Hope Survives Even After Maps Are Burned by Niro Mason 138

Chapter 138 

Chapter 138 

-Hailey- 

Little rabbit. 

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The nickname should’ve offended me, but it didn’t. It was better that he saw me as prey. It would be easier that way. 

“You made your point,” I muttered quietly into the phone. 

He chuckled again, dark and smooth. “Oh, did I? And what was my point?” 

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw hurt. “You hurt Leo. You sent a message. I get it. You’re in control. You’re watching. You’re always watching.” 

Anatoly was quiet for a few seconds before speaking. “I simply needed you to see that your defiance has consequences… little rabbit.” 

I forced myself to stay still. To keep the anger out of my voice. I couldn’t let him see he was affecting me. 

“I understand perfectly,” I murmured, keeping my eyes fixed on the spot in the dark where I knew the camera was hidden. “And I understand that you think you’re untouchable. But you’re not. You’re just a man. And men make mistakes.” 

Silence stretched between us. Then, so quiet I almost missed it, I heard the faintest rustle of fabric through the phone. 

He’d shifted his position. I’d gotten to him. 

Softly, almost thoughtfully, he said, “Is that what you think?” 

“It’s what I know,” I shot back, wincing at how loud it came out. I glanced toward the hallway before continuing more quietly. “You will make a mistake. Because you’re arrogant. You think you’re smarter than everyone else. But that arrogance will end 

you.” 

Silence again. A lot of it. I almost thought he’d hung up on me, but I decided not to wait for the dial tone. “What do you want, Anatoly? What’s your goal here?” 

He exhaled slowly. The sound of a dangerous man savoring a fine wine. “I already have everything I need.” 

The words slithered through the phone’s speaker and wrapped around my throat like a noose. My grip tightened on the phone. 

“Bullshit,” I whispered. “Men like you always want something. Power. Control. The thrill of the hunt. So tell me what it’ll take to make you walk away from all this.” 

His voice dropped an octave lower. “You think this is about negotiation. How… quaint.” 

“If you think you’re going to win, why haven’t you done it yet? Why haven’t you just killed us all?” 

“Now, where would be the fun in that?” The amusement in his tone made my skin crawl. “Truthfully, I’ve grown quite fond of watching you. I enjoy seeing you try to keep up the act. And I will enjoy seeing you break.” 

I swallowed hard. My throat felt like sandpaper. 

“I will admit my objective has changed,” he continued. “I had intended to move into Riverstone unabated. But your boyfriend and his little club decided to fight me. To kill my guards. To play games. 

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Chapter 138 

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“So now, what I want is simply this. I’m going to pick you off one by one, until you all flee the city and leave Riverstone to me. Or until I become bored.” 

“You’re a fucking bitch.” I whispered. 

“Ah, there it is.” He sounded delighted. “That fire. That defiance. It’s what makes you so entertaining. But tell me, Hailey- My name in his mouth felt like a violation. “When the bodies begin to pile up, will that fire be enough to keep you warm at night?” 

I opened my mouth to respond, but a floorboard creaked down the hallway and my breath hitched. Logan. If he woke up and found me out here- 

“Tick tock, little rabbit,” Anatoly purred in my ear. “Your watchdog is stirring.” 

Ice water flooded my veins. He knew. Of course he fucking knew. He wasn’t just watching through the camera. He was listening to every sound in the apartment. 

I forced my voice steady. “You’re afraid of him. That’s why you won’t show your face.” 

“He’s seen my face, and so have you.” 

“You know what I mean.” 

“You mistake caution for fear.” His voice had lost all traces of amusement now. “A fatal error.” 

Another creak from the bedroom. My pulse was hammering in the side of my neck. 

“Then prove it,” I breathed into the phone. “Meet me. Just you and me. No cameras. No games.” 

A soft click echoed through the line. The sound of a lighter flicking open. Then his exhale – smoke and satisfaction. “As you wish. The old railway station near the highway. Come alone. If he or anyone follows you, the outcome will be… unfortunate.” 

“When?” 

He was quiet for a few seconds, and I almost repeated the question. 

“You will know,” he said finally. 

The line went dead. 

The bedroom door creaked open. 

I plopped down on the couch and shoved my phone between the cushions just as the hallway light flickered on. I put my face in my hands and tried to muster some tears. It wasn’t difficult, with the conversation I’d just had. 

“What’s goin‘ on, Ace?” Logan’s voice was heavy and tired, but it had an edge to it. I slowly lifted my face from my hands and turned toward him. He was leaning against the wall, and his silhouette was outlined by the hall light. 

“Hey,” I said softly. “I couldn’t sleep” 

He pushed off the wall and stepped toward me. “Are you crying?” 

I sniffled, nodding once. “I didn’t want to wake you up, so I came out here.” 

He closed the distance between us. “Talk to me.” 

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I swallowed hard. “It’s just… everything.” I said softly. “Leo. Anatoly. All of it. It’s too much.” 

I hated how easily the lies were coming now. 

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He sat down next to me on the couch and reached up to cup my face in his hand. His thumb brushed a tear off my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. “I know,” he murmured. 

We sat in silence for a few seconds, just staring at each other in the dark. I sniffled again. 

“Come back to bed,” Logan said finally. He took my hand and tugged me gently toward the bedroom. I followed, but my legs felt like lead. 

As I climbed back into bed beside him, he pulled me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. 

It was a lie, this peace we were pretending to have. But it was a lie I needed to cling to, at least for tonight. 

I closed my eyes and tried to quiet the noise in my head. I didn’t know how much time I had. To figure out how to face Anatoly without getting myself – or Logan, or anyone else – killed. 

And I knew I couldn’t do it alone. There was no way I’d get out of here without help. 

But who could I trust? Who wouldn’t immediately run to Logan with the information? 

My mind raced through the faces of the people I was locked in here with. Stella? No, she was still too shaken. Ruby? Maybe. She was tough, smart, and fiercely loyal. But would she agree to help me on this suicide mission? 

Abby was my sister, but she’d tell Logan in a heartbeat. Scarlett? She’d never agree to it. I thought of Viktor, but ultimately decided against him. He was too unpredictable. I didn’t know him well enough. 

My thoughts circled like vultures. There was only one person I could think of who might help me without running straight to Logan. 

Sam. 

Officer Andrews. 

She wasn’t bound by the same loyalty as the others. She was an outsider, but I knew I could trust her. 

I laid there in Logan’s arms, pretending to sleep as my mind raced. I’d have to be careful. Sneak out when he was distracted. Make sure no one saw me leave. It would be risky, but I didn’t have a choice. 

I couldn’t face Anatoly without a plan. 

When I felt Logan’s body relax into sleep, I waited a few more minutes and then slipped out of bed again. 

I grabbed my phone from the couch cushions and tiptoed to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. My hands were shaking as I pulled up Sam’s number. 

“Please pick up,” I whispered under my breath. 

The phone rang once, twice, three times. I was about to hang up when her voice came through, groggy 

“Hailey? It’s four in the morning. What’s wrong?” 

“I need your help,” I said, keeping my voice low. There wasn’t time to tiptoe around it. I needed to lay it all out in front of 

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her and cross my fingers that I’d made the right call. 

“With what?” 

“Anatoly,” I breathed. “He wants me to meet him. Alone.” 

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There was a long pause on the other end. I could hear her breathing. The rustle of sheets as she sat up. “You’ve spoken to Anatoly? Hailey… you’re joking. You can’t-” 

“I have to,” I interrupted. “If I don’t end this, he’ll kill Logan. He’ll kill everyone. I can’t let that happen.” 

“When? When is this happening?” 

“He… didn’t say.” 

Another pause. “What do you want from me?” 

“I need you to help me get out of here,” I said. “When I get the time from Anatoly, I need you to cause some kind of distraction at the clubhouse so I can sneak out. It’s the only way I’ll get past Logan.” 

Sam sighed. The line crackled. “I have about a million more questions. But Hailey… there is no scenario in which this ends well. I’m not going to let you go meet that man by yourself. And if I go with you, and something happens to you…. I’ll never forgive myself.” 

“Please, Sam,” I murmured softly. 

Another sigh. “I… I need to think about this. I’ll be in touch later today. Okay?” 

Relief flooded through me despite my apprehensions. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me. I haven’t agreed to anything.” 

I ended the call and tiptoed back to the bedroom, where I set my phone on the nightstand and slipped back into bed beside Logan. 

And for a few seconds, I let myself feel some semblance of hope. 

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