Page 10 of The Veiling

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Groaning to myself, I marched out of the bathroom to the bedroom door, yanking it open. My eyes widened, surprised it was Tanya instead of my sister. Letting go of the handle, I twisted back toward the bathroom, leaving her standing on the threshold.

“Can I come in?”

“I’m going to shower.”

“Can you wait a minute?”

Without a word, I entered the foggy bathroom, turned off the water, and returned to the bedroom. Folding my arms over my bare chest, I waited in silence for her to speak her mind.

Composing herself, she took a deep, shaky breath. “I want to help.”

I remained silent.

“Tell me what I can do, please. Anything to help her.” She wiped a stray tear with her finger. “I feel partly responsible. I shouldn’t have let her go to the bathroom alone.”

“You need to stay out of this.” I slid my hands in my pockets. “The last thing I need is you getting hurt again, too.”

“I get your fiancé is missing, but she’s my best friend!” She threw her arm out, motioning toward the door. “She’s loved by all of us for one reason or another.” Clutching her hands together in front of her, she swallowed hard. “What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to pay the public to bring whoever took her out of hiding.”

“What do you mean,whoever took her?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“Let me help you.”

“I already told y—”

“Hear me out,” she lifted her hands, “please.”

Exhaling, I crossed my arms once again, arching a brow.

“You need a publicist.”

I open my mouth to respond.

“Wait.” She rested her fists on her hips. “Just let me finish. I’ll be your publicist so you can focus all your attention on getting her back safely.”

“No.”

“Valen—”

“That would put you in the line of fire, and I’m not doing that.”

“Why are you so fucking stubborn?”

“The discussion is over, Tanya.” I marched to the bedroom door, holding the doorknob. “Get out.”

Huffing, she trudged to the door, rotating to face me with a frown when she stepped into the hallway. Once again, her eyes welled with tears. “Just think about it. If you plan to pay the public, at least let me make the announcement, so no one knows where you are.”

Without a word, I gently closed the door in her face and went to clean up.

Déjà vu. Once again, I was inside a mansion’s bedroom against my will. Though it was comfortable, it was nothing compared to my original room at the place I now calledhome. Here, I was not allowed in other areas of the house in a veil, or even a blindfold. I was in a make-shift prison.

Two men outside the door guarded the locked room. At least, that was what my captor led me to believe. I had been too scared to test it out for fear of what may happen on the other side.

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