I pause, halting him right on the edge of the picture. We have to make a quick left turn and it will be right there.
“I’ll go first, open the picture, and then you follow right behind me. No stumbling, no second-guessing.”
“Got it.”
On a deep breath, I peek around the corner.No guards.Yes! I whip around the corner, open the picture frame, and slip into the dark hole. When I feel Timmy right behind me, I step to the side, letting him in, and then I let the picture connect back with the wall.
“Jesus, my heart is beating a mile a minute,” he whispers.
“Tell me about it.” I pull my phone from my purse and turn on the flashlight, illuminating the long dark corridor.
“Well, it’s not creepy in here at all.”
“Come on.” I tug on his arm, guiding him through the corridor and to the door that leads to the staff quarters. “We’re almost there.”
“You have to tell me if there are any cobwebs in my wig when we get out of this place. I can’t be meeting fishermen looking like a damn corpse who just escaped his crypt.”
I laugh, the sound bouncing off the stone. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to check out every fiber of your wig.”
“It’s the least you can do.”
ChapterEleven
KELLER
I rest my head against my bed’s headboard and stare straight ahead, the book in my hands getting as much attention as it has for the past few weeks . . . just about none.
My mind won’t stop racing.
I had another nightmare last night about my parents, calling out to me from the other side of a window, begging for my help, but I wasn’t able to help them. I shot out of my bed in a cold sweat, my heart racing. I didn’t go back to sleep after that.These are the moments when I miss Lilly even more. The comfort of her body was what I wanted.Fuck, I want to hold her. Ineedto fuck her. Make love to her. Control her.
I’ve spent every hour I haven’t been with Lilly studying the parade route, checking in with Ottar and Lara about security, making sure we have guards posted on every corner and every rooftop.
When I’m with Lilly, I’ve tried to push past the weight of my issues and continue to be present with her. Love her. Show her I’m still the man she fell in love with.
And when I’m in my room alone, I attempt to think of nothing. Nothing at all, but it feels next to impossible with my mind whirling, swirling with what-ifs.
On a sigh, I set my book on my nightstand and reach for the light when there is a knock on my door.
Lilly.
No one else would visit me at night.
I don’t bother slipping a shirt on. Instead, I walk over to the door in my shorts and open it. But I don’t see Lilly on the other side. Lara stands there with a grim look on her face.
“Is Lilly in here?” she asks.
“No,” I answer, a scowl pulling at my expression.
“Don’t mess with me, Keller. If she’s in here, just tell me.”
“She’s not,” I answer, red flags going off in my head. “Can you not find her?”
Lara shakes her head. “The guards called me, said she left to go to Timmy’s room, and when she didn’t return after half an hour, they went to his room. There’s no one in there.”
I let go of the door and go straight to my phone then pull up our text thread and shoot her a text.
Keller:Where are you?
