Fear and excitement creep up the back of my neck.Don’t fuck it up, Keller.
I wait for just the right moment...
He steps into the cell, shutting the door, and that’s when I pounce.
I cover his mouth with my hand to muffle any sound he makes, and with one quick yank, I snap his neck, rendering him dead on the spot.
With my foot, I shut the cell door, then slowly lower Banamaor to the floor.
I wipe the back of my hand over my nose and stare down at his lifeless form. “Fuck . . . you,” I whisper.
Step one, complete. Now to follow through with the rest.
I move him over to the hay and then start peeling his clothes off him as well as his leather face mask. Thankfully, we’re the same size and were once the same build, or else this plan wouldn’t have worked. Where I was once muscled and broad, I’m now much more lean.I’m stronger from this time apart from Lilly.
Once he’s undressed, I slip out of my rags and replace them with Banamaor’s clothes, leaving the face mask to the side for now. Bigger on me, I adjust the pants on my narrow hips and fit the shirt over my chest. It will do for now.
I don’t bother putting my clothes on him because they’d probably tear anyway. Instead, I drag him over to the hay, and I drape the blankets that were given to me over his large body and precariously cover his face so they can’t tell it’s him.
When I lift, I take a deep breath and calm my racing heart. Adrenaline will not do me any good right now. I need to remain focused and steady.
Just in case someone is outside my cell, I take the bludgeon and whack the dead body in front of me a few times, making a groaning sound after each whack. When I think I’ve put on enough of a show, I pick up the leather mask and fit it over my face.
From looking into Banamaor’s face several times, I know that the mask covers everything, so walking down the halls undetected will hopefully be exactly what I need to escape.
I fasten the bludgeon to my belt as well as the skeleton key, and for the first time in three months, I step outside this cell.
The light shines brightly as I close the door behind me and fasten the door. My hands shake for a moment, and I take a few steadying breaths before I move on to my next step.
When I look to the side, there isn’t a guard in sight—my plan has worked. It’s taken three fucking long months, but slowly letting them believe I wasn’t a threat was the best thing I could do for my plan to escape.
With no one in sight, I pocket the key and turn to the right, the way the footsteps would always come, and I walk down the hall, unsure of where the hell I’m going. I’ll figure it out, because I have one thing on my mind—get to Lilly.
The minute they find out I’m gone, they’re going for her.
She isn’t safe.
I need to get to her.
Shoulders drawn back, trying to emulate the posture of a man who beats prisoners for a living, I move down the hallway, carefully listening for any sounds, any voices. When I reach a fork in the hallway, I glance to the right toward a set of stairs that lead down. To the left is another hallway, brighter and less dungeon-like.
I take a left just as I hear a voice.
I pause and hold my breath as I recognize the voice. It’s the peon.
“Yes, Banamaor is in there right now.” He must be on the phone. “Not great. He’s pretty much lifeless. I gave him an extra blanket . . . because you don’t want him dead. Not yet at least.” He pauses. “When are we taking Lilly?” My spine straightens. I fucking knew they would. “Okay. Yeah...okay, bye.”
I straighten up some more, and instead of heading back down the lighted stone hallway, I head toward the dark staircase. If luck is on my side, it might lead to an exit on the ground floor. Only one way to find out.
If they’re going to capture Lilly, I don’t have much time, which means I need to move fast.
ChapterTwenty-Six
LILLY
Marit:Have you kissed him?
Isabella:Have you?
