I frowned. “You would let her go for me?” I asked tentatively. I turned my face up to him. "I thought you hated me."
Aiden's face screwed up. "I've never hated you. You're the one who left me." His voice tightened as he gripped my arm tighter. "We need to go."
My heart thundered with fear as he pulled me along behind him. The hallway was grimy and a mess. Scraps of paper were scattered across the floor, and the dim lighting added to the eeriness.
"Where are we going?" I asked, hoping to distract him while praying for rescue. Surely Jessop would already be looking for me. Carlisle, too. They would get to me before the sheriff could. They had more resources. And better connections.
Aiden didn't answer but continued pulling me out of the doorway and into the dark, dingy stairwell. I wanted to run back the way we had come, even though I knew the stairs led outside.
A noise from below caught my ear, but Aiden didn't seem to hear it. On the last step, someone cleared their throat. The moment I looked in the direction of the sound, a sharp thwack rang in my ears, and Aiden froze before dropping to the ground. His weight pulled me down, trapping me under him. I struggled to push him off. Hands grabbed me and pulled me free. Hegarty crouched over me, calmly saying, "I wasn't here." He offered a wry smile.
His voice came at me as though through a narrowing tunnel, and before everything went black, I caught sight of Jessop. At least I think I did because he was extremely fuzzy around the edges.
* * *
“Dammit, where the hell are you?"
I groaned, imagining that someone was talking to me in my head. Maybe I'd hit my head harder than I thought.
The dark, damp room smelled awful, and I had to steady myself with each breath so I wouldn't vomit.
"Tallulah, damn it!"
"Levi?" I asked, feeling a surge of hope.
"Thank God!"
I remembered how easy it was to communicate with him without saying a word. "What's going on?"
"Where are you?"
"I'm in a room that stinks." I rubbed my head. "Levi," I cried. "Penelope?”
"Penelope is safe. Let me know when you hear your name. Not in your head. I'm here with the sheriff's office."
"Be careful. Aiden is dangerous."
Everything went quiet, so I reached out. "Are you still with me?"
"I am."
"I don't hear anything."
There was a pause. "What about now?"
"No. What did you do?"
"I dragged a metal pole along a metal enclosure. It made a hell of a noise."
"Oh!" I paused and listened hard. "Honestly, I can't hear anything."
"I think we're in two different places."
"No," I gasped aloud. "Please find me." I sobbed.
"We will."
"Don't leave me, okay? Stay in my head. I'm scared." In the light of day, I know I'll be embarrassed to have admitted that.
