Page 39 of Bleed with Me

“C’moooon,” I drawled. “Share your goodies.”

“I won’t if you don’t share yours.”

“I don’t have any.” I held his probing look without blinking. “I’d tell you if I knew something. You know I can’t stay quiet.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.”

He stood, walked to the bathroom door, and slowly opened it. He stuck his head inside, checking the room while I looked toward the balcony door, and my eyes collided with my villainess’s frightened stare. Her fingers closed around the doorknob, and a heartbeat later, she slipped outside.

“What was that?” Malin grumbled right behind me, startling me to the bones. The thin, transparent curtain hiding the balcony door shifted from right to left, and he glared at it as if it had committed a deadly sin.

“What do you mean?” I feigned surprise, but he ignored me and pushed me aside. He swiftly opened the door and stepped outside while my heart almost collapsed. I followed him, stopping in the middle of the empty balcony. Malin looked below us, but no one was lying on the pavement down there. The ornamental bushes were untouched, too. She just… vanished.

“I would give my last penny to know what you’re thinking,” I said, observing Malin’s focused profile.

“So you could warn her?” He countered, turning to me. His sharp look almost slashed me in two. My brows shot up, and I squeezed the balcony railing.

“Excuse me?” My voice jumped an octave. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t play dumb,” he snapped, checking other balconies and windows. “It doesn’t suit you, Doctor.”

“Explain,” I snarled, placing my hand on his shoulder and stopping him when he tried to walk past me. Relief loosened the knot in my stomach when I realized he found nothing useful, but his words felt like a punch to the gut.

“You’ve been lying since you woke up,” he hissed, shaking off my hand. “I know you. You’re wearing the same guilty expression on your face as you did after Caroline…” He didn’t finish that sentence. His eyes darkened as he recalled that dreadful memory, a memory I tried to forget for years. “That one time you lied to me.”

“I’m not lying to you,” I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible, even when a sharp pain slashed my heart. “I don’t know who is behind the abduction. I have no idea who hacked your system. And I definitely can’t tell you what I don’t remember.”

“Fine.” He stepped away from me. “So, you didn’t smell the faint female perfume in here?” He lifted a brow when I shook my head, even though it had tingled my nose since she showed up. “You didn’t hear the balcony door closing?”

I gave him the same reaction, hoping it would satisfy him, but knowing Malin, I was sure he wouldn’t stop until he solved every mystery. The best I could do was share what I knew with him, yet it would condemn ma vilaine to a slow, torturous death. It was unacceptable. I hated what she had done, but she didn’t deserve to become Malin’s next test subject.

“You’re a terrible liar, Dorian,” he pointed out, shaking his head in disapproval. At least I hoped it was only disapproval. Disappointment would’ve been much harder to stomach. “A great poker player, but a terrible liar.”

He slammed my shoulder hard and disappeared back into my office to continue hunting a ghost, while I searched every shadow for one glimpse of the woman who fucked me up like no one had in a decade.

-24-

Nina

The moment my feet hit the balcony, my brain was running on pure instinct. Everything between Dorian shoving me toward the shelves and the cold slap of night air blurred into adrenaline.

I ducked low and slid into the shallow architectural recess beneath the balcony railing, a stupid decorative notch barely wide enough for a body to flatten into. My boots hovered inches above open air as I wedged myself sideways against cold concrete, one palm braced on the wall, the other clawing a narrow metal drainage rail that cut across the ledge. It dug into my skin, but I didn’t let go. Seven stories yawned beneath me. One slip and there would be no second chances. My thighs burned, my calves trembled as I balanced on tight muscles that were seconds from giving out.

Thank God Dorian had bought an unfinished building instead of constructing one of those modern glass towers from scratch. Decorative ledges still existed here. On a sleek glass façade, I’d already be decorating the pavement.

I pressed my cheek to the stone and closed my eyes for a second. My lungs screamed for air. Sweat slid into my eyes, but I kept perfectly still while Dorian and Malin’s voices drifted from inside.

Time stopped making sense. Black edged my vision. I adjusted a fraction of an inch, just enough to keep from collapsing, and instantly, the rail screeched softly under my grip. I nearly cried at the sound, but nothing followed it.

When the voices finally moved away from the balcony, I didn’t waste time. I peeled myself free, climbed toward the open window under Dorian’s office, and slipped inside on legs that barely held me upright. Thankfully, the room was empty, and the door was open. The escape sign burned red at the end of the corridor. I took it like it was the last thing in the world worth reaching.

After that, it was just running. Cold steel stair rails, echoing steps, heavy fire doors slamming shut behind me. The sterile stink of disinfectant filled my lungs as I tore down flight after flight. My boots thudded against concrete in a rhythm that felt like a countdown to my execution.

When the parking lot burst open around me, I didn’t slow down. My chest was on fire, but I still sprinted between cars, frantically trying to find the familiar old Toyota.

“Here you are,” I mumbled, stopping right before it, but my fingers shook so hard I almost dropped the keys twice. Then, the engine refused to cooperate.

“Come on,” I whispered to the steering wheel like it was a living thing. For some idiotic reason, I thought taking this old sack for a ride to a stalking mission was a good idea. “Don’t fuck with me now.”