Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I shut the door behind me and look around. I think I’m alone until a young man steps forward from the shadows near a baby grand piano tucked in the corner against the interior wall. I step back, fear spiking in my chest, but he holds up his hands in a calming gesture.
He’s dressed like most of the staff: dark pants, dark shirt. His hair is light, messy, and could use a trim. He’s got a short nose, no eyebrows, and pale skin.
And he looks nervous.
“I’m glad you came,” he says, glancing at Rosie in my arms. She’s starting to get tired, her head lolling against my chest. “I wasn’t sure you would.”
“Who are you?” I don’t go closer to him. I stick near the door in case I need to get out quickly. I’ve never seen this person before in my life. I’d guess he’s in his twenties at most, around my age most likely.
“You got my note. That’s why you’re here. I’m a friend, Allie.”
“I don’t know you.”
“I know, of course you don’t.” He looks annoyed with himself. He glances over his shoulder toward the big windows. “Everything will make sense, I promise. My name’s Ryan Birch.”
“Okay, Ryan. Who sent you? Was it my father?”
He shakes his head. “Not him, but people around him. All I can say is someone friendly with the Five Families wants to get you out of here. Is that something you want too?” He rubs his hands together and paces slightly away.
I consider my options. Stay and become the wife of a psychopath who murdered a man in front of me or go home.
Pretty obvious from my perspective.
But there are problems.
“What if he comes after me? He’s a Dragon.”
“They have plans. That’s all I know. They didn’t tell me anything else.”
“Plans that can keep a Dragon away?” I hug Rosie tighter. This situation feels off. I don’t trust Ryan at all, but I don’t know what else I can do.
“They’re the Five Families. They have connections. Safe houses. I don’t know, that sort of thing.” He sounds frustrated and panicked. “Look, we can’t talk long. They’ll notice I’m missing soon. I came to tell you that there are people on your side and we want to help, alright?”
“I want to go home,” I say weakly, hope keeping me rooted in place, even though that hope is thinner than water.
“I brought you this.” He takes an object from his pocket. I flinch back, guts flipping, but it’s only an old phone. “Nothing fancy but it’ll get you online. Don’t use the house Wi-Fi, they’ll track you that way. Only touch it when you absolutely have to. They monitor the cell signals, but those are harder to crack. Go ahead, take it.”
I nod at the piano. “Leave it there.”
He frowns but does as I asked. “I get it. You’re freaked out. I’m honestly over my head right now too. But you seem like a nice person and you have a daughter. I’m going to help you."
“How can you get me out of here? There’s security everywhere.”
“You’re right, but it’s a huge place. I’m working on a plan, but you just have to be patient. I’ll send you a message soon. Watch the phone. Keep it hidden. It’s your only link to me and the outside.”
“Why are you doing this?”
He moves past me to the door. I give him a wide berth, still very worried. I need to get back to the apartment and put Rosie down for her nap. I need to think very hard about what’s happening to me because there are holes all over the place, and I’m afraid one of them is going to swallow me up.
“Because I’m getting paid a life-changing sum of money.” He shrugs and grins. He looks a few years younger when he does that. “Why else go up against a Dragon? The lock code is 0000. Good luck.”
That’s a weirdly comforting answer.
I wait for him to leave before I grab the phone. It’s an old, plasticky Android model, but it turns on without a problem. There are no contacts, no apps, no accounts logged in. I shove it into my pocket as Rosie whimpers lightly, half-asleep.
“It’ll be okay, baby girl, we’re getting out of here, don’t you worry. Mommy’s taking care of it.” I count to sixty before I move out into the hall. It’s empty and silent. I wonder if Lady’s watching or listening.
I decide not to worry about that right now and head back to the apartment.
ALLIE
Rosie’s down the second I put her in the crib. It’s around noon and I’ll get a couple of hours to myself if I’m lucky.
I sit in the living room and look at the phone. I don’t turn it on or try to contact anyone. I’m tempted to reach out to my brothers just to let them know I’m okay, but that won’t help. Dom would freak out and try to come find me, while Gabe would do his best to burn the city down to get revenge. One would be all fire, the other ice. Both would probably just get themselves killed.