Page 11 of Red

Breaking me from my thoughts, he orders, “Go shower. We’ll talk once you're done.”

When the door closes, I take a deep breath and mutter to myself, “I don’t know why, but for the first time in a long time, I do feel safe.”

I turn the water on, spinning the faucet to steaming hot. Stripping out of my cloak and clothes, which are gross and caked in dirt and blood. I don’t care if I have to wash these in the sink, there is no way I’m putting these back on as is. I stand under the spray hoping the hot water washes this freaking nightmare away. It’s wishful thinking though.

I look around and snag the shampoo off the side and start to scrub the grime away. Once it’s as good as it’s going to get, I get to work on carefully cleaning the cuts on my feet.

I can’t believe my life was turned upside down in a matter of a few weeks. It feels like it has been a lifetime since I was locked in the mansion.

I mutter under my breath, “Time for a plan, Blanche. You can’t hide here forever.”

Pulling back the curtain and seeing clothes that are not mine, I wonder when they got there. He obviously came into the bathroom when I was in the shower. I must’ve been out of it because I didn’t hear him.

Pulling the shirt over my head, I can smell pine with a hint of citrus. It smells like him, reminding me of the bike ride I just took with the sexy stranger in the living room. I’ve never met this man before, but something about him makes me feel safe. That in itself is strange. I don’t trust people easily. Yet this stranger makes me want to trust him.

Taking a deep breath, I walk out of the bathroom to figure out what my next move will be. In the main room of the house, I see my good-looking stranger in the kitchen. I stand and stare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a gorgeous man. I have been with others, but no one as sexy as him. He turns around and sets down a mug.

“I made you a cup of coffee if you want it. I wasn’t sure if you wanted milk or anything, but I have some in my fridge.”

It seems as if we’re already on the same page because coffee is life. I smile tentatively at him, whispering, “Black is fine.”

We seem to fall into an uncomfortable silence while we’re drinking our coffee. Neither one of us was sure what to say to each other. Needing to fill the silence, I blurt, “What’s your name?”

He chuckles and smiles. “My name is Zeev, Zeev Fortin.”

“Zeev Fortin,” I murmur. “What an unusual name. I’m Blanche.”

“Zeev means wolf in Hebrew. My father named me after the animal. hoping I would inhabit the spirit, the strength, and skill of a wolf.”

“Oh, I love that. The meaning of your name is beautiful.”

Thinking about last night, I realize that he’d found me in the tree in the woods. Getting a little bit nervous, I wonder if he works for my grandmother. No, he can’t work for her. I’ve never seen anyone that looks like him at the mansion. If he doesn’t work for her, how did he know I was out in the woods, let alone the tree I was hiding in? All of these thoughts just keep going off in my head, driving me crazy not knowing the answers. I decide to be brave and rush out.

“How did you find me? What were you doing out in the woods?”

“I was monitoring the mansion and saw you run into the woods. I went looking for you, tracking you to the tree.”

Nodding to myself, all of that seems plausible. My grandmother did say she had enemies. With his answer, my mind starts to race with questions again. They are on the tip of my tongue.

Suddenly, he spits out, “Just ask your questions, Red.”

“Why were you watching the mansion?”

He takes a deep breath. “I need to know what Old Lady Marelle is up to. I’ve been investigating her. Now that you’ve escaped, I’m sure the mansion will be on high alert. And I assume they’ll be searching for you. We’re going to need to hide here for a bit to make sure that no one’s following you.”

Taking in what he is saying, I realize he said ‘escaped’ the mansion. All of the previous questions I had before grew. My mind can’t stop racing, and I can feel all of the emotions over the last several weeks starting to bubble. Something deep within tells me that I can trust him.

Needing to know, I unleash everything that seems to be plaguing my mind.

“How did you know I escaped? What if I was visiting? And what did you call my grandmother? Old Lady Marelle?”

Starting to get exasperated, my voice starts to rise and I throw my hands up. “Shit! What does all of this mean?”

Tears start to well in my eyes, and I realize that there’s so much I don’t know about my family and the depth of their secrets. On top of living with these secrets, I have a feeling that Nicholas and my grandmother will never leave me alone. Will I always be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?

It’s too much. A sob breaks through me and my whole body shudders, suddenly releasing all of the emotions I’ve been holding in. He starts to walk towards me. He gently brushes his hand against my cheek, wiping my tears away.

“Don’t cry, Red. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

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