Page 104 of Serpentine

My brows furrow. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”

The pain of my wound comes back to me now that bliss is moving out and adrenaline is calming. I hiss as I pull out of her and lie beside her, tucking her into my body tightly.

She wipes at her fresh tears. “Nothing. No, you didn’t. It was overwhelming. It’s felt so… raw. Didn’t it? Maybe I’m being stupid.”

“No. You’re not stupid. I felt it, too.”

She nods, locking her eyes on mine. Snuggling into me, she closes them.

On a small sigh, she says, “I love you, Braxton.”

I close my eyes, letting her words wash around my battered soul, filling in the cracks and making them whole again.

She’s snoring when I finally say, “I love you, sweet Bambi.”

THIRTY-TWO

AELLA

My shift is almost over. A yawn tugs my mouth open as I finish in the bathroom and flush the toilet. Washing my hands, I take a moment to look myself over. Purple bags under my eyes scream that I’ve yet to get used to being on the night shift. I have plenty of time to sleep, but two men have taken some of that time up. I can’t seem to keep my hands off of it. I’m slowly falling for Miles, but I’m a goner regarding Braxton. He’s become something more. Something unspoken because there are no words to describe my feelings for him.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that I could’ve lost him that sped up my feelings for him or if I’m only letting myself feel them because of what happened. Either way, I hope nothing goes wrong between us. Losing either of them would kill me.

When I step out of the bathroom, I take a moment to stretch before I head back to the line, but a light at the end of the hall grabs my attention.

“Administration,” a flashing sign reads. The bulbs are dying, but my heart speeds in my chest as I take it as the universe’s sign that tonight is the night I try to get some answers.

This was the entire reason I took night shifts, after all. To gain access to these exact offices.

Before I can think about what I’m doing and how risky it is, my feet paddle silently down the hall toward the blinking light. Checking behind me occasionally, I try to focus on my actions to avoid making mistakes. Getting caught would be the end of me here. Not that I need the job. I need answers for them.

Once I make my way down three different hallways, following signs for administration, I have a sneaking suspicion I’m in a new building. One that might connect to the factory, but it’s another world entirely.

Each door has a name on its black, outward-facing plate.

When I reach the one at the end with my father’s name etched into it, the golden letters seeming more pristine than the others, I nearly stop breathing.

Sure, I thought he’d have an office, but his having one in this branch, next to so many people beneath him, astounds me.

I always thought he’d be on the top floor, not with everyone else working here.

I shake my shock off and grab for the door handle.

It is not locked.

This seemed ridiculous until I remembered that housekeeping cleaned these offices daily. I vaguely remember another girl talking about it in the break room a few nights ago. She’d been complaining about how ridiculous it is that they must clean every night when the offices are pristine.

Half of me wishes I knew when the housekeepers would arrive, but I don’t have time to freak out. I’m finally here. Finally, we are close to answers for Miles and Brax.

I turn and lock the door handle. At worst, the cleaners will think he forgot to leave it unlocked.

Here’s hoping they don’t have keys.

Sitting on his chair is surreal. Of course, it has a tall back, and the smell of leather wafts to greet me as I twist toward his computer.

Of course, it’s password protected, and after five failed attempts, it locks. I don’t know if it will alert him tomorrow that someone tried to get into it. I also don’t know if he has cameras in his office.

My ignorance only shows my lack of criminal expertise because I didn’t do my homework well before sneaking into this office.

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