Page 50 of Empress of Ruin
I have to get out of here. If this is how bad Killian is at…well…everythingthat has to do with a relationship, with his supposedfiancée,then I can’t live like this. I need to escape him. I need to save myself while I still have the chance.Beforehe manages to impregnate me and completely ruin my future.
“I was more than graceful—”
“Stop talking,” I hiss. “In fact, don’t talk to me for the rest of the week. If I have to keep looking at your stupid, infuriating face, I’m going to smash it in—or trash this apartment. Whatever comes first.” I wrench my wrist from his hold, turn, and storm away.
Chapter Nineteen
Lyra
Isleep in the guest bedroom, and for once, Killian lets it slide. He doesn’t attempt to disturb me or force me to come to bed with him.
That gives me all the opportunity I need to get the fuck out of here. My purse is in the room with me, which has all the essentials I require. Killian’s centurion card, which he gave me a few days ago. My laptop. Not my phone, but that’s what payphones are for.
First, I need make my way out of this apartment. Then, withdraw as much cash as I can from the nearest ATM, and rinse and repeat until I have a few grand. Ditch the card, get myself suitable clothes at a convenience store, and then call up Tommy. My return to the statesprobablymeans that whoever was watching him isn’t anymore. I might be able to press himfor one final favor—to direct me to somewhere safe to hide, and facilitate me with new documents to get the fuck out of this country again.
I don’t care the backlash that Killian will have to endure. I’m not coming back again. If I have to spend the rest of my life running from a moron like him, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
Killian’s main elevator might be directly controlled by him, but the service elevator hidden neatly in the library is accessible by cleaning staff. Staff that, coincidentally, only ever come here late at night—probably on Killian’s orders to stay out of his way—and use their keycards to get up and down. As far as I can tell, the service elevator also leads to a different part of the building, hopefully a less-monitored area. If I play my cards right and get even alittlebit lucky, Ishouldbe able to get out of here.
It's easy enough to tiptoe through the apartment and get to the library. I come right on cue, as two maids are filing from the elevator—which is conveniently hidden in the very back corner of the library, between a row of dusty shelves. I hide behind a bookcase as they file out.
Luckdoesseem to be favoring me tonight, because one of them has their ID badge hanging from their hip, which makes it easy to swipe.
I glance over my shoulder to make sure no one saw me, dart into the elevator just before the doors close, and hit the level for the garage. There has to be some sort of back exit from there.
It’s easy enough to walk out behind one of the cars pulling out right now, and just like that, I’m out on an NYC street.
Immediately, I spot the two guards Killian assigned to me, idling on the street corner. They’re sharing a cigarette and laughing about something, which is probably a good sign. It means that Killian hasn’t realized I’m gone just yet, which affords me alittlebit of time.
I scurry in the opposite direction, traveling several blocks at a hurried pace until I’m far away from Killian’s apartment building. Then, I head deeper into the east side, moving from avenue to avenue until I hit 2nd. While the trek takes maybe twenty minutes, it feels likehoursbefore I find the first ATM—which is inside a convenience store, and two store spaces away from a subway stop. New York City really is the perfect city to get lost in.
I’m worried that withdrawing cash will somehow bring Killian down on me immediately, but I know that at best, he’ll get an alert on his phone—and he ought to be asleep right about now, so he’ll see it in the morning. Or, even if he does get it immediately and comes here, I’ll already be on the next subway downtown.
I manage to get a thousand in cash, then hurriedly purchase a hoodie and a pair of sweats from an exhausted-looking cashier.
My heart speeds a bit. I have maybe one more use of Killian’s card before I need to ditch it, but for now… the prospect of getting away is starting to look like an actual possibility.
Several subway hops andtwomore uses of random ATMs later, I ditch Killian’s card and my bag at Grand Central Terminal, purchase a full set of touristy,I love NYclothes and a matching bag, and head to the nearest payphone. I dial Tommy’s number by heart.
He picks up on the third ring.
“Who the fuck is this, and what the fuck do you want?” he snaps.
“Tommy,” I say hurriedly. “It’s me.”
An uncomfortably long pause comes over the line. “Lyra?What the fuck—how the hell—”
“I don’t have much time. Killian caught me—”
“I know. Your engagement was all over the tabloids.”
“—and I managed to give him the slip, but I need somewhere to stay. And new identity papers.”
Another, longer pause. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” he mutters.
“Not even a little bit. He’ll be onto me almost immediately. Please, can you help?”
“Fuck, fuck,fuck,”he hisses. “I only just stopped getting tailed a few weeks ago, you know that? Most of my phones are still tapped. Helping you has brought me nothing but trouble—”
