Page 170 of Fallen Princess: Shadow Stalker

I shrug my shoulders, staring at it. “Maybe leading to a maintenance hatch. Maybe to your ex-boyfriend’s a-hole.”

“I didn’t know,” she whimpers.

“We’ve already established you’re a foolish idiot, don’t keep feeding into it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re still doing it.”

“Well, what the fuck should I say, Eden?” her voice becoming intensely irritated and less of a damsel-in-distress.

“That you believe this ladder leads to a maintenance hatch.”

“Okay, this ladder leads to a maintenance hatch. Actually, inLabyrinth of Lies,we had to film under the streets of Chicago within the sewage tunnels. It was vile, and I only had a small part in the movie, but the tunnel had a similar ladder that led up to street level. I had to climb it while they shot the sequence.”

“I didn’t know you played in that movie. How come you never mentioned it?”

“It was a small part. My character was killed off, and most of my scenes were cut in production.”

“Please don’t tell me your character got killed climbing the ladder.”

“No, it was…” Brittney bites her lip and waves her hand to dismiss her thought. “Unimportant detail. I survived the climb, and it led to outside.”

With a silent exchange, I grab hold of either side, lift myself onto the ladder, and start climbing. The adrenaline that they might burst inside here any minute surges through me, and I climb up faster.

When I reach the top, I push the heavy cover aside. To my surprise, I’m met with the blinding light of the sun and have to squint as I push myself out of the tunnel.

As I gaze around at the desolate beauty of arid rock mountains surrounding us, my heart drops to my guts, realizing we’re in the middle of fucking nowhere.

Catching sight of a row of jeeps parked nearby. Desperation fuels my search for escape, and I help Brittney out of the tunnel and rush towards the vehicles. Checking each one, we discover an interesting detail – they are all-electric, equipped with a simple ignition system and a start button.

“Why the fuck are they—”

“Dunno, don’t care,” I interrupt and jump inside one, eager to get out of here before VictorDarkspireand his army find us.

Amid the stark desert landscape, my fingers fumble around the steering wheel to figure out how to start this engine. A simultaneouspress of the ignition button brings the silent buzz of the electric motor to life.

“Get in,” I command, and Britteny hops into the passenger seat.

With a quick glance over my shoulder to ensure no pursuit, we speed away, leaving the underground facility behind, our escape marked by the quiet hum of tires on the dry desert ground.

Chapter 44

“For what it’s worth,I hate myself for falling for that asshole. I wasn’t using my brain. Usually, I’m more alert.”

I keep my eyes on the rough terrain as we navigate this vast landscape, with no idea where the hell we’re heading.

“Don’t hold what happened to me against yourself. He still would have found me without your help. You were just his pawn.”

“Is what you said earlier about him doing all that stuff to you true?”

I bit my top lip, not wanting to talk about it.

“That’s what made you flee all those years ago,” she quietly contemplates out loud. “It wasn’t just the guys. I suspected there was more to it, but I respected your privacy. I should have pressed you for more.”

“And I would never have told you.”

“You’re very brave. I’m not talking about all those years ago. But earlier in that underground place. You were like this pro, badass woman, determined to get out, and he almost shot me like a fucking rabbit.”

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