She turned and started to walk.
I stared after her momentarily. Had Axel sent her to come and get me? Was he imprisoned? In hiding? I didn’t understand why he had sent her, but maybe she was the only one who hadn’t been arrested.
As I followed her, I remembered Axel telling me at our last dinner that she could be trusted and that she was one of the good ones.
She walked through the front of the station without pausing, and I had to work to catch up with her. She strode outside into the rain, then walked across the wet pedestrian bridge and into the car park across the street.
I caught up to her. “Where are we going?”
“I’ll explain later.”
I did not like this woman, nor did I trust her, but she also had just bailed me out of jail. And she seemed to be the only one who knew what was going on. I was going to have to put my differences aside and work with her. If she brought me to Axel, then I might need to start considering her an ally.
She didn’t talk in the car. I sat in silence beside her, and the only sound was the squeak of the windshield wipers. I watched where she was driving and after a few moments, I started to suspect that we were heading to my home. After another few minutes, I was sure of it.
“Are you taking me home?”
She didn’t acknowledge me.
“Do you know where Axel is?”
“Yes.”
“Did Axel ask you to bail me out?”
“I told you I’d explain everything later.”
I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t communicate with me, but maybe Axel wanted to be the one to explain. I didn’t know. All I knew was that each moment that passed brought me closer to finding out if Bandit was okay.
The weather had shiftedto a downpour and the heavy rain reflected off her headlights when we pulled up to my home. The house looked completely deserted except for the bright yellow police tape that it wore in shame across its gate and front door. There were no police cars, no guards, no one watching. Now it was just a dark, empty house that no longer had life.
Giselle got out of the car and, ignoring me, walked toward the front door in the rain. I dashed after her, pulling my hood up over my hair. She took the keys from my hand and used them to open the door before ripping away the yellow tape that crossed it.
She tossed the keys on the side table and, without a care for the water that streamed off her boots, walked into the kitchen.
I used that opportunity to run upstairs to the master bedroom. I could hear Bandit whining against the closet doors. On the door was an official note that read, “Waiting for animal control, don’t open door. Live dog.”
I ripped open the door and found Bandit crouched on the floor, whining.
I dropped to my knees. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
He whimpered with joy and nearly knocked me over with his enthusiasm, licking my face and jumping all over me.
“Bandit, you must need to go outside so bad.”
He paused, circled twice and then bolted down the stairs. I ran after him. Giselle stood next to the island texting something on her phone.
“I’m just letting Bandit outside.”
She ignored me, so I slipped outside and watched as Bandit quickly ran out to the grass. He ignored the rain, and I stood off to the side to avoid the downpour.
What was going to happen next? I needed Giselle to tell me what was going on. The way she was acting, I knew there was no way she was helping me on her own volition. The only reason she’d bail me out would be to help Axel. I was almost sure she wasn’t telling me what was going on just to torture me.
Axel was the only reason she’d help me get out of jail. I just needed to relax and go along with her games, and I was sure he’d show up eventually.
I was just aboutto lead Bandit back inside when Sergei stepped around the corner of the backyard.
My whole body jolted. For a split second, I couldn’t even breathe. Bandit felt it too, and his entire body went rigid. A low growl rumbled out of him. I grabbed his collar and worked to contain my panic.
