Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Footsteps.
And not slow ones either.
They were coming for me.
I was caught.
I closed the drawer, not wanting to be caught red-handed.
But there was nothing I could do about the flashlight. Not that quickly.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
A helpless little cry gurgled up just before the door suddenly flew open.
But it wasn’t Frank.
It wasn’t one of his suit-clad henchmen.
It wasn’t a man at all.
This woman was tall and slim and clad in black jeans and a matching lightweight sweater.
Her feminine, round-shaped face was dominated by plush lips and stunning hazel eyes.
But the thing you noticed the most about her was her hair.
She had a massive amount of curly, gold-kissed strawberry blonde hair.
This wasn’t just any average employee at the casino.
This was the infamous pit boss.
Her gaze locked on me and I swear I felt stripped bare under that gaze. Like she saw underneath my skin. Like she knew my plans and motivations. Though with a face as stoic as hers, I had no idea what she thought of them.
She glanced over at the flashlight, at the camera, then back to me.
“You need to go,” she said finally, her eye contact unblinking. “Now. You need to go now.”
“I…”
“Monroe, you have two minutes if you’re lucky. Get the hell out of here.”
I didn’t stop to think, to analyze.
I grabbed my bags and ran.
She was right behind me after carefully closing the door.
“No. Right,” she demanded when I went to choose a direction at the mouth of the hallway. “There are cameras to the left. Walk with purpose. Don’t run. But get the fuck out of here.”
With that, she strode toward the right herself, but quickly disappeared into a door marked for utilities.
My whole body felt like it was shaking as I power-walked through the hallways before finally disappearing into my dressing room just before feet came running down the hallway.
I leaned back against my closed door, gasping for breath, my heart punching so hard against my ribcage that I was sure I was about to have a heart attack.
I heard the thundering footsteps and I knew I had to go. I had to move. I had to get out of the building before they came looking around and found me still lingering.
I forced my legs to hold my weight, moved out of my room, and walked on wobbly legs to the closest exit.
I wanted to stop.
I wanted to be able to catch my breath, to slow my beating heart, to wipe the useless tears off my cheeks.
But I just kept going.
I broke my usual rules and moved into one of the alleys between the buildings on the boardwalk.
I slid down the wall until my knees were crushed to my chest. It should have made the breathlessness worse, but there was something comforting about the pressure as I just crouched there, my body shaking so hard that my vision was jumping.
I squeezed my eyes shut and just tried to focus on taking slow, deep breaths.
But it felt like a long, long time before a single coherent thought crossed my mind.
And that thought?
Milo.
I needed to talk to Milo.
My phone was still in my palm, creating creases in my skin from clutching it so hard.
I typed in the passcode, found Milo’s contact, and hit call before I could think better of it.
“Is every—” he started.
“Milo,” I cut him off, my voice caught between a sob and a yell.
“Where are you?” he asked.
I swear I could practically hear him moving around, getting ready to come rescue me.
“I… I’m not sure. I…”
“Baby, listen. I need to know where you are so I can come get you.”
“You can’t. I’m too close to the casino,” I said, knowing we couldn’t be seen together.
“Okay. Listen. Walk to my hotel,” he said. “If you’re still close to the casino, you’re really close to me. Closer than your house. Walk to me. I’ll stay on the phone with you the whole time. Okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, sniffling as I got to my feet.
My legs still felt shaky.
They could give out on me all they wanted as soon as I knew I was safe.
“Are you coming?”
“Yes.”
Someone zoomed past me on an e-bike, making my whole body jolt and a gasp escape me.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m jumpy.”
“That’s alright. Tell me what you’re passing.”
“Um.. I’m about to pass the arcade,” I said.
Even as I said it, I approached.
And it was all too much.
Too loud.
Too bright.
Too overwhelming.
My shoulders inched up toward my ears, and I ducked my head and charged forward.
“I’m on my way downstairs,” Milo said in my ear.
“Okay.” I could see his hotel looming across the Boardwalk from me.
I pretended not to notice the group of teenagers puffing on a joint as I rushed past.
“Where are you?”
“Almost at the door,” I told him.
“There’s an elevator bank directly forward inside the doors. Walk toward them. I’m coming down on the middle one.”