I took away from that room was physically painful. I hated leaving her—hated it more than she could ever know—but I had to do it. Saving her was the only thing that mattered, and the only way I could be sure to accomplish that was by getting the fuck out of that house.

I placed a foot on the first step on my way back downstairs when I heard my name. Stetson was calling for me.

Goddammit, couldn’t I catch just one break?

He probably has no idea she’s up here.

What happens if he tells his dad I was wandering around, though? What then? I can’t let him see me.

Yeah, but you have to get your ass downstairs.

I know! You’re not helping.

Using every ounce of stealth I possessed, I crept down to the bottom of the stairs. Before I could take that last leap of faith and step into the hallway, sirens grew loud, stopping at the front of the house. Not two seconds later, a fist pounded on the front door down below.

“What the hell?” Stetson’s voice carried to me from the top of the main stairwell winding down to the entry.

A breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding whooshed past my lips. He was going down to answer the door, and I was free to escape. I hurried into the hall and ran to grab my things from the TV room before heading downstairs.

“Look, maybe someone got the address wrong. There’s no emergency here,” Stetson said, arms wide.

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