Page 2 of Sinful Embers

A jarring gasp escapes my lips.Could Radomir have discovered my plans to leave him? Does he know about Matriarch Records?

I shake my head. No, he couldn’t have. Even if the estate is bugged, I didn’t say anything about the Gambler’s Cross out loud.

But I did talk to Sabrina and then Nikolas.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck!

My chest constricts, each breath shallow and strained. Radomir must think I was planning to double-cross him, that I intended to escape—even after the agreement we made before we were married.

My still-bruised, painful left hand from punching my father throbs as I lift it to find my ring finger bare. Radomir must’ve removed my engagement and wedding rings to make a statement— shit, hedoesthink I went back on our agreement.

He still thinks I’m going to run.

Taking in the room once again, my eyes widen with fear as I realize I must be in a dungeon—one of Radomir’s dungeons!

I try to swallow, but my mouth is so dry it feels like I’ve been eating sand. My head throbs as I eye the water bottle. It could be drugged, but my throat is parched, and I need something—anything—to drink. I turn and look at the facilities at the end of the cot—there is no way in hell I’m going to drink toilet water, or from that basin as there’s no telling where the water from it or the shower comes from.

Again my eyes land on the bottle of water on the table and a bitter laugh escapes me because if Radomir wanted to drug me, he wouldn’t need to disguise it. Besides, he probably already drugged me to get me in here without waking up. If he wanted to keep me drugged he would’ve done it already.

I stand cautiously. The chain rattling as I shuffle to the table, the sound slicing through the silence like a blade. My hand trembles as I grab the water bottle, twisting it open. The seal cracks, reassuring me it hasn’t been tampered with.

The water is cool and crisp as it slides down my throat cutting through the dryness. I take a few sips, just enough to soothe the ache.

As I recap the bottle, the books and the card draw my attention again.

The card on top bears my name in neat calligraphy, like a place card at a grand wedding. Beside it sits a small plastic box. I pick it up, finding two aspirin tablets inside. My head feels like it’s two sizes too big, and for a moment, I’m tempted to take them.

I pick up the card. The neat, handwritten message chills me:Maybe these books will help you remember.

Remember what, exactly?I wonder.

My brow furrows as icy fingers twist around what feels like every nerve ending in my body, making my mind scream at me to step away from the books and the table.

But I ignore my instincts and don’t give into the temptation to move away. Instead I read the footnote at the bottom of the card:The aspirin is for the headache from the chloroform.

The word hits me like a blow.

Chloroform.

I was drugged with fucking chloroform.

I stagger back, my knees buckling as the weight of the realization hits. The pounding in my skull, the metallic taste coating my tongue, the songbooks that only Radomir had access to—it all clicks into place.

Fragments of memory surface: Fredrik’s warning about how they subdue targets with the shit, Dolph’s smirk as he casually mentioned how Radomir’s men always keep chloroform on hand.

My breath hitches.

My pulse thunders, each beat driving the truth deeper, cutting like a blade..

Oh my God. It is Radomir!

But then, a fleeting thought cuts through the whirlwind of fear and rage, leaving an ache I can’t ignore.

What if I’m wrong? What if he’s looking for me right now?

The idea lingers for only a moment, but it’s enough to send cracks through the certainty I cling to.

Doubt and hope war within me, a cruel tug-of-war that makes my chest tighten. But I can’t overlook the chloroform or the fact that he’s the only one who could’ve had access to my song books. Anger swells again, replacing all doubt.

---