Cage

21.

Cage's POV

Her shaking hands wrap around a luke warm glass of water. I wanted to bring her something better, something like mango juice which would make her sigh with satisfaction.

But I couldn't. My boss would never allow that.

"I didn't know they were planning it."

"Who was planning it?" So the real murderers are still out there?

Her eyes squeeze shut. "He told me to get some supplies at the store. We were supposed to be hosting a party that night."

"Who is he? You need to tell me. If this person is in charge of the murder, I could bring him in and interrogate him to get you free."

She laughs dryly. I wasn't joking. "You'd never get him in handcuffs. He'd put a bullet through your head before you could step through his front door."

"Tell me his name." Maybe then my life will be worth something. If I could save this broken, beautiful girl.

She shakes her head, her eyes falling closed. "He'll kill you. I refuse to let that happen." When I stay silent, she continues with her story. "As I was walking out the store, this man starts harassing me. I knew him, but I couldn't figure out how. He was bleeding a lot, from his nose, his mouth and his eyes. He was clutching onto his stomach, groaning and unable to speak. I got so scared. I ran.

"In the camera footage, they took my running as me being guilty. He died outside that store. In a way, I did kill him, because I didn't help him." She runs her hands over her face. "When I got back to the house, the real killer, and his accomplices, told me they called the cops on me. He said if I was trying to get away from him, this would be the only way I could go."

So she was trying to run from this unknown man?

Damn it, who is he? Possibly the same man that she spoke about before; the man who made her fear men. Rage burns inside me. How could he do this to such a kind girl?

"They killed him; poisoned him with arsenic. Because of who the victim is, the judges immediately thought I was guilty."

"Noah Miller?"

The name brings a pained expression to her face. She stares down at the fire, her eyes brimming with tears. "The man who killed my real parents."

Wow, this girls life story is really fucked up.

I take a mental note of every detail she gives me. I'm going to need it later. I will find this man that framed her. I'll have to do a little digging.

She must have been going through so much in high school. I was a terrible person back then, I barely even noticed her. I'd like to punch my younger self in the face.

She deserves so much better than what life gave her. "Stand up."

She bites the inside of her cheek and watches me, wondering why I gave her that command. Once she rises from her seat, I stand and pull her into my arms.

With her head against my chest, she whispers, "What are you doing?"

"I believe you." I hold her tighter. "And I promise it's going to get better. I'm going to do whatever I can to get you out of here."

She grabs fistfuls of my shirt and tightens her grip on me. The silence in the old library becomes loud. Her body is shaking with each breath.

I wonder what she is thinking. Does she trust me? My chest aches slightly at the thought of her trusting me. Hurting her is inevitable at this point.