Page 29 of Haunted Prey

“I just need him to. Please.” I didn’t mean to snap but I was on edge and ready to break something.

She let out a slow breath. “I don’t know, Eve. Wes was very keen on having you stay until we all felt like you’d be okay.”

“I’m fine.”

“Well, what did the doctors say?”

I wanted to fling the phone across the wall. Instead, I said, “They think I’m doing better.”

“But we’ve heard nothing from them and they said they’d call when they felt you were ready to be released.”

“Well, I say I am ready and I need you to tell Uncle Wes I want to leave.”

She sighed again as if exasperated. “We’ll talk about it and see. But you should give it some time. You’ve been through…a lot.”

“No shit.”

I froze, realizing I said that out loud.

“And so have we,” she added more sternly. “Wes needs time. Try to make it work.”

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes. “I can’t, not here.”

“Just try, Eve. I have to go. We will…talk later.”

When she hung up, I went to throw the phone and instead dropped it on the bed. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that she and Uncle Wes hadn’t called me once and now I understood why. I’d threatened the company and was therefore a threat to them.

Uncle Wes didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to release me. It was his lawyer who’d come when I went to be interviewed by the FBI. To make sure I didn’t mention the company. And when I had, the lawyer had marked it as insufficient evidence. Which was bullshit because they had my laptop with all the evidence they needed. And if that wasn’t enough, the external drive was still at my apartment.

It was clear our relationship was tarnished beyond repair by my confession back at the masquerade. Now Uncle Wes saw me as an adversary. He wanted me silenced. He wanted me shut away.

CHAPTER SEVEN

For two days, my paranoia was at its peak, but I reserved myself to at least act like I was calm and collected when outside my room. Inside, I wasn’t so much. I might not be able to lock the door but I barricaded it at night. Thankfully, that specific “night terror” didn’t return. Still, I wasn’t taking any chances.

I knew I was being watched more than ever. I was still certain of it because I noticed a man—one of the security guards—had started to casually follow me around at a distance. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I had started to take walks outside more frequently, specifically around the perimeter. It should have been no surprise that they had cameras but I hadn’t bothered to look around, only pretended to stroll aimlessly across the property while secretly looking for any gaps or openings in the ivy-covered stone walls surrounding the buildings.

I noticed the man following me the day after I had called Jamie, caught him standing near the side door watching me walking across the yard.

I didn’t call anyone again, afraid now they might be listening inside my room. I stuck to texts only and sent them from inside the bathroom in case there were cameras in the bedroom too. Ididn’t stay compliant or keep idle even after the call with Jamie and Aunt May. I almost slipped and called Tyler, hoping he would hear me out and let me go, but after talking with Leo—who was quick to convince me otherwise—and seeing the guard glare me down with his hand on the walkie at his belt, I knew there was no fucking way I could trust him to help me. This was his facility he wanted to keep me in, after all. If I went to him now, he would make things even more difficult.

So I tried to act like nothing was wrong. Besides the walks, I went to the garden, hung out with the girls in the sunroom even if I grew quiet and only listened. I forced myself not to take the meds, pretending to do so in front of Jackie before going to the bathroom and flushing them down.

It fucking sucked, but I knew I needed to be as clearheaded as possible when I got the hell out.

It was nearly midnight now on the second night as I slipped into the bathroom. I turned on the shower, took off my clothes and got in with my phone in hand. Keeping out of the water, I stuck close to the wall, letting it get steamy inside before popping up the text messenger. I’d searched the bathroom for anything suspicious and found nothing, but I still wasn’t taking any chances. So here I was feeling crazy but determined as fuck not to let them know a single thing I was up to.

I tapped on Lena’s name and pulled up our conversation, then started typing.

Guy is still watching me. Don’t think I’ll be able to sneak out without him noticing.

I hit send and waited.

A minute later, I received a response.

Figured as much. Any luck on a possible out?

I closed my eyes, thinking, then typed back. Maybe. But it’ll be risky.

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