Page 106 of Love Bleeds Red
“I wish I did, but they all look the same,” I tell him.
“That’s alright. Let’s take a look around, see if any of the cars parked match his license plate.” He helps me off the bike, then holds my shoulder. “Are you sure you’re up for this? You can stay right here. Or I can bring you to a cafe nearby? Whatever you’d like.”
“I’m fine, really.” I remove my own helmet, my hands steadier than I expected. “If anything changes, I’ll tell you.”
His eyes search my face, but I keep my expression steady and determined.
“Okay. I trust you.”
We walk along the sidewalk, well aware of the stakes if I’m wrong about this. But I know in my gut that I was here before. There’s this feeling running through my blood, like déjà vu but not the good kind.
We take one pass from the park to the end of the street and Leon doesn’t find the matching car that Alfred was driving this morning. So we walk slower and I take my time scanning each identical black door. He’s quiet beside me, giving me space to take in all the details.
And there, three houses down from the park, I notice a scratch in the paint near the brass mail slot. I remember staring at it while I waited for Sir to unlock the door.
“This one,” I say, feeling both proud and terrified.
Leon squeezes my hand gently. “That’s great, love. We should call the others, wait for them to come?—”
“No. By the time they get here, it might be too late. Besides, if Alfred sees a group of people coming, he might...” I don’t want to finish that thought. With Sir, I wouldn’t be surprised if he threatened Leon’s mom with violence.
Leon checks his phone and types out a quick message. “I’m telling them where we are, at least. I know Falin’s probably tracking us but if something goes wrong?—”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong,” I interrupt, surprised by the conviction in my own voice.“We’re going to find her, and we’re going to get her out.”
“Together?” he asks, his lips tipping in a proud smile.
“Together.”
“You know the drill,” he says as he fumbles with the lock. “Stay behind me, and if anything happens you run.”
“You can pick locks?” I ask, ignoring his repetitive warning.
“Yeah, although not as well as Falin, but she showed me a trick or two.” He wiggles something into the lock, like a pin or metal clip, and after a few minutes of him cursing under his breath, it clicks open.
“Maybe we should have rang the bell?” I ask, partly joking.
He huffs a laugh, shaking his head until we cross the threshold, then he’s all business. My body recoils as soon as I recognize the interior. The gleaming white walls covered in expensive artwork, the concrete floors. The smell of leather and cigar smoke still lingering. I cover my mouth and quietly retch.
The air feels too thick and the walls too close. My chest starts to tighten, that familiar suffocating feeling creeping in. But Ifocus on Leon’s back, on the steady way he walks through the room, and it helps calm me.
Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth.
“Hello?” Leon calls. “Mum? Are you here?”
There’s no response. I point, directing him toward the small bedroom that Sir locked me in that day.
The door’s wide open, the room empty. It looks exactly the same as I remember, even down to the fold on the comforter. I glance toward the en suite bathroom and remember Polly brushing my hair. How scared she was, but how strong.
I grab onto Leon’s hand for comfort and he doesn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers around mine. “You with me?”
I nod, gripping his hand tighter. The warmth of his palm grounds me, pulls me back to the present. “I’m okay. Just... memories.”
“We can leave,” he says immediately. “Right now.”
“No.” I force strength into my voice. “We need to be sure.”
We search the rest of the small space quickly. It’s completely empty. Not one sign of a recent visitor.
