For the next half hour, I helped her gather her things and gave her instructions to a make-believe place in Soho that she would never find because it didn’t exist. Instead, in its place, there was a brothel I knew my father frequented. A dodgy place run by the mob that I knew would get Harlow in a lot of fucking trouble, especially if she showed up announced in the middle of the night.
I didn’t give a shit about what happened to her, but I was sure sending her out in the middle of the night would garner some interesting results. And the next day, when my man arrived, his pretty little girl would be all gone, and he’d have no choice but to choose me instead.
Amber didn’t matter.
Harlow didn’t matter.
All I cared about was Thorn taking me back home, where I truly belonged.
“You’re going to be okay,” I lied to Harlow with a brave smile. “Just don’t come back here, under any circumstances.”
“Will you be okay?” she asked worriedly. Her face was pale and blotchy and she looked awful. It pleased me. “I’m so worried about you and Amber.”
“We’ll take care of ourselves,” I said. “We need to hide you, first. Call me when you get there, okay?”
She nodded, and I smiled, knowing the call would never come.
“Thank you so much,” she told me on the doorstep. “For all you’ve done… I’m so grateful.”
“You’re so welcome,” I said sweetly. “See you soon, darling.”
I shut the door, leaving her looking lost on the doorstep.
And then I giggled as loudly as I dared. Finally, my plan was set into motion.
Soon, I would be all his.
Chapter 17
Harlow
I stood in front of the closed door of Carina’s apartment, feeling more alone than ever.
Then, I took a deep breath, put Carina’s backpack on my shoulders, and made my way out of the apartment.
The air outside was cool but pleasant, and I walked down the street with no one else in sight. It was early – or late, however you wanted to look at it – and I was afraid. My heart was pounding, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to walk away from him once again. But I knew the main reason I was doing this wasn’t because of me. It was to keep my friends safe.
I couldn’t believe Thorn had threatened Carina. She was the innocent one in all of this, only wanting to help me and Amber get out alright. I hated him for it.
The sun wasn’t out yet as I walked through Belgravia. It was a rich neighborhood, one I had dreamed of living in but knowing full-well I probably never would. Ballerinas didn’t make much money. More than I had before Thorn took me, sure, but not by a whole lot.
I found the tube station a little way off from the neighborhood and bought myself a ticket. It felt so strange to be back in London, to be sitting on the tube with people who knew nothing about me or my problems.
It made me wonder about my life before Thorn. Had I really been happy?
Of course, I had my dreams, hopes, and desires, just like any other young girl. But was I truly satisfied with my life? Would getting a new role in a ballet really change my life that much? And without Thorn, would I have ended up unhappy, broken and alone?
I shook my head to get the thoughts out. The tube ride was taking ages, and I leaned back with a sigh as the ride slowly plowed forward. It was then that I got the feeling of being watched, like someone’s eyes were on me.
I turned my head to the side, but there was no one I knew there. Just regular passengers, people with jobs to go to, who already looked worn out by the week even though the day had barely just begun.
Yet the feeling wouldn’t go away.
It was so intense it made me switch seats, get up in the middle of the ride and stand behind a tall man with headphones in his ears so I wouldn’t be so vulnerable sitting down. But it wouldn’t go away.
I started shaking. I started hyperventilating. The fear set in like a living breathing thing, its fingers wrapping around my throat and squeezing my breaths out of me, just like Thorn used to do. I was afraid and alone, and I felt a panic attack coming on, knowing I had to get out of there. I needed to get off at the next station.
I was shaking as the tube came to a stop, practically running off when the doors opened. I felt like I was transported back in time to some day months and months ago when I was late to ballet practice and I felt like I was being followed. Now, the feeling was back with a vengeance.