“You know that was not what I meant. Who sent you here tonight?” This time it’s Salvador who takes a step toward me.
“Me?” I point to myself. I was here looking for Joey. We share locations, and this was his last location. But I’m not about to tell them that.
“Are you saying you happened to stumble into this warehouse on your own?"
“I thought I heard a scream.” That’s actually true. I should have run right then, but I’m nosy.
“So you thought your tiny ass would come and save the day?” I have to bite the inside of my cheek to avoid giving a smartass response because all I’m hearing is he called me skinny. “Sneaking around like a curious kitten. You know what they say.”
“The cat’s out of the bag?” I motion with my eyes to the dead man again. I know that’s not what he meant, but I can’t help but needle him. Salvador narrows his eyes. “Cat’s got your tongue?” Oh my god, I scream at myself internally. I have to stop. “Look, I don’t even know who that is.” I nod to the dead guy again. “And no one believes anything I say.” I may or may not have a few petty crimes stacked up, but that’s not the point right now. "So I'll see myself out, and it will be like we never met."
When I go to take a step back, Salvador shakes his head. "Kitten, don't even think about it.”
I let my shoulders drop and huff out a defeated breath. "Fine, I was?—"
Without finishing the sentence, I bolt back behind the shipping container I'd been hiding behind and take off as fast as I can. I don’t have a clue where I'm going, but it’s just my luck when I come to a dead end with a set of metal stairs that go up. In a situation like this, you never go up, but I have nowhere else to go. I can hear the heavy footsteps behind me, and there’s no time to look for another exit.
Dashing up the stairs, I see a hallway and take off again. In the distance, there’s a turn and then a door at the end.
"No!" Salvador bellows from behind me. It’s strange, but he doesn’t sound angry. It’s almost like he’s shouting in concern.
No matter the reason, it's too late. My feet are still moving as I push open the door, and I don't see the giant hole in the floor beneath me.
A scream rips from me as I fall right through and land on the concrete floor below. I’m definitely not a cat as my back and head slam against the hard surface so hard that I see spots in my vision. I could be hallucinating, but I’m pretty sure Salvador jumps through it and lands on his feet before kneeling next to me.
"Don't you die on me," he orders as his hands take mine.
"You should really get that fixed," I tell him, then everything goes dark.
Chapter 2
Salvador
My footsteps echo on the marble tiles as soon as I step inside. “Have the changes been made?”
“Yes, Mr. Roven, but I’m not sure I understand the need for?—”
I stop walking, and the room falls silent as I turn to face the house manager, Edward. “Is there a problem?”
“No, sir, not at all.” He doesn’t back down from my glare like most of the people that work for me would. “May I be honest?”
“That’s the only reason you still have your job,” I say as I try to control my impatience.
“I’ve worked for this house since your parents were newlyweds. Since before you were a twinkle in their eye.”
“Get to the point, Edward.”
“Last week, you let the entire staff go. Some of them have worked here for years. Not nearly as long as I have, but it’s been difficult to staff the entire estate almost overnight.”
“And yet you seem to have managed it.” I want to roll my eyes, but he’s not wrong. It was abrupt and a lot for him to handle all at once, but he’s done well filling all of the positions. “As far as I can tell, the house is running perfectly again.”
“Well, I am the best at what I do.”
“Was there a question? I’ve got things to take care of.”
Edward seems to hesitate and then finally spits it out. “Are the accommodations for our new guest strictly necessary?”
“Yes,” I say flatly and don’t explain further.
