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The car eats up the miles as we race across Chicago, Edo quickly confirming the Carter residence address. An uneasy silence hangs in the air, tensions high. We’re encroaching on Invicta territory now. Everyone knows the risks of having a soldier lurking around every corner.
Especially since an Invicta soldier tried to kidnap Alexis the first time.
As we turn down the rundown street, Nat scoffs under her breath. “This is where she lived?”
The neighborhood looks distinctly depressed, the houses weathered and dilapidated. My jaw clenches as my knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. How could anyone let Alexis suffer in conditions like these? How could her social worker allow her to stay here for all these years? This isn’t any place for a child to grow up.
The street seems deserted as we pull up in front of the Carter house, the only movement a few stray pieces of litter skittering across the cracked pavement. I kill the engine and we quickly pile out, eyes roving the area for any signs of trouble as the sun struggles to come up over the horizon.
“Stick close and keep your eyes peeled,” I mutter, checking the Beretta tucked into my waistband. “You know the drill if any Invicta guys show up.”
We approach the sagging porch cautiously. My mind is already racing ahead. I’d make a beeline for the basement first. If Alexis is here, that’s likely where she’ll be after her initial escape from that hellhole.
My hand settles on the door handle when a piercing scream splits the air, coming from inside the house.
“NO!”
That scream is achingly familiar. My blood turns to ice in my veins.
Alexis.
The unmistakable sound of gunshots immediately follows, echoing like thunderclaps down the empty street.
21
ALEXIS
Istand on the sidewalk, staring up at the Cape Cod style home, my heart pounding in my chest. I can’t believe I’m back here, standing on the sidewalk of the very place I never thought I would return to.
Yet somehow, when I got off the train, my feet led me right back to the house of my former foster parents—the ones who had betrayed me.
A shiver runs down my spine as the memories come rushing back. This place had never been a haven for me, only a prison and a living hell. The Carters made my life a nightmare, abusing me emotionally and sometimes, physically. It’s a miracle I was able to escape. I don’t want to imagine where I’d be if I hadn’t.
I’d probably be someone’s slave, and the Carters would sleep soundly at night, probably never thinking about me again. They were willing to sell me to The Brotherhood for their own greed.
The Brotherhood—the organization currently hunting me down. I know I’m putting myself in grave danger just by being here. Every instinct is telling me to turn around and run as far away as possible.
And yet… something deep inside me had compelled me to come back. Maybe it’s a need for closure, a desire to confront the demons of my past.
Or maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment.
Whatever the reason, I find myself unable to tear my gaze away from the old familiar house.
Clenching my fists, I swallow hard. I wasn’t going to go inside—that would be so fucking stupid. But standing here on the sidewalk feels like a way to reclaim a piece of my own history, to say a final goodbye to the place that had once held me captive.
I don’t know where I’m going to go, but I need to get out of Chicago—and fast. This city holds nothing but painful memories and danger for me now.
Turning to walk away, I rack my brain, trying to figure out where I can go. I still have a few of my old coworkers' phone numbers. Maybe one of them would be willing to let me crash on their couch while I figure out my next move.
Which would involve getting new identification.
I curse myself for not grabbing more of my belongings when I fled the Iacopelli mansion. But my exit had been so hasty, driven by pure survival instinct. I hadn’t even thought to pack a bag. All I have are the clothes on my back and a few meager possessions in my pockets, including my phone.
Damian’s face flashes through my mind, and I feel a sharp pain in my chest. I push the thought of him away, unwilling to dwell on the pain of his betrayal. He’s part of the life I’m trying to escape—a life that has become far too dangerous.
Picking up the pace, I scan the streets. There’s a train station not too far from here. I need to put as much distance between me and Chicago as possible. This city is no longer safe for me, not with the Brotherhood breathing down my neck.
As I walk, my mind races with a thousand questions and uncertainties. Where would I go? What could I do? Can I ever truly outrun my past?
