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Back Gone Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. Acknowledgements
  75. Reading Group Questions
  76. Read More
  77. I

Bloom looked at Seraphine for a long moment, then gave the smallest of nods.

66

Lana opened her eyes. Her hands and feet were still tied, but she was no longer in a chair but lying on the floor. What had happened? She’d done everything they said. She’d completed their challenges and confronted Marcus Jameson and his mousy sidekick. She’d even given them Jane. Was her daughter tied up in the dark somewhere too?

She strained in fury against the ropes. The twine dug into her wrists and she pulled her legs against their restraints, but to no avail. She couldn’t see anything, but she knew she was in a confined space. She used her feet to explore the walls around her. The boot of a car, maybe? She shouted at the top of her voice until her throat felt raw. No one answered. No one came.

Just a few hours ago, everything had looked so different. She’d received a call offering her the life she deserved and had made her way to the dark arches beneath Leeds station to meet the architect of the game, a woman called Sarah.

She’d caught the train from Ilkley. She’d wanted a drink, but she knew it was out of the question. How had they discovered what she’d done? No more than an hour after she’d picked up Jane outside the school, she’d received a call from a blocked number. The woman had said that Lana’s actions were foolish. Lana had so much potential, she was truly special, and completing the challenges within the rules was the only way to get the life she deserved. They were prepared to give her one last chance to redeem herself. If she took Jane to an address in the Yorkshire town of Ilkley and kept her locked in the attic, she could continue. Lana didn’t question their motives because she didn’t care. She’d been sleeping rough for three days. Here was a place to stay, free of charge, and all she had to do was keep Jane out of sight.

A few days later, a skinny man had come by the house to check on them. Lana had taken him to the loft and he said she’d redeemed herself. He’d taken her to South Milford on the back of his motorbike to confront Jameson. Lana had enjoyed that. It felt good to show Marcus that she was strong and powerful. He had always looked down on her.