Page 14 of Dangerous Deviance
When I opened my eyes, Maddie was staring at me, her eyebrow raised.
“What?” I asked.
“Look,” she said flatly, “All I’m saying is that if he falls in love with you, you can do whatever you want. You’d be one of the queens of the family empire,” she laughed and shrugged. “It’s just an idea. And you’re not really in a predicament to be choosy.”
I couldn’t argue with that, given the circumstances. Which was why I had to get the hell out.
“Sure,” I said.
After we ate, Maddie cleaned the kitchen, then went on to dust the bedrooms. I needed her to leave. I couldn’t do anything while she was here. The antique clock hanging in the kitchen ticked away the time, the mechanical motions making me anxious, each tick shaving another sliver off of my brain.
Finally, after an hour, she zipped up that big flamingo bag and headed towards the door.
“All right, I’ll be back in a few days to check on you,” she said.
Finally, the voice said.Once she’s gone, you can leave.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll see you then.”
“But Ellie?”
I looked around frantically, waiting for her to leave, but she didn’t move. She wasn’t going anywhere. She had something else to say.
“Ellie?” she asked again. I gave a slight nod. “You’re searching for your sister, right?”
“Yes?”
“You’d do anything for her?”
Where was she going with this? “Yes,” I said. Obviously. Who wouldn’t?
“Then sometimes you have to be cautious to get ahead.” She looked down at the ground, then her eyes found mine again. “I wouldn’t go anywhere if I were you.” She tilted her head, gesturing behind her with it. “If Wil finds out you escaped, he’ll kill you. It won’t be one of his brothers.” She shrugged. “You know too much about the family now, you know?” Her voice was light and sympathetic, not to me, but to them. She trusted them, more than she trusted me. It made me sick. “But once you earn his trust, you’ll be able to do whatever you want. But youhaveto be cautious. Make him believe you.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. Maddie seemed kind; she had brought me lunch, knowing that I needed it, and given me conversation when all I had in this world was the voice in my head and the desperate need to find my sister. My only family.
There is more than one way to be cautious,the voice said.Once he’s asleep, you can make your move. That’s how you can be careful.
I nodded, and Maddie smiled back.
“I never care for cleaning up blood,” she said. “It’s a bit of a hassle.” She winked, then turned away, locking the door behind her.
No matter how many times I wandered the rooms and opening drawers, there was nothing to uncover: no secrets, no hidden messages, nothing that gave any clue as to what was going on. His office was more for show than it was practical, and that was the same as the extra bedrooms. My being in there must have been more action than his place had gotten in months.
The voice fell silent too, as if the owner was watching me pace the house. Trusting me to know what I was doing. And I was trusting Maddie to be right. For all I knew, the threat of death was a cover.
But if he was sleeping, I could kill him, or, I could leave. The front door hadn’t made any noise when Maddie had opened it. I could make a silent exit.
The night was my best choice.
I stayed on the rooftop until night came. The couch cushion was gentle on my legs, and I stared out at the cityscape, until one by one, every item seemed to melt into a blurry, dull light, becoming an image I didn’t understand. Because nothing made sense.
A chilly breeze made me hug myself tighter. Darkness came, slowly covering the rooftop and the penthouse windows until it was soaked in it.
Wait until he’s asleep, the voice said.
Was Wil as bad as the voice said? Was he worse, or maybe better? Was Maddie on the right train of thought? His selfish desire is what kept me alive, but still, I was alive. And he could have just used me for his cravings, but instead, he had offered to help me find my sister.
Where was she? That question was the only thing that kept me going.
