Page 72 of Dirty Legacy

She puts a hand on my wrist. “Angie, you saved my life. This is the least I can do. Besides⁠—“

Explosions go off. Loud bursting pops like gunfire echo from somewhere far back behind the mansion.

“What was that?!”

“That was our cue. Come on.” Rowan runs to the stairs and descends at a manic, wild pace.

“Wait!” I chase after, heart racing. There’s yelling from somewhere near the back. Angry, panicked men. Doors slam nearby.

Rowan hits the bottom landing and doesn’t pause. She hurls herself at the door, reckless and fearless. She yanks it open and there’s the night, the driveway, the darkness, waiting. It’s freedom, and god, I’ve wanted it so badly since coming here, but now I’m not sure.

“Hold on, what if they shoot us?”

She doesn’t even look back, sprinting out into the evening. I curse and have to follow, out of control and regretting every single decision I’ve ever made. If she gets hurt, I’ll never forgive myself. Connor will never forgive me either. How could I put her in this position?!

But Rowan’s whooping and laughing as she sprints between the trees. Men nearby shout for us to stop, but Rowan only flips them off and keeps going.

And I realize something: she’s been living this life for years, for her entire existence. She’s never known a world without guards, mafias, danger soldiers. To her this is a fun excursion because she knows everyone in this place knows her like the backs of their hands. She knows there’s no real threat for her.

I’m out of breath, gasping, sweating, running all-out to try to keep up with the wiry teen. She flits between the trunks and reaches the wall, cackling madly.

“Wait, wait, hold on.” I moan as she climbs like a monkey to the top. “Please, Rowan, wait a second.”

“No time to wait. Those guards are coming and they’re gonna drag you back. You wanna face Connor?”

Shit. She’s right. Three men are coming at us, shouting for me to turn around.

No time to hesitate. Rowan reaches down and I jump, catching her hand, using her as leverage to drag myself up. “I’m so… out of… shape!” I grunt as I reach the top of the wall. “I swear, I’m going to start running.”

“Another time!” She swats my ass and leaps off the other side. “We got to catch that ride!”

The silver Nissan Altima is parked half a mile further down the road. Nadia seems surprised when we show and jump in. “Better get moving,” Rowan advises. “Before the guards come searching.”

“Guards?” But Nadia sighs at the look I give her and pulls out.

Rowan goes over her master escape plan on the way to the bar. She set fireworks on a timer in the back yard. “Connor taught me how, believe it or not,” she says proudly. “He’s gonna love it.”

“He’s going to kill me,” I say under my breath, pale and clammy.

“Can anyone explain what’s going on here?” Nadia looks at us like we’ve lost our minds. “Angie, who’s this?”

I introduce them and find myself telling her more than I planned, about my marriage to Connor, about the mansion, about my mother moving in with us. I don’t mention the war or the fact that I’m technically a captive, though Nadia asks some pointed questions about why we had to escape our own house.

We reach Heart and Stone at exactly ten. Nadia finds a spot nearby and kills the engine. She turns to face me and puts a hand on my leg. “Two things. First, you’re okay?”

“I’m okay,” I assure her. “It’s complicated, but I’m okay.”

“And second…” She leans in, grinning. “Holy shit, you’re married to Big Boss?”

I laugh, with a look at Rowan. “I know, right?”

“Is he as hot as I think he is?”

“Gross,” Rowan says, getting out of the car. “That’s my brother.”

We head into the bar together. I take point with Rowan and Nadia backing me up. It’s crowded and dark. Young people gather at tables drinking and laughing over the too-loud music. And for the first time in a while, I feel strangely good, even though I’m marching to pay off my ex-boyfriend and his awful new girl, I have friends at my back. It’s weird how nice that feels, knowing Nadia and Rowan care about me enough to drop everything. Rowan took risks to get me out, and Nadia agreed to drive us without so much as a second question.

I never thought I’d have people like this in my life, and it gives me hope for the first time in a very long while.