Chapter 21: High-Grade Paranoia
- ALEX (ELISE)
The digital clock on my cracked phone screen read 5:00 PM. Maddie wasn't supposed to pick me up until six, but sitting in the concrete basement garage for another sixty minutes sounded like a great way to catch a stray bullet or Liam's security patrol, or worse, get caught by Liam himself.
I leaned against a dirty support pillar, shivering inside my sweater. Every time a car engine rumbled up the ramp, my stomach did a violent flip. I kept checking my face in the reflection of a dusty windshield, making sure the spirit gum hadn't melted from my cold sweat.
When a beat-up silver hatchback finally swerved into the garage, I nearly cried with relief. The passenger door swung open before the car even came to a complete halt.
"Get in, Elise,"
