Page 49 of KAI Tortured

MAISY

Orion did not get involved in preparing me like he did last time when I was meeting Christopher. There wasn’t much time for me to get ready anyway, only a few hours, but Logan and Kai did all the work, albeit reluctantly.

They set up the miniature mic in the top button of my shirt, which right now is getting really tight around my neck and chest. Even my jeans are too tight on me, constricting my movements.

Maybe there is a danger for me out there from Rosey, but after all, I agreed to meet Christopher, not her. I know she despises me – she said so herself, she couldn’t wait for me to get what she’s gotten all these years – but somehow, deep down, I don’t know… She’s my sister, my twin sister. And ultimately, she needs me.

Kai’s in his leather biker gear, including the helmet, so no one will recognize him. He drops me off at the restaurant, takes my helmet, and drives off into the distance, leaving me totally alone. I know I’m not truly alone; the three of them guard me with their lives all the time. And today is no different. Even Orion – he can act however he wants but I know he’s in the background, watching over me.

I approach Avra Madison, and a hostess holds the door open for me. The restaurant is busy, but in an odd way, it makes me that much warier. I scan the tables in search of Christopher.

“Excuse me, do you have a reservation?” the hostess asks me as my gaze travels from table to table.

“Um, yes. I think so. Christopher Miller.”

“And you are?” she probes.

“Maisy Roy.”

I notice the hostess exchanging a glance with the man behind her, presumably the manager.

“Ah, yes. He’s expecting you.”

The moment I hear that, I feel relieved. Thank God. I got carried away in my scary thoughts, all because of Orion.

“Right this way, ma’am.”

She leads me through the restaurant, and I notice that as I pass every second table, a person stands up and walks behind me. Perhaps the restrooms are in the same direction?

The realization that this could really be a trap becomes more vivid as we go deeper into the restaurant. I’m sure Kai told me about the exit routes, but I don’t remember anything now. All this, slowly and surely, weighs on me like a heavy rock – this uncomfortable and terrifying feeling that I shouldn’t have trusted Christopher.

Orion was right. Everyone was right.

The deeper we go into the restaurant, the darker it gets. How come the lights are dimmed for lunch? Stupid, stupid Maisy.

“Is there a private room that we’re going to? We’ve passed through the whole restaurant,” I ask the hostess, but really, I’m talking to Orion, Logan, and Kai through my mic. I need them to know where I am.

She doesn’t respond but finally I see him, at the end of the wide corridor, sitting at the only table in here, right by the door with the green ‘exit’ sign lit above it. He’s dressed in smart-casual, but all black, looking and feeling different from the last time I saw him. Last time, there was a genuine curiosity about me on his face. But now, everything’s odd.

Christopher waves at me, his gaze soft but calculating as he watches me approach. Nothing’s happened yet, and I remind myself that this is just a lunch. But why am I feeling so uneasy?

The fear of ending up alone in the basement at the Slav headquarters makes my heart pound in my chest, but I keep walking. Surely he didn’t sell me out? Surely he’s still the clean U.S. Marshal I met all those years ago? Isn’t he?

Too late to turn back now. I’m gonna show Orion this will go like I said it would. Without any problems.

Christopher stands up as I approach. “Maisy, hope you’re doing good.”

I smile nervously as he gestures for me to take a seat across from him. “Please, sit down.” I can feel how forced my demeanor is, but I try to ignore the knot tightening in my stomach.

“Christopher, it’s good to see you,” I reply, my voice trembling slightly.

I can’t shake the feeling that something’s terribly wrong. It’s in the air. But before I can voice my concerns, Christopher nods toward the exit door on his left and my blood runs cold.

“Maisy, I’m really sorry for this,” he says, “but I had no other option.”

“Wh-What’s going on?” I haven’t even sat down fully before I’m upright again. Alert to the danger.

The police enter calmly, and men in uniform line up along the wall, their eyes all fixed on me. The men from the restaurant, the ones who followed me, do the same, all of them forming a circle around me. Panic grips me before I realize what’s happening.

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