I dip my head to plant another soft kiss on her plush lips. “Never. Believe that. But for now, tell me everything. I have to know what’s coming, and I have to tell you everything I know, too.”
She dips her chin in silent agreement, climbing out of bed to dig something out of the pocket of her bloody pants. I immediately recognize it as Parker’s lucky switchblade. “I think you’re going to need this more than me.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sabrina.
I groan as I put my semi-dry soiled clothes back on, wincing, definitely wishing I would have packed an extra set of clothes to change into. But I'll be honest—I didn’t think this was going to work. I also didn’t think I was going to kill three men and stack their bodies on top of each other like a game of Corpse Tetris. But then there’s a knock on the door. Panicked, I glance back at Maksim and around the room. There’s no closet. Just the bathroom. I dive in there, then leave the door open a crack and hide behind it.
“Fuck, Alice, what are you doing here?”
“I went to check on your wife, and she’s gone.”
I step out.
Alice looks as agitated as I feel. She sighs and throws me a maid’s uniform. “I thought you’d be in here. The next shift change is happening. It’s almost six in the morning. Put that on. Do something with your hair. You are so lucky most of the guards today are barely starting their week shift and have no idea who you are. Maksim, they'll be taking you soon.” She snaps her gaze to me. “Hurry. We need to go.”
I do as I’m told, giving Maksim one last kiss. I tap on the collar around his neck and hold back a shiver. He’s told me its vulgar purpose—to track my husband like he’s a goddamn animal. “Survive.”
He nods curtly, but he doesn’t reply, staring at Alice, but that gaze slides right back to me. “Don’t break.”
This time I don't reply because I’m definitely going to break. It’s just a matter ofwhen. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. I’ll never tell a soul, but last night didn’t soothe me enough to keep me satiated. I feel like a bottle of Cola that’s been shaken with a Mentos tab and fit to fucking burst.
On our way back to my bedchambers, I peer over at Alice. “Does your phone work here?”
“Barely. There are loads of deadzones in this area.”
“Is there a phone around here I can use? One that isn’t being monitored?”
She shrugs. “I doubt it. Then again, I wouldn't know—most of my work is done in the facility.”
I keep my head down as I follow her back down the corridor, making sure my hair covers my face. I watch her feet, mirroring her every movement, making sure I pause when she does and match every step until I’m back in my bedchambers. Once we’re inside the ostentatious room, I have no idea why I feel the need to explain myself to her, but I do. I clear my throat once to grab her attention. “I have no idea if you’re keeping up these pretenses for my husband or for yourself,Alice, but I want you to understand, no matter what you see or hear me do, it’s all for him. My goal is to get my husband out alive, my soul be damned.”
She pauses, hand on the knob ready to leave me be when she tilts her head to glance back at me, her chin to her shoulder. I take notice of the slight slump of her shoulders and the way her chin wobbles just a bit. “It’s for both, Duchess. Mr. Ainsworth… he was a good man a long time ago. I grew up in this house. My mother was his maid.”
I blink, not remembering a time where I’ve seen her.
“I owe Mr. Ainsworth a debt… that may never be paid off. Long story short, we’ve all had to do things we’re not proud of in order to save those we love. Some of us sell our souls for the treatment one cannot afford to just be with the only person who has ever loved us unconditionally… no matter if it were only an extra year before they were taken from you.” She squares her shoulders back and slips out.
But I fixate on the word she used.Was. Her motherwasa maid here.
I change quickly, not wanting to wash off Maksim’s lingering scent off my body. Fuck. I miss him so fucking much already.
Don’t break.
I find my phone and begin to search for any type of signal, climbing the fucking furniture to get to the highest peaks I can. Then I do it again in the closet. Then the bathroom. I finally have one bar inside of the fucking shower. I leave my phone on the bench attached and go to the door to lock it in case Kane gets any ideas and tries to come inside like he did yesterday morning. I turn on the faucet to the bearclaw bathtub and go to the shower.
I growl in frustration when notifications and an onslaught of messages have it blowing the fuck up. I scroll through them until I find Parker’s thread and open it.
Me: He’s being held in the east wing. There are no windows. He’s chipped. Can you see him?
I almost break when he replies immediately.
Savage: We got it, and we have his location. R U OK?
Me: I’m fine. I killed a few guards. They’re going to find them, aren’t they?
Savage: Don’t worry about that. We’re on standby. Waiting on nightfall but ready to go at any moment, baby. I’m so proud of you.
