Page 125 of Wait For It

Her head bobbed in a nod before she leaned in to press a kiss to my temple. “I love you, Ari.”

My eyes bulged in response because it sounded like goodbye. I tried looking back as the man hauled me down the hall, but she’d already disappeared into the shadows.

We bypassed the main staircase and slipped through the doorway leading to the staff wing. Blood pumped furiously through my veins, pleading with me to escape.

Morgan wanted me to trust her yet hadn’t told me where I was being taken. For all I knew, she’d handed me over to Brad so he could finish what he started. A shiver wracked my body as I considered the possibility, before mentally talking myself down.

She’d asked me to trust her.

The man might have been holding me in a firm grip, but he’d deliberately avoided the bruised areas on my neck and torso, proving he wasn’t Brad.

My breaths grew raspy as we moved down a hidden flight of stairs, but he didn’t even seem winded. I blinked back the tears and focused on my surroundings. As long as I knew where we were, I was still safe. He took turn after turn with a familiarity that could have only come from living or working here. But if he was acting on Tristan’s orders, there’d be no reason to sneak around.

The kitchen was as dark as the rest of the house, yet he navigated the layout without once slowing. When we reached the door leading outside, he leaned down to my ear. “Don’t run.”

I nodded shakily, exhaling through my nose.

My captor released his hold on my shoulder to enter something into his cell phone. The deadbolt slid back with a low musical tone, and then we were outside.

We crept along the perimeter of the house, avoiding the lights mounted along the top of the wall. I managed to trip over my own two feet, craning my neck to get a better look.

It was Dean, the only member of my father’s security team who didn’t look like he murdered people on a daily basis. Although, without his signature smile, he seemed just as frightening as the others.

As if reading my panicked thoughts, he shook his head, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ariana.”

I wondered if they’d told Ashlynn the same thing.

My lungs suddenly demanded more oxygen, but I inhaled too fast, leaving me feeling sick. I tried again, still unable to draw enough air through the tight band around my chest.

“No one’s going to hurt you—not while I’ve got you, okay?”

I clutched at my chest, seeing black spots as I gasped for my next breath.

Dean removed the hand from my mouth, spinning my body to face his. “Purse your lips—good. Now, breathe in slowly.” He gently repeated the words while leading me farther from the house.

We pushed through a clump of Hollywood Juniper shrubs, coming face to face with a hidden door tucked into the back portion of the wall. He stopped to punch another series of numbers into his phone until it opened with a soft click.

Under the streetlights, I could easily see the gun holstered at his side. Even if I put everything into making a break for it, a bullet was faster. Morgan had wanted me to trust her. It was why I’d believed Dean when he lied and told me he wouldn’t hurt me.

I was an unnecessary risk—a threat to the lifestyle they’d all grown accustomed to.

My voice was surprisingly steady as I whispered the same words I’d once heard my mama say. “He’s going to kill me.”

Sadness clouded his features, but he forced a smile. “Not without going through me, he won’t. You’re mine.”

“N-n-no,” I stammered with sudden realization, unable to make myself say the words as I began backing away. It was somehow sicker than the thought of being murdered on Tristan’s orders. “I won’t do that—please!”

I’d been treading water since I got back, fighting to stay alive—to have a say in what happened to my body—only to have it end just steps from the wall.

Dean grimaced and immediately began shaking his head. “No, no, no. That came out wrong,” he rushed out, his tone gentle but firm. “I’m married—happily married, I might add. Besides, my wife could probably kick both our asses, blindfolded.”

I swallowed around the knot in my throat. “Then, why bring me out here?”

“Look, Ariana. I know what they did to you. I should have known when he brought you back and dismissed the guards from the house.” He shifted his jaw from side to side, avoiding my glare. “And I know what they’re going to try to force you to do. I just need you to trust me here, okay?”

My teeth came together in agitation. “Trust you? You’ll forgive me if I’m struggling with the concept right now. The last forty-eight hours have proven that no one can be trusted.”

“I’m the one who helped you escape the first time—”

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