Page 40 of Escape From Me

Maybe I’d seen Zeid while he came on top of me. Maybe I’d seen a hint of a smile when he looked at me. But never had I imagined what it would look and sound like if he let go and just laughed. Until now. The entire car seemed alive with his booming laughter, and seconds ticked away while my braincaught up. Hell, if I couldn’t beat them, I would just join them. The crazy that was.

“Good. This might just be more fun than I expected.”

Zeiden got out of the car without warning. I scrambled for the handle, shoving the door open.

“Does that mean he isn’t dead?” I asked, rounding the front of the car.

He was already bending forward into the now open back door. He didn’t even grunt as he pulled out the body and promptly dropped him on the concrete.

“Whoops.” The word sounded so weird coming from a man who had tattoos peeking out under that dress shirt. Hell, I knew where those tattoos went. I knew where the piercings were hidden. I was damn near drooling. I stopped when the toes of my shoes accidentally not accidentally kicked the judge’s arm and startled when Zeid’s hand hooked a finger in the cleavage of my dress, tugging me to lean toward him.

His lips were inches from mine. “Dove, close your mouth. I’ll play with you next.”

I did, but my eyes couldn’t stop the hungry way I watched him smirk, lean down, and grab the body again.

“You sure he’s not dead?” I asked as I fought to keep up with his long strides.

Zeid stopped in a stairwell, the limp, unmoving judge over his shoulder as he held out his hand.

“He isn’t—yet. Now, do you trust me?”

There was no hesitation in taking his hand, but the way I eyed him and drew out my yes probably gave away that I was curious over anything else.

“Lead the way, Zeid. I’ll follow you into hell as long as I get you in the end.”

SEVENTEEN

zeiden

The stairwell was quiet;then again, this one always was. The building was small and kept for us. Safe rooms, apartments for us to change or crash in, depending. The building was hidden so far into shell corporations that no one knew it had any ties to the Spectors. I was good at my job. What could I say?

Good at my job or not, this place held nothing but good memories. This was our first really big buy when we knew we’d finally made it. It was the one place that we could show ourselves in any way we wanted.

And, if I were to be honest, this was where I took off the mask, and I wanted Daisy to be able to do the same.

Her touch caught my attention. Not throwing me off guard, but sending a strange thrill through me that I couldn’t have ever imagined existed. Her hand was small and warm in my own. Everything about me felt different. And the thrill of bringing her here with this asshole…

“You are following me with no questions?”

She seemed to squeeze my hand tighter, and it did something so strange to my entire body. I still doubted that I had a soul, but she was everything. Like she was the heart I was meant to have, just outside of this shell of a man. I liked the silence between usas the echo of our footsteps filled the concrete hall, every step pulling us down into my happy place.

“Following me with your fiancé draped over my shoulder?” I stole a glance down at her, and as much as I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore, the smile dressing those beautiful lips surprised the hell out of me.

“I’m curious, prince asshole. Or can I call you my mysterious prince Zeiden? You think you’re so good at being all scary, don’t think I didn’t notice there’s more to you. If someone knows you, they could see the way your eyes sparkle like it’s Christmas morning sometimes. And aside from you between my legs, this is one of those times.”

The stairs ran out and so did our small talk, for the moment. Fuck, I had to slow my breathing. Not because I was excited about what I was about to do, but at the idea that someone had just said they watched me enough to know something about me. Something other than I’d forgotten how to be human until now.

My pause was a bit too long, but I finally released my hold on her to activate the biometric locks.

The lock clicked, and I pushed the door open.

“What is this place?” she asked but walked forward anyway as I stood aside, letting her pass. She walked in blindly, not even looking back.

I flicked the switch on the wall.

“Trusting, aren’t we?” I asked, stepping into the dim room and shutting the door.

The moment I stepped into the room though, the warmth and fuzzies of being trusted were instantly replaced by everything I hid from a world that didn’t like anyone or anything different.

---