I pull off my heels and climb onto his back, holding my shoes tight so I don’t leave a trace.My arms wrap around his neck as he rises.His hands lock under my knees, and he takes off running.
We reach a dead-end corridor.Alan stops, panting, fumbling in his pocket.
“Alan, it’s a dead end,” I say, panicking.
“Trust me.”He slides a small key into a hole hidden in the brown wall.
The wall clicks open.My eyes go wide as a hidden door swings inward.
“What the hell is this room?”I ask, stunned as I stare into the darkness beyond.
“Peter’s bunker.Just in case he ever needs to run.”
He carries me in and kicks the door shut behind us.The lock snaps into place.Then he sets me down and flips a switch.
The lights flare to life.A sleek black sedan sits in the center, dust on the hood.Shelves line the walls, cluttered with old tools and boxes.
“Oh my God.This is a garage?Is that the exit?”I ask, scanning every corner.
“Yeah.Leads out the back.Smart setup, huh?”
Alan moves to a cabinet, opens a drawer, and pulls out a worn black backpack, heavy and full.
“What’s that?”I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“Our supplies.”
“Supplies for what?”My forehead creases.
“To get away from here.”He keeps digging through another drawer, searching for something.
“Where?”My pulse spikes.
“Anywhere.”
“Alan, this isn’t funny.Where are we going?”My voice cracks.I’m seconds from saying the safe word.
He stops, exhales, and walks toward me.His hands come up to my shoulders, his gaze steady.
“Fenella, calm down.You have to trust me.I’ve been planning this for a long time.I intended for this plan to start the moment you accept my proposal, so everything is ready.”He looks at me with those glittering brown eyes.
Wait.There’s more to his actions.Maybe I should stall for a second.Laird is on standby.The moment he hears the safe word, he’ll come running.But I can do more.I should get more out of him.
“What’s the plan?Why do we have to go so far away?”I ask, my forehead wrinkling at Alan’s words.It’s getting harder to breathe.
He licks his lips, eyes glinting as he leans closer.“I get all the money for my business from Peter.He collects project fees in the state and launders it through shell companies.He makes it look like it’s all mine.You understand, right?”
“Are you serious?How do you know all this?”My eyes widen in horror.
“He told me himself.He’s been using Amy, me, and everyone in Mallory’s circle to keep his money for a while.”
“Wait.So your business is all Peter’s dirty money?It’s all just a laundering scheme?”My frown deeper.
“Yes.It’s all empty,” he chuckles.
“What about Gene?What about Ms.Lola?”
Tears rise in my eyes.I’m not acting.My heart’s breaking.The modeling agency I’ve worked at for seven years is on the brink of ruin because of their greed.All because of Alan’s obsession with me?
