Page 91 of Midnight Wedding

But screw it.

Secret freaking passages!

I squirm my way into the narrow gap. It’s just wide enough for me to shuffle sideways. I suck in a shocked breath as I realize there are little holes in the walls at about eye height, or at least eye height for a person taller than me. I peer into a few of them and see a bunch of empty rooms.

Something moves up ahead. A dark shape disappears around a corner. I shout for them to stop and launch myself forward, heedless of how dumb this is. There could be rusty nails or bear traps for all I know, but screw it.

Someone’s running from me.

And I’m in asecret freaking passage.

I rush after the mystery person. The space turns left and right at the junction ahead and I go left. The shape is just ahead, turning another corner. I go as flat as I can, scraping my sides and arms on the interior walls, getting a face full of insulation, but not slowing down.

Until I reach a dead end.

“Shit,” I say and kick the wall.

Itbangs—and swings open.

I stagger out into one of the spare bedrooms. It’s on the far end of the house opposite the library. There’s no sign that anyone’s been in here, but whoever I chased must’ve come this way.

I duck into the hall. It’s completely empty except for a young woman vacuuming. She’s wearing headphones and flinches when I storm up to her.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” I wave my hands in her face. “You were in the walls, weren’t you?”

“I was what?” She looks around in a panic. “I’m just cleaning staff, miss. That’s all.”

“Admit it!” I get right in her face. “You were watching me in the walls.”

“I wasn’t… I mean, I don’t…” She backs away cautiously and I realize I’m being a total crazy person.

“Sorry!” She turns and hurries, the vacuum left behind.

Well, crap. It definitely wasn’t her.

Butsomeonewas watching me in the walls.

I feel giddy with excitement. This house is like heaven. A secret wing behind a locked door and now a network of hidden spy passages. It’s like whoever designed this place did it just to make my curiosity-brain go haywire with delight.

Only now I have a problem.

Arsen’s got to know about these passages. But he didn’t tell me for a reason.

Do I let him know that I know? Or use them against him?

He’ll be pissed if he realizes I’ve been scurrying around in the walls.

But whoever was watching me definitely was doing it under his orders, and he’ll find out that I chased them eventually.

I need to figure out how best to handle this little discovery quickly before Arsen ruins all my fun.

Chapter 32

Arsen

“Took you fucking long enough,” Tigran says softly as I crouch down beside him.

Across the parking lot, the nail salon looks like it always does. Just another anonymous business in a simple strip mall out in the suburbs. There are plenty of cars in the parking lot and a decent amount of foot traffic between the stores.

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