Page 21 of Wicked Knight 2

“What now?” I swallowed to stifle the terror building in my chest. “The delivery truck won’t be here until tomorrow.”

“Make a run for it.”

I nodded. Though I had no idea what that even meant. I had no clue where I was or how to get home. But one problem at a time. First, I had to leave the compound. Once I was outside of these walls, I could find a phone and call Aunt Vittoria.

“Do you have a phone?”

“I don’t.” She shook her head. “Papa doesn’t allow them. He says that’s how the government keeps tabs on people.”

“What about a landline?”

“There’s one in Papa’s library.” She furrowed her brows. “We’re out of time. You have to leave now.”

“Okay.” I took her hand and darted up the stairs.

When we reached the top, I slowed down so as to not draw attention to us. By now, everyone knew I was allowed out of my cell. Even Tore wasn’t glued to my side anymore. So being out and about shouldn’t raise any suspicions. I took in a deep breath to calm down as I made my way across the courtyard.

The man sitting around a table playing cards looked up when we walked by. After Belinda greeted them in Russian, they returned to their game.

“What did you tell them?” I asked, shooting a quick glance over my shoulder.

“That I was taking you back to your cell.”

I shivered at the thought of going back there. If I failed today, I had no doubt Maxim would send me to the dungeon indefinitely. Galina described Maxim as kind, but there was a reason why Belinda was so scared. Who knew what Maxim had planned for us?

“How did he figure out what we were trying to do?” I fell into step next to Belinda.

“I think he heard us talking. Maybe he was awake. I don’t know. Come on.” She took off running as soon as we entered the corridor.

Past the block of cells, there was a big grassy area then a brick wall that sprawled around the compound. This wasn’t going to work. The fence had to be at least nine feet tall. Belinda could prop me up, but then I would have a big drop on the other side. Shit. I’d never broken a bone in my life. This couldn’t be happening.

“Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t ask for help. They won’t give it. The town people will protect Papa at all costs.” Belinda talked fast and all I could do was nod. “Up you go.” She interlaced her fingers and bent down.

I should’ve changed back into my scrubs. They offered more protection than this flimsy dress. I exhaled loudly.

“We don’t have all day.”

“I know. Just one more minute.” I did a couple rounds of deep breaths. “I can do this. Just step up and catch the edge of the wall. Swing my leg over. And then drop. Easy.”

“You should probably hang from the wall, then drop.”

“Oh right.”

“Belinda.” A thunderous voice boomed against the brick. “Get back to the house.”

“Relax. We were just out for a walk.” Belinda braced her hands on her hips. “Papa said she wasn’t our prisoner.”

Tore’s gaze darted between Belinda and me, as if trying to figure out what he saw. He didn’t exactly catch me trying to climb the wall. I didn’t even get to that part. After a long minute, Tore relaxed his stance and his features softened.

“Maxim is awake.” He glanced down at my dress. “There’s new clothes for you to wear.”

“Why does she need new clothes?” Belinda glared at him, her chest rising and falling as she waited for Tore to say the words.

“For the wedding ceremony,” Tore said matter of fact. “Help her get ready. Maxim wants to get this over with as soon as possible.” He gestured toward the house. “They’ll be in the library. Make sure she’s there in an hour.”

The whole way back to Belinda’s room, she was in tears. Our plan had failed. We had no other way of stopping this ridiculous wedding. Feeling much like a prized pig, I showered and donned the wedding gown Belinda laid out on the bed for me. It was a simple white dress with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline. The silky fabric was soft and hugged my body in all the right places.

“Do you want to wear your hair up?” Belinda asked, as she put the finishing touches on my makeup.

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