Chapter Twenty-Six #3
So apart from all the new information about the will and the Turner business, yesterday it was also decreed to both of us that we’ll be staying in separate rooms, away from each other.
That we are allowed to be in each other’s company only if someone, either Haven or Axton, is with us.
It’s probably to keep us from colluding and coming up with our own plan of escape, even though we both agreed to cooperate with them.
I guess taking chances with the Turners is not something the Graysons are willing to do.
I don’t blame them, because Peyton is trying to plan something, but I also think it’s bullshit. In any case, I wasn’t aware that we were breaking rules first thing in the morning.
Peyton rolls her eyes. “What are we, five? I don’t care about what they want. And I checked about half an hour ago; you weren’t in there.”
Yes, because Arsen dropped me off about twenty minutes ago, and since then, I’ve been taking a shower and getting ready for the day.
In the clothes that Haven got me. So a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie.
The clothes that I use to hide myself, the ones he didn’t want me to wear.
It doesn’t matter now, though. I have other things to think about so I wave my thoughts away.
“Probably because I was in the bathroom.”
I hope she buys my lie, but when she does, almost immediately, it doesn’t give me the relief I’d hoped for. Instead, it makes me feel shitty because I’ve never really hidden anything from her. Well, except how my mother died, but that’s different.
“Why, is your stomach upset?” she asks sympathetically. “Because I think there was something fishy in those sausage rolls we had at the party.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Peyton, focus.”
She shakes her head. “Right. Sorry.”
“Why are we meeting in the middle of the hallway, in broad daylight, when anyone can stumble upon us? We need to be smart, remember?”
She looks up and down the hallway before sharing, “I’m here because we need to go.”
My heart starts racing because this is it, isn’t it? This is where things turn even more dangerous because my best friend has a plan.
“Go where?” I ask carefully.
Once again, she looks this way and that and leans closer to me. “We’re going to check out Marsden’s study.”
“What?” I exclaim loudly.
Which makes Peyton squeeze my arm. “Are you crazy? Lower your voice.”
I slap a hand over my mouth before taking control of myself and whispering, “No, you are crazy. We’re absolutely not doing that.”
That’s like walking into a lion’s den. Because if we get caught, I’m pretty sure Marsden Grayson, with his mustache and his cold eyes, will eat us up and spit us out.
“Yes, we are,” Peyton protests. “I have a feeling we’re going to find all kinds of things in there.”
“Exactly,” I protest back. “Which means if we get caught, it’s game over for us.”
“We won’t get caught.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you’ll be my lookout while I poke around.”
I breathe out sharply. I should’ve known. Because I’m always the lookout. And that’s because I refuse to break into her mom’s liquor cabinet or into a teacher’s office. Or make out with the security guard at a club so we can get past him to see the band backstage.
“Absolutely not,” I refuse.
Peyton gives me a look. “Do you want to find something on the Graysons or not?”
“I absolutely do not want to find something on the Graysons.”
“So, what, we’re supposed to just stay here and not do anything? We’re supposed to just trust them that they’ll let us go in three weeks.”
Yes, because they will. They absolutely will let us go.
There’s a stabbing pain in my chest at the thought that I somehow breathe through.
But before I can say anything, she goes, “Because what if they don’t?
They’re not exactly trustworthy, are they?
They kidnapped us. They kidnapped you. He wrote you letters from the freaking prison so he could seduce you.
Can you imagine the level of”—she searches for a word—“evilness that takes?”
I want to tell her then.
Tell her his reason, about his Annie, but I can’t. Because it’s not my story to tell, and I don’t think he’ll appreciate me blurting it out like that. And if I tell her about Annie, I probably will need to tell her about… us.
Or rather what happened between us last night, and I know for a fact that Peyton will lose her shit.
Not because she’s a Turner and she has any familial hatred toward the Graysons.
But because she’s my best friend, and I know she’ll see this as me going crazy and acting completely out of character.
In fact, it’ll probably push her to get us out of here and me away from my evil kidnapper even faster.
As if to prove my point, she adds, “God, I could strangle him for what he did to you. Like, actually, literally. That alone is reason enough to find something on these assholes and send them all to hell.”
So no, I can’t tell her anything. Not until I come up with my own plan about what to do next.
Because I think I may have to. The one that sets us all free, even him.
From his past, from this revenge, from all this hatred and pain he has in his heart.
Even if it’s all over between us, there is no way I’m going to let the man I love suffer any longer.
First, though, I need to calm down my best friend. “Look, Peyton. I think we really need to be careful here, okay? I don’t think we can be—”
“No, you listen,” Peyton interrupts and looks me in the eye.
“We can’t trust these people, Riri, okay?
We can’t trust my family either. Who knows what they’re going to do when they find out about this stupid marriage.
I can tell you for a fact that my father will leave us to die here if it comes to that.
So we need to look out for ourselves. We need to get our own leverage somehow.
We need to save our own selves because no one is coming to save us. ”
I know she’s right about her family, her father.
Her father is like my father, and they’ll both kill us themselves to save their own asses.
But I also know that no matter what, he won’t let anything happens to us.
But since I can’t tell her that, I sigh in defeat and ask, “How do you suggest we do this? How are you even here? You’re supposed to be in the kitchen with Haven and she’s expecting me to be there in like, ten minutes. ”
As soon as I made it to my room this morning, Haven knocked at my door.
Thank God for timing. She’d come to wake me up for breakfast and said Peyton was there with her as well.
I told her I’d be there after my shower.
So if I don’t show up, she’s going to come looking for me. Plus, now Peyton is gone too.
“She thinks I’m with Axton,” Peyton replies.
“What, why?”
“Because he wouldn’t shut up about this bronco he’s trying to break at breakfast, so I told him I wanted to see it.
He took me out back to the barn, and I snuck away when he got too busy measuring his dick with other guys about who can stay on longer.
” Peyton shakes her head in disgust. “Why are guys so stupid? It’s just a horse, for God’s sake.
No, actually, it’s just the cowboys who are this stupid. ”
I open my mouth to ask her about the rest of the Graysons, but she gets there first. “And Marsden is dealing with something in town. I heard Haven say that to Axton. And I don’t know where your husband is except he’s not in the house.” Then she adds, “Well, technically my husband but whatever.”
It’s hard, but I manage to not show any outward reaction at her words. Inside, though, my heart clenches. “And what about Rad?”
“Why would I know where he is? I’m not his keeper. I don’t know what he does or where he goes. He doesn’t even talk to me, remember?” Peyton says, a little too quickly and too defensively.
I look at her with confusion. “What? I just meant if—”
“Look, the sooner you come help me look, the sooner we can go back to where we’re supposed to be, okay? So are you going to stand here and ask all these questions or are you going to come with me? Because I’m going in that study either way.”
Her eyebrows are raised, and she has that dreaded determined expression on her face that means she’s not going to budge. So I sigh again and nod, and we take off. I’m not sure how it happens, but we make it to Marsden’s study without getting noticed.
As soon as we get in, Peyton bursts into a flurry of activity, buzzing around the room.
I try to focus on my job of standing at the door and keeping an eye on things through the sliver of an opening I’ve left for the purpose.
But it’s hard because there’s a wall to my immediate left that’s full of Grayson family pictures that I can’t help wanting to take a look at.
I want to see him, how he was. Before. Eight years ago, even earlier.
I want to see his life, his past. I want to see if he smiles when he’s in pictures.
Things that are important to him. Things that make him happy. I want to see him with his family.
I realize how mundane all of this sounds in the face of everything that’s happening right now.
But it’s not really mundane to me. In fact, it’s extraordinary because it has to do with him.
I remind myself that it’s over now, though, and I need to focus because this has to be the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done in my life.
Even more dangerous than falling in love with an ex-con hell-bent on revenge.
“Oh my God,” Peyton exclaims, breaking into my thoughts.
Jumping, I spin around. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
Peyton is looking down at a sprawling piece of paper on the desk. “I think I found something.”
I know it’s not really advisable to leave my spot, but I close the door and dash to the desk. “Found what?”