Chapter 21

Cecilia I slipped out of my parents' house at 5 AM, leaving only a note behind. Mom and dad are still asleep--my parents asked me about my hospital visit yesterday. They didn't fall asleep until 2:00 a.m. After disguising myself with sunglasses and a baseball cap, I hailed a cab to Harper's place. When she opened the door, the dark circles under her eyes told me she hadn't slept since my frantic call in the middle of the night. "You look terrible," I said, trying to inject some normalcy into this nightmare. "Speak for yourself," she replied, but her attempt at humor fell flat as she ushered me inside. After I recounted last night's events in detail—the trap, the drugs, the men Cici had arranged to assault me, and Sebastian's unexpected rescue—Harper looked ready to commit murder. "Xavier is not even human anymore! He's a monster! No, calling him a monster is too kind!" Her voice rose with each word, hands trembling with rage. "And Cici and that mother of his? They're worse than animals