Chapter 20 Safest Arms
Skylar stepped into the hospital corridor with one hand braced against the wall, her breath shallow and uneven as she forced her legs to move. The polished floor reflected the harsh white lights above, each step echoing louder than it should have, as if the building itself were announcing her presence.
She kept her head down, not because she wanted to disappear—but because she needed to. Every instinct in her screamed that staying still meant being found. And being found meant going back to Avanzini and kind of hell she preparing for Skylar.
She pushed forward, ignoring the sharp pull in her muscles, the lingering weakness from the river and the poison that still clung to her veins like a shadow that refused to leave. Her body wasn’t ready for this. Every step felt like it might be the one that sent her collapsing back onto the floor.
Voices drifted through the hallway ahead—low, casual, indistinct—but Skylar froze anyway, her heart slamming violently against her ribs. She leaned slightly, just enough to glance around the corner.
Their posture gave them away before anything else did—too alert, too still beneath the surface. One stood with his hands in his pockets, but his gaze moved constantly, scanning. The other leaned against the wall as if bored, yet his shoulders were tight, ready.
Skylar’s pulse spiked—were here already.
Her grip tightened against the wall, her nails pressing into the smooth surface as her mind raced. The nurse had said people were waiting downstairs. She had hoped—stupidly—that it might not be them.
She stepped back slowly, careful not to make a sound, her breath catching in her throat as she turned the other way. The corridor stretched longer than she remembered, the exit sign at the far end glowing faintly green.
Skylar forced herself forward again, faster this time, though every instinct told her to run. Running would draw attention. Running would make noise. The hallway curved, leading her past closed doors and quiet rooms, each one a reminder of how easily she could be dragged back into one and disappear again.
She reached the stairwell and pushed the door open, slipping inside. The heavy door shut behind her with a dull click that sounded far too loud in the silence.
For a moment, she leaned against it, her eyes closing briefly as she tried to steady her breathing. Skylar’s eyes snapped open when she heard footsteps closer.
“They checked this floor already,” a voice said, muffled through the door.
“Check again,” another replied. “Boss wants her found before noon.”
Skylar pushed herself off the door and started down the stairs, her grip sliding along the railing as she moved as quickly as her body would allow. Each step jarred through her legs, sending dull pain upward, but she didn’t slow down.
By the time she reached the ground floor, her breathing had turned ragged again, her vision slightly blurred at the edges. She pushed through the stairwell door into the back corridor, quieter, less crowded—but not empty.
A nurse glanced at her; Skylar looked away immediately, pulling her jacket tighter around herself as she walked. The exit doors came into view, bright sunlight spilling through them, almost blinding after the sterile dimness of the hospital.
She was five steps away when a hand closed around her arm.
“Got you.”
The voice came low, satisfied. Skylar’s entire body locked. The grip tightened, fingers digging into her sleeve as the man pulled her back slightly.
“Thought you could just walk out?” he muttered near her ear. Panic surged. Skylar twisted sharply, her other hand pushing against his chest with what little strength she had left. It wasn’t enough to overpower him—but it was enough to unbalance him for a split second.
And that was all she needed. She tore her arm free and ran; this time, she didn’t hold back. The doors burst open as she shoved through them, the sudden noise of the outside world crashing over her all at once—cars, voices, movement everywhere.
Her bare feet hit the pavement hard, pain flaring instantly, but she didn’t stop. She ran into the crowd without direction, without a plan, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts as tears blurred her vision.
“Stop her!”
The shout cut through everything. People turned, confused. curious. Skylar pushed past them, her shoulder hitting someone hard enough to draw a protest, but she didn’t look back.
A hand brushed her hospital clothe—Then grabbed. This time around her wrist. The force jerked her backward, her body stumbling as she lost her balance. A sharp cry tore from her throat as she twisted, her free hand striking blindly against him.
“Let go—!”
The man’s grip tightened, dragging her toward him.
“You’re not running again—”
Skylar reacted without thinking. She dropped her weight suddenly, her body collapsing downward just enough to throw him off. His grip slipped, just for a second, and she wrenched her hand free again, stumbling forward before catching herself.
She ran blindly now, the city stretching endlessly around her, unfamiliar streets twisting together as her strength began to give out. Tears streamed freely down her face. She felt so hopeless she thought about give up, even though she knew she couldn’t do that but her body started to betray her—her whole body—except her mouth, still saying a name like praying her last wish.
“Liam—”
Her chest tightened painfully as she stumbled again, her steps faltering. Then ashadow fell over her, a hand reached— Skylar squeezed her eyes shut. And then—It didn’t land.
Instead, something collided. The sound of impact cracked through the noise of the street, followed by a sharp curse that didn’t belong to her.
Skylar staggered forward, her body tipping before arms holding her warm; the world seemed to stop for a second as her weight settled against something solid, something steady enough to hold her without breaking.
Liam stood there, his grip locked around her as if letting go wasn’t an option, his chest rising and falling heavier than it should have been. For a moment, he didn’t speak, didn’t move—just held her there, as if confirming something he hadn’t been able to until now.
Skylar’s fingers curled weakly against his coat, her body giving in to the exhaustion she had been fighting for too long and after she didn’t try to ran again, he finally could breath.