Free Phoenix: The Beauty in Between (A Beautiful Series Companion Novel) by Lilliana Anderson

suspicion
alone.”
    We stand
staring at each other for few moments. My mind is racing as I try
to think of a way to get out of this.
    “Fine,” I say
eventually. “I’ll empty my pockets.”
    A crowd has
formed outside the door of the bathroom, and the girls who wanted
to buy from me are trapped behind me. I fake reaching into my
pocket before kicking out at his knee. Hard.
    He stumbles
slightly, and I take the opportunity to run past him. When I reach
the door, I slam right into the female officer who was accompanying
him, and send her sprawling on the floor. Her head snaps back, and
even over the din of the music, I can hear the loud thud.
    I pause
momentarily, worried that I’ve severely hurt her. But my need to
escape is greater, and I start to take off. The crowd instantly
parts but a hand shoots out and grabs me by the hair. I kick back,
connecting with the shin of the first officer.
    “Stop kicking
me,” he demands, his voice strained as he yanks on my hair.
    In the small
space I have to move, I don’t have many options. I twist my body
toward him, feeling as though my hair is coming out by the roots,
and bring my knee up, landing the blow square in his crotch.
    He makes a
sound like ooff as his face turns red, his eyes bug out and
water forms around their edges. He releases my hair. I run.
    The crowd is
thick, but I make it through. I push and bump against bodies who
know I’m running, and bodies, who have no idea, and are still
dancing and laughing with their friends.
    When I make it
outside, I make a beeline for the car, walking as fast as I can
without calling any extra attention to myself by running.
    “We have to
leave,” I tell Jeff the moment I get into the car.
    Without
questioning me, he starts the car, and we drive off at a normal
speed with me crouched down low and Jeff carefully watching our
surrounds.
    “What
happened?”
    “Cops.”
    “Did they see
you?”
    “Yes, one
grabbed me, and I accidentally knocked the other one out.”
    “Shit Paige!
How could you be so careless?!”
    “I wasn’t. I
was on my way out.”
    He slams the
steering wheel. “FUCK!”
    “I’m
sorry!”
    “Did they get
the stash? The money?”
    “No,” I tell
him, sliding up into my seat. “I still have everything.”
    “Fucking stay
down Paige!”
    I slide back
onto the floor. “I’m sorry,” I tell him again, trying my best to
stay strong and not start crying.
    “Just… Just
stay down and be quiet. I need to make sure we’ve gotten out of
this.”
    For the next
hour, we drive around aimlessly, while Jeff makes sure we aren’t
being followed by anyone. Once he feels safe that no one saw us
leave, he heads home.
    My legs are
cramping, and my back is aching from being curled up in such a
small space for so long. I’m in pain, and I feel like a complete
failure. I just wish I could close my eyes and have the world
swallow me whole.
    When we pull up
outside the house, Jeff cuts the engine and sits there for a moment
bouncing his leg in agitation.
    “Get out,” he
demands.
    I struggle out
of the cramped space and make my way out of the car. Jeff is
standing at the front door, glaring at me while he waits for me to
go inside.
    The moment he
shuts the door, he locks it tight and makes sure all the drapes are
pulled. “Sit,” he tells me, pointing at the chairs surrounding the
dining room table. I do as he says and watch him, biting my lip in
worry, as he paces the room in front of me, running his hands over
his head and not saying a word.
    Finally, he
pauses in front of me, his hands on his hips and his face set in
anger.
    “I’m sorry!” I
blurt out. I don’t know what else to say right now.
    He readjusts
his stance slightly, and before I know what’s happening, light
explodes behind my eyes as he strikes me across the face with the
back of his hand.
    The force is
enough to tip me off the chair. Sprawled on the floor, I clutch at
my face protectively as pain radiates heat through my skin.
    “Get