Page 65 of Take Me (Dark Odyssey 5)

“It’s okay baby, it’s okay. Go back to sleep.” I soothe her but she pants and starts crying.

She only behaves like this when she’s really upset. In her little life she’s had a lot happen to her. she might not understand some of it, but I know she can feel when something is wrong.

I start singing Twinkle, Twinkle, little Star. It’s her favorite lullaby and used to be the only thing that would get her to sleep. Sometimes it helps to calm her down.

I just get her back to sleep when there’s a knock on the door. My heart stills and I look on through the bedroom door. I can see the front door from here. There’s not a whole lot to the place so you could stand anywhere and see everywhere.

I set her back down and move to the door, hoping it’s Mr. Allen.

If it’s him, I’ll tell him to call the cops.

I look through the peephole and nearly jump out of my skin when I see Brent and two of his thugs standing on the other side.

“Come on baby, open the door. My dick is hard for you,” he calls out in his thick Russian accent.

I grasp my chest, holding my heart in so it doesn’t leap out from the fright.

They’re back. They came back for me.Jesus.The door is barely able to close. It wouldn’t take much for them to knock it down and come in.

“I can hear you,” Brent says. “Hear you breathing. Don’t worry I like games. Mr. Allen and his sons are gone for the next few days. There will be no one to save you when I’m ready for you baby.” He laughs out loud, and the tears drop from my eyes like weights falling to the ground.

Oh my God.

I’m not going to be able to get out of this.

What am I going to do?

How am I going to keep Rosie safe?

What will happen to me?

Rosie starts to cry again but I’m too frozen to move from the spot. My mind goes to Christian.

I can’t call him.

I can’t call anyone…

Chapter Twenty-Two

Christian

I was worried last night when Louise told me Lilly wasn’t coming in.

But when we got no call from her tonight, I thought it was odd. It’s reasonable to assume that if you have a bad cold you might be away for a few days. I just pegged her to be the cautious type who would check in.

It just seemed weird.

I haven’t called because I don’t want her thinking I care about the money because I don’t, and I don’t want to disturb her if she’s sick.

I also don’t want to overstep boundaries.

I try not to, and I even decide to head home for the evening at eight.

Since it’s still early I swim in the pool for half an hour doing some laps. When I get that nagging feeling come back to my mind, so I decide to be Christian Giordano and call her.

When the phone goes straight to her voicemail that nagging feeling comes back and along with an uneasiness that settles in the pit of my stomach.

Something feels off and I’m a man of instinct. There’s no point assuming this doesn’t feel right when it doesn’t. it’s truth. I haven’t known her that long, but this doesn’t feel like her.

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