Page 333 of Fated Mates of the Titan Empire

The boots thumped louder from below. I looked down to locate them and realized my mistake too late.

Never look down.

The blood drained from my face and I let out a held breath.

I thought of Bianca locked away in her pod somewhere on the upper decks, and it gave me the strength I needed to keep going.

I reached the top and lay there, gently panting, staring up at the ceiling and the towering columns of luggage on either side.

I heard the heavy boots below but resisted the urge to peer over the side.

It didn’t matter where they were, I told myself. The only thing that mattered was they weren’t where I was.

Lucky bastards.

I listened until the boots began to head away, back the way I came.

I had to move.

I checked over the side in case one or more of them had opted to stay behind. They hadn’t, so far as I could tell. Not on this row, anyway.

I threw my legs over the side and climbed down. Then I stepped into the next room and continued through the luggage jungle, slow at first, and then picking up speed as I got further and further from security.

I ran into the opposite end before I saw it. My shoulder complained when it barked against the hard wall. I peered along it and spotted what I was looking for about thirty feet above me on the far end.

Harsh light illuminated a set of steps floating in darkness.

The way out.

I took them one at a time, fearful my shoes might give away my position. I reached the top and peered over the edge along the walkway.

I couldn’t make out any security officers but that wasn’t saying much considering how dark the shadows were at the opposite end.

I couldn’t wait forever.

I had to take the chance.

I scaled the last of the steps and breathed a sigh of relief when no one yelled that they’d found me.

Then a radio hissed.

I slipped into the shadows and pressed my back to the wall. I watched as a security officer stepped from the doorway and drew up to an inferior officer.

“Radio silence!” he hissed. “Do you know what that means, private?”

“Y-Yes, sir!” the young officer said.

The older officer glared at him before turning, still fuming, and marched toward me.

I shut my eyes, held my breath, and turned my head to one side, like a child attempting to hide from a parent during a game of peek-a-boo.

The inferior officer followed his superior, fading in and out of existence as he marched through one pool of light after another.

I wasted no time.

I hustled toward the doorway they’d come from and stepped through it.

I had no idea which way I was going, but away from here seemed the best option.

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