Page 217 of Kissing the Villain

I smiled. “Thanks.”

He winked, then dropped back into his chair, downing half his drink in one gulp. I studied his face as I sipped my tea.

He lifted my sketchbook and a charcoal pencil from the table. “Luca wants you to draw something for him.”

I took it from his hand. “What did he have in mind?”

“He said to surprise him.”

I set my art supplies on the bed and flipped to a new page, hoping the pills would kick in before Luca finished with business. Resting the sketchbook on my thighs, I gripped the charcoal pencil and considered Luca’s latest mood.

You’re not a terrible person.

You’re doing this for your family.

The Salvatores would do the same.

I leaned against the headboard and glided the pencil across the pad. Marcello yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Tired?”

He yawned again. “I haven’t slept in two days.”

Marcello’s head hit the back of the chair a few minutes later. Not long after, his snores cut through the silence. I dropped the sketchpad and pencil on the bed and opened the door, popping my head into the hallway.

At this hour, the house was silent. The sconces burned on the walls, casting a soft glow on the walnut floor. I glanced at a sleeping Marcello, who looked as beautiful as his brother. Attempting to steady my rapid breathing, I inched my back along the wall to avoid the camera in the hallway’s corner.

As I ascended the stairs, I held my breath, careful not to make a sound. My heart hammered in my chest when my feet hit the top landing. Every nerve ending in my body fired off at once from the adrenaline rushing through my veins. Focused on the task, I slid my back along the wall to avoid the cameras. At least I had one thing going for me—no guards in the hall, no one protecting the heir to this castle on the sea.

I tiptoed past Luca’s office. His voice boomed through the closed door. Glancing over my shoulder one last time, I slipped inside the library. My eyes swept over the two-story room with vaulted ceilings, scanning the endless cases of books.

On my way across the dusty space, I grabbed a wooden chair from a desk piled high with leather-bound books. I stared at the title on the top, which wasSecrets of the Knighthood.

Under different circumstances, I would have sat down and devoured the pages, desperate to learn anything about The Devil’s Knights and their rituals. But I had little time to waste before someone noticed I escaped.

I dragged the chair across the hardwood floor toward the middle bookcase. All the spines looked similar except forThe Count of Monte Cristo, with its navy blue binding and gold writing that stood out amongst the sea of blacks and grays. I reached for the book, pulled it down, and hopped off the chair.

With my hand on the center shelf, I pushed, and it swung inward. I stared down at the stone encasement and its narrow spiral staircase that made my mouth go dry. At least there were lights built into the walls, providing a way. A pang of anxiety crept up the back of my throat. I doubted my fear of dark, small spaces would ever go away.

I used the wall for support and crept down the stairs. Pushing the dark thoughts from my mind, I followed the lit pathway. My lungs constricted from the thickness of the air. An earthy scent floated through the cold tunnel beneath the estate, making my nose twitch.

I sneezed several times, covering my mouth to keep the stench from invading my nostrils.Stupid allergies. Navigating the passage, I followed the lights around each bend. The air was thick like fog below ground, so dense I could feel my lungs struggling to keep up.

I walked toward Arlo’s wine room and stopped dead in my tracks. A light inside the room illuminated, and my heart leaped out of my chest. Leaning against the wall, I took a deep breath and peeked through the glass walls encasing the wine bottles.

No one was there.

Afraid to waste another moment, I approached the end of the hallway, where I spotted the secret door.Almost there. I gripped the heavy steel door, pushing it to the left. The passageway ceiling was maybe four feet high, forcing me to bend down. I inched my way into the narrow tunnel and held my breath.

It was too dark.

Too small.

Like a closet.

As I moved toward the beach, the water slapping the rocks grew louder. Something crawled up my arm. I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle my scream. Swatting at my arm, I flicked off the bug. The salty scent I loved hit me in the face.It reminded me of my first kiss with Luca. Taking it all in, I breathed in the delicious smell of freedom.

I glanced up at the mansion that loomed over the sea. Two guards stood farther back from the cliff with their backs to me. Hidden from the guard’s sight, I stayed close to the rock wall that bordered the Salvatore property. To get to The Hills, I had to follow the beach to Beacon Bay. I could take the back alleyway Aiden had shown me last year. It was the only way to slip out of Devil’s Creek undetected.

---