Chapter 32: No Way Out
*Shatter.*
The beer glass slipped from Sara's hand, hitting the floor with a sharp crack, splintering into a dozen jagged pieces. Amber liquid splashed across the tiles, pooling around her black boots, the mess glinting under the cellar's dim lights.
The noise cut through the brothel's buzz—people on the dance floor froze mid-step, heads turning slow toward us, eyes narrowing as whispers rippled through the crowd.
"What the fuck???" Sara and I said at the same damn time, our voices loud, overlapping, raw with shock. Her eyes went wide—huge—mirroring mine, her mouth dropping open as she stared at me.
I gulped hard, my throat dry, my mind racing in ten different directions at once. *Shit, shit, shit—if she tells Aeri, I'm done. Dead for life. Everything's fucked.* My pulse hammered, searching for an excuse, a lie, anything to keep this from blowing up.
Jonathan leaned back on the couch, flicking ash from his cigarette, his sharp eyes darting between us with a lazy grin. "Huh? Do you know her, Ezra?" he asked, his voice casual.
"Ahem," I coughed, my voice catching as I fumbled for words. "Y-yeah... kind of..." I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
Sara's glare burned into me, her jaw tight, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, the loose jacket slipping further off her shoulders.
"Why are *you* here?" she snapped, her voice low and fierce, teeth gritted like she was holding back a scream. Her boots shifted, crunching the glass underfoot, her denim skirt riding up as she stepped closer, radiating fury.