Page 27 of No Promises, No Lies

The large room suddenly feels stifling and too small. I try to stave off the oncoming panic attack by assessing my surroundings.

I need a weapon.Or a way out. But definitely a weapon, for sure.

I eye the bed warily. It’s made up in white everything. White sheets, white duvet, fluffy white pillows. It looks clean, plush and comfortable… A shiver shakes my whole body and I back further away from it. There isn’t much in the room. It’s sparsely decorated. With only a simple bed, nightstand, and a dresser.A quick perusal through all the drawers turns up nothing. Empty. They’re all empty. All of them.

The hall door is thick and heavy. There’s no way I can bust it down, and even if I did, I’d have to get past Aidan, Liam and probably the other guy I saw earlier on the couch.

The entire far wall consists entirely of industrial style windows reaching up to the roof.I could break the glass…Pressing my palms to it, I peer down, praying it’s not twentystories up.I’m both surprised and disappointed when I look down into a closed courtyard garden only about seven feet down. My heart sinks when I realize it’s fully enclosed.

From my perch, I can see a door leading out to the courtyard, but from this angle, there’s no telling where it goes.

That’s one option.We’ll call it plan E or F, maybe.

I turn my attention to the two other doors in the room besides the one I know leads out to the hall.

The first door reveals only a modest bathroom staring back at me. All white, like the bed. I can’t say I’m not relieved to see the toilet and sink. I quickly take care of some needs and wash my hands and face that are streaked with blood and dirt.

Staring at my reflection, I hardly recognize myself. A long jagged cut mars my left cheek, from when the glass wall shattered back at Elements. And a dark bruise blossoms under my right jaw, but I can’t remember how I got it. Several shallow cuts and scrapes line my fingers and forearms. My wrists are a mess.Raw and angry andburning.I run some cold water over them and it helps, but still I wish I had some cream or something to wrap them in.

I finger comb my hair, using some water from the sink to dampen it down. Once again, I come up empty after tearing through the bathroom vanity.There’s not even a toothbrush that I could try to whittle down to one of those shivs like they make in prison.

There’s one more door, next to the bathroom. This one I open with more confidence. As I suspected, it’s a closet. Walk-in with no walk-out. Bare except for a large black bag in the middle of the floor.

A small flame of hope sparks when I recognize what it is…

A hockey bag.

17

POWERPLAY

AIDAN

Idon’t need to be a mind reader to know Koen’s pissed.

No, scratch that; Koen is fucking furious.

With Rory secured in the guest room, I stalk back out into the living room to have this conversation. I spy Liam, already sprawled on the other half of the sectional, wisely out of Koen’s reach. He mouths a silent “Good luck.”Raising his bottle of water to me.

I swipe some whiskey from the drink cart we keep in the corner and plop down in the recliner. I don’t usually drink during the season but… extenuating circumstances.

Taking a long pull from the bottle, I close my eyes. I’m more tired than I thought.

Koen doesn’t wait for me to talk.

His green eyes are nearly black with rage. “What the fuck were you thinking, Aidan? Why did you bring her here? If the Bratva finds out?—”

“The Bratva don’t know shit.” I sit forward. “And why would they care about one missing stripper?”

“I thought she wasn’t just a stripper,” Koen hedges.

I run a hand down my face, exasperation mixing with exhaustion. “I don’t know what she fucking is. None of it makessense.”What was she doing there?And why was she not more afraid? Rory was frightened, sure, but she still had the nerve tochallengeme.To fight back.

“Whatever you’re going to do with her, you better figure it out fast. Because she can’t be here. Reagan...”

An image of our sister flashes into my mind and guilt sets in. Admittedly, I had given little thought to how bringing Rory to the loft could endanger my little sister.

“We should let her go. It’s not worth the risk.” Liam adds his two cents, his mouth a thin line.

---