Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I lead the men out of the game room and down the stairs. We all climb into the SUV and Koyn drives to the lodge. I point the way to the garage that’s standing ajar. Theo and Caius must’ve left it open for a quick getaway.
Nees marvels over the many expensive sports cars while I show Koyn where to park. Once we’re there, we jump out and head for the door that’s been closed. I think back to the times I’ve seen it opened, making the pattern over the keyboard, granting us access.
“She’s some kind of alien,” Nees tells Filter. “I can’t even remember half the names of the chicks I date.”
“That’s because you’re a fucking stoner,” Filter explains.
“I was going to say a dumbass,” Koyn chimes in. “Now where do we go?”
We head for the elevator and, again, I’m able to grant us access. I start with the top floor—the penthouse. But after a quick search, we find it empty. I’m not eager to go to the floor where I was held captive, but my gut tells me it’s where we need to go next.
“There are a lot of rooms here,” I explain as we exit. “It’s easy to get lost. Just don’t let any of the doors shut behind you. You might get yourself trapped.”
“This place is fucked up,” Nees murmurs.
“You have no idea.”
I know they explicitly remember my recount of my time here. The constantly changing bed sizes, robes, decor, and even the windowless rooms. It was the opposite of a carnival funhouse. It was a house of horrors.
And I’m willingly going back.
I have to find Caius.
The men go before me, searching the first few rooms. It’s too slow of a process for me, knowing there are countless more with many other hallways. I take off running, calling for Caius.
“Where are you?”
I stop, listen, and then continue to run. I’m about to turn down another corner when I hear a male voice.
Oh my God.
Pounding on the door.
With tears in my eyes, I fumble with the bolt lock on the outside and push against the door. The person on the other side falls to their ass in front of me. I’m stunned still for a second as I recognize it as one of the rooms I was first held captive in.
The person on the floor is not Caius, though.
“Who are you?” the teenage boy asks. “Please help me.”
I gape at him as he rises to his feet. He’s a boy not unlike the one I remember from my past. Just some kid who got himself roped into the Crownes’ orbit.
“I’m Romy. I can help you. How did you get here?”
He scowls. “The old dude adopted me. I was just happy to get out of that group home I was in. I didn’t know he was going to lock me away.” He jabs a finger at the window. “There’s no escape. It’s so fucked up, lady.”
“Trust me, I know. Come on.”
Filter’s eyes are wide when I exit the room with the teenager in tow. “Who the hell is this?”
“Evan,” the kid says. “Who the hell are you?”
“Apparently your savior,” Filter grunts. “We’ll get you out of here, but we’re looking for some people first.”
I leave the kid in Filter’s capable hands to continue my search. To my dismay, we find two more boys of varying ages. One looks to be about thirteen and the other ten or eleven.
Was Orion simply going to replace his sons with newly trained ones?
I’m disgusted by this man. He’s a monster and now he has my future husband in his grasp. Will he kill Caius?
When I turn down yet another hallway, I hear it. Faint yelling. A man’s voice.
Caius.
With tears in my eyes, I race toward his room. His voice is clearer when I arrive and I’m grateful to have found him. I unlock the bolts and before I can open the door, he flings it open.
“Romy.”
His eyes are hooded and he’s swaying. I choke on a sob, flinging myself into his arms. “Oh my God, you’re okay. What did he do to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he hisses, hugging me so tight I’m afraid my ribs will crack. “He has LuLu.”
I freeze in his arms, jerking away to stare at him. “What? How? We just spoke to her the other day. Everything was fine.”
“I don’t know,” Caius admits, defeat in his voice. “She keeps calling—”
On cue, the phone rings again. This time, I rush over and answer it.
“Save me,” LuLu begs. “Please.”
Something clatters and she cries out, her voice echoing. Then a man’s voice comes on the line.
“I knew I could eventually draw you out, my dear Romy. All I wanted to do was make my son happy—to give him the girl he always wanted. And this is the thanks I get? You two team up together and try to destroy my entire life’s work?” He pauses to yell at LuLu to quit her crying. “My son was killed because of you. Now I’m going to have to end the other two.”