Page 41 of Devious Secrets

The man has left me in this room alone for three days.

He’s been nice enough to send staff in with food every few hours, and plenty of it, and it’s all been beyond delicious. But that’s beside the point.

He let that doctor drug me and then just left me here.

I haven’t even seen him, not that I want to see him. He’s not bad to look at, but it’s hard to demand your release when your captor refuses to come around.

Well, today is the day I’m getting the hell out of here. I’ve missed work, so who knows if I even have a job now. And Marco is going to come looking for me soon.

I have nothing to offer him. Dread fills me at the thought of our next conversation, but before it consumes me and freezes me up, I have to act right now.

Enough is enough. I’ve never been one to just sit around and wait for someone to come save me.

No one’s coming. Life has been a cruel teacher, stealing away my father when I was only twelve and then slowly dragging my mother to her grave when the ink on my high school diploma was still wet. But I’ve learned my lesson well.

I’m on my own, and that means saving myself.

Finding my bag in the closet, I dig out a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt and get dressed. I throw open the bedroom door, ready to fight whatever guard is sitting outside.

There’s no one.

I’d just assumed Alexander would have someone posted outside the room, and with my ankle being in such bad shape for the past few days, I hadn’t exactly been able to make a run for it.

With my bag strapped over my shoulder, I march as confidently as I can down the hall to the wide winding staircase that he’d carried me up days ago. Stopping every few steps to listen for voices, I get down them as quickly as I can.

“What are you doing?” Alexander’s voice hits me as soon as I’m in the foyer. The front door is right there. Only a few more steps.

I drag in a deep breath, rolling my shoulders back and throwing my chin up as I turn to face him.

“I’m going home. Enough is enough. I have a job, hopefully, and a life.” And an entirely different mob boss to placate in order to keep Mira and myself alive.

I shift my weight to my left foot. Even with the swelling down and the pain only a slight dull ache, I don’t want to take any chances on making it worse.

Alexander is dressed in a pair of black slacks with a black button-down shirt tucked into them. His belt hugs his hips, and for a moment I can feel the heaviness of it on my neck again. I have to stop myself from reaching up to touch the skin there.

He hooks his hands on his hips and stares at me, his jaw getting tighter by the moment. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to his elbows, exposing the dark tattoos covering his forearms.

“You’re right.” He gives a curt nod, making his way to me. “Enough is enough.”

I’m barely able to register his movements as he grabs my bag from me and tosses it to the ground.

“This way.” He cups my elbow and urges me along with him.

“Alexander.” I try to tug away from him, but he tightens his grip. “What are you doing? Let me go.”

“I’m going to show you something, Megan.” He brings me down one hallway, then another and another. This place is an absolute maze. I’m completely turned around by the time he brings me to a door.

He has to unlock it with a key before opening it, then gestures for me to climb down the stairs ahead of him.

I give a little shake of my head. It’s dark down there, and that door had been locked. How do I know he’s not going to just lock me away since I’m not giving up on leaving?

His heavy sigh blows through my hair as he leans over me to hit the light switch. The stairwell illuminates and there’s a dim glow at the bottom.

“Go.” He nudges my back when I still stand frozen.

I don’t really have a choice. I know that. He’ll just drag me down there if he wants me there.

Slowly, I climb down the wooden steps into a basement. The door shuts behind me with a clank. It sounds more like a jail cell slamming than an ordinary basement door. I pause to look back over my shoulder. He’s right there, coming with me.

---