We get to the door and out into the hall, and I guide her so we’re walking close to the wall.“That’s exactly what I think.I’ve been watching their routes and they’ve only got one guy on duty right now.I already scared him off by asking too many questions.We should have an open pathway down to the front door.”
“And how are we going to get through it?”she responds, falling into stride next to me and matching her steps to mine.“Because they’re idiots if they don’t have a lock on that door.”
I fish the key card I stole from Smiley Face Man out of my bra and flash it at her, grinning widely.“That’s where the key comes in handy.”
She looks like I just told her we could eat all the candy in the world, her eyes going big and glassy with excitement.“Where the fuck did you get that?”
I shrug.“The guy I killed had it in his pocket.Got some cash, too.Figure we might need a ride when we get out.”
She chuckles but doesn’t ask any more questions, and we stride down the hall, doing our best to look like we belong out here and like we’re definitely not trying to escape with a key card I stole off the guy I killed and then hid in a closet.
***
By the time we get downstairs to the foyer, I’ve come up with a pretty solid plan.We’re going to get out of the building and onto Canal Street.I know the area well and can see that we’re in a dance hall, which puts us in the entertainment district.Boudreaux will have gambling halls just down the street.We’ll get to one of them and demand to see Lucien.If he’s not there, I’ll tell whoever I find to call him.Once he arrives, we’ll come back for the girls.Then we’ll hit every other dance hall on the street and save the girls there, too.
When they’re safe, we can talk about taking down my father and whoever he’s working with.My father isn’t the man in charge, I don’t think—he’s not important enough to be running this whole thing himself—but he’s got to know the head guy.And my fingers are itching to start torturing him for information.He’s working for someone bigger, and if my suspicions are correct, we’ll save hundreds of girls when we take them down.Maybe thousands.The girls in New Orleans.The ones from Atlanta and Boston.
Aislyn.
Bonus: If this works, I’ll never have to worry about my father again.Because I plan to make sure he’s behind bars for the rest of his life.Or dead.
I just have to pray that Lucien’s willing to help me out one more time.
Pray that he’s still alive.Because somewhere, deep down in my stomach, a fear has been growing.I’ve never known that man to give up on anything he wanted.If he has his mind set on something, he’ll move heaven and hell to get it.Sell his very own soul, and the souls of all his family members.I don’t like that he hasn’t found me yet.
It reminds me of when he didn’t come find me in New York, and makes me wonder if he’s decided he’s had enough of me.
Or if he’s dead.
That thought scares me enough that I haven’t been willing to touch it, and even now I shy away from looking at it too closely.I can’t imagine a world without Lucien in it.It’s been years since we were together and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about him, but he’s one of those forces of nature that keeps the world running.He’s the one I instinctively each for when I’m in trouble.
The only person who really knows me.And the only one who’s never let me down.
I don’t want to live in a world without him, and the realization is a shocking one.
Because what if he’s out there dead because he tried to save me from this stupid, stupid plan that we never even discussed?
I’m jerked out of the thought by a guard, who comes around the corner ahead of us, spots me, and lunges forward.Kate sees him coming before I do and manages to get out of the way, but I’m a step too slow.
“You!”he snarls, grabbing me and throwing me against the wall.
“Me,” I agree, gasping at the impact.I drag my eyes up to meet his, knowing I look like I’m about to murder him.
I don’t care.I don’t know what the fuck this guy is, but he’s getting in the way of us getting out of here, and that means he’s on borrowed time.
“You’re not supposed to be down here.”
That’s true, but also doesn’t require an answer, and I can see by his face that he doesn’t realize what’s actually going on.He doesn’t think we’re trying to escape.
He thinks we’re just lost or something.
I seal my lips shut and stare at him, waiting for him to continue.And because I’ve found that when you stare at someone, it makes them intensely uncomfortable.They forget what they were so upset about and focus on wondering why the hell you’re staring at them.
He does just that, blushing and getting flustered, and I almost laugh at how well it works.He draws back a step, like he’s just going to let us keep going, and I start coming up with the script we’ll need to get out of this.Just tell him we got lost.Keep going.Get the fuck out of here without anyone suspecting anything.Leave this guy to answer for why he didn’t stop us when he had the chance.
Then he yanks out his gun and holds it to my head, and I realize that’s not going to work.
“Get back upstairs and stop playing your tricks, girl.The boss has special plans for you,” he snarls.
