I need to find Wicked. Whatever has happened with Poppy has to be killing him. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness washes over me for him. For both of them.

I rush for the door when it flies open before I can reach it, and Wicked is standing at the threshold, dressed in black jeans and a white shirt. His lip is split and his face void of any emotion.

“What—”

His eyes trail down my body, and despite where we are right now, I blush when he settles back on my face. “You’re leaving.”

“What is this place? Wicked, this—your world!” I whisper-yell, and he steps in closer, kicking the door closed. “It is crazy! What the fu—”

He grabs me by the cheek, pulling my face into his. His lips find mine and I bring my arm up to the back of his neck. I don’t think his intention was to kiss me, but I kiss him anyway. Flicking my tongue over his bottom lip and over the graze, I lean up on my tippy toes, massaging the back of his head. “We can get out together.”

He shakes his head slowly, but his other arm hooks to my back, holding me in place. “This is different, Rubs. This is beyond me, and hell… even beyond Skully. Wherever the fuck he has disappeared to. This?” He brushes the tip of his nose against mine. “This is beyond even the Honored Society.” His hand falls to the nape of my neck. “You need to get out. Tonight. Because what he has planned for you is worse than you can even imagine.”

“But what will he do to you if he finds out?” Panic cripples my legs and I fall slightly, only he catches me, carrying me onto the bed. “What is this place?”

“It’s The Compound of K Diamond. Look at me—” He forces my face up to his as he slowly lowers himself down beside me. “They’re going to kill me. That’s inevitable. But I need you to give this to your old man when you get home. Don’t read it either, just give it to him.” An envelope is placed into my hands, but I don’t want to take my eyes off Wicked to see, because this might—tears fall from the corners of my eyes.

He brushes the tears away. “You need to move on and forget about me and all this. I promise you it’ll make sense one day. Why I was there, why I came into your life, and why I’m doing what I’m doing now—”

Anger rips through the swell in my throat. “And what is that? Huh? Hangman. What are you doing right now, and why can’t you come with me?” I stab my finger into his chest, the tears spilling over my cheeks now. “We can both leave.”