Page 126 of Dangerous Promises

His devoted stare is what makes it finally snap into place. My heart sinks at the same time that it all clicks for me.

Sage may not have planned for this to happen in this way, but shedidplan for this to happen. I pressured her. I'm the one that told her only she could show her father that we needed to work together.

I'm the one that convinced her only she could bring us all together. This was it.

The only thing that can bring us together is…her. I close my eyes on a breath, heart breaking.

"Iwillfind her," I promise. "I'll tear every inch of this city apart if that's what it takes."

Dimitri straightens up, jaw hardening as he gives me a respectful nod. "Do it," he agrees. "Whatever you need from us, it's yours. You have my word."

His word. It's bittersweet now. A promise I've needed from him coming much too late.

He waves his hand in compliance as he saunters away. Anton's saddened face meets mine as he nods, too, and follows Dimitri away.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I look to the sky, channeling something deep and raw inside of me. Because when I open my eyes again, it will begin and I will not stop or break or rest until she's back to me.

Chet wants a fight, he's going to get one. I'll give him the worst of me. I will be every bad thing that I've ever been accusedof and I will be worse. I will make all the things I did to earn the label 'psychotic' look like child's play. When I am finished, there will not be a corner of this earth that Chet could go to escape me. There will only be blood.

I steady my breathing and ready myself.

Then I open my eyes.

Epilogue

Sage

Iblink, eyes stinging as they adjust to the dark. I'm somewhere gloomy. No windows. No way to know how time is passing. The room that I'm in is cold. Much like the cellar I was once kept in. It is small, quiet and wet. Another basement. Designed to keep me low, away from the light. Which successfully keeps my spirits down.

A lone tear runs down my cheek, and then down the other.

Until I can't help it, I'm crying and once again I'm not making a single noise.

I think of many things as I sit in the dark.

Of everything I've lost in pursuit of this stupid plan.

Of how badly I wish things were different.

My mind keeps seeing Freddie fall to the floor in agony. The look on Alexei's face when I stabbed him and he slumped out of the chair.

I can't take another loss.

I almost allow myself to sob, when the door creaks and swings open and Chet steps through. My back presses against the brick wall in a gasp, surprising myself with how quickly all the familiar fear comes back.

Everything I've been dreaming about in my nightmares has come back to life for me to relive.

Chet flicks open a lighter, letting the shadows cross his face and highlight his ruinous smirk. He's never looked scary in build. But in how presents himself he is terrifying. With his sinister smile, blond hair and the scar through his brow. I gave him that scar. With my nails when I was nine.

It's a look alone that's enough to make your skin crawl.

The rest is instinct. There is something not quite right with him. Something that says he'd do anything to get what he wants, no matter how callous or cruel it is. That kind of thing shows on a person. You can see it behind their eyes. It's a feeling in your belly that warns you away even if you can't quite verbally reason it.

A look like that. It's evil.

"Little Sage. How do you settle in?" Chet says, closing the gate to my cell behind him. He enters this cage with me willingly, which already shows me he isn't afraid. He doesn't think much of me and never has, even though I've done far more than anybody expected of me so far.

"Stay the fuck away from me," I say, standing up and wiping the tears from my eyes.