Chapter 73
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
ASTRID
The front door slammed open, and I froze halfway down the hallway. My heart pounded inside my chest, the hairs on my arms sticking up. The sound echoed through the mansion—loud, commanding, and impossible to ignore.
“Astrid!” Arch shouted.
One set of footsteps followed, then another, then two more.
Shit!
How had they broken in so quickly?! Or maybe Cairo had let them in. Maybe he wanted me to run so they could chase me. Maybe he wanted us all to play this little game because his ass was kinkier than all of them combined.
I glanced to my left and out the window. How big was his property?
Once their footsteps became louder, I bolted down the hallway. The hardwood floor was cold underneath my bare feet, turning into sleek marble when I entered another section of the mansion.
Hide … I need to hide.
While I had no idea where I was going, I had to find a good place. And quick. Cairo must know this place like the back of his hand, and the guys had to have been here more than just a few times.
If I wasn’t careful, they’d find me soon.
“Astrid!” Frasier murmured. “We can hear you running.”
My heart leaped into my throat, and a thrill rushed through me. I veered down a curved staircase, nearly tripping on the last step and catching myself on the banister. The lights were dim here, the walls lined with shelves, stacked with books upon books.
God, this library was every book girl’s dream!
I found a side room filled with dark wooden cabinets and slipped into one. Yes, into one of the cabinets, holding my breath to fit all the way in. I pressed myself against the back of it, hoping that I didn’t leave any trace behind me.
When I pressed my ear to the door, I heard footsteps.
“She went down here,” Calix said.
“Arch, check the kitchen,” Cairo said.
“I swear to God, if Frasier finds her first,” Arch growled.
“It’s not like she can hide forever,” Rush said.
Warmth spread throughout my body, and I pressed my thighs together. This wasn’t just a game of hide-and-seek. No, this was a game where it was them against me. And they all wanted to find me first.
I waited. Thirty seconds. Then a full two minutes.
Nothing. Complete silence.
And then … someone stepped into the library.
I slapped a hand over my mouth, eyes going wide as I curled tighter into the cabinet space. The guy walked in, his footsteps rough. I’d recognize him anywhere—Arch, my bastard stepbrother.
What happened to him searching in the kitchen?!
“Astrid,” Arch taunted. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
I held my breath for what felt like five minutes, my shoulders tense.
Another moment passed, and I listened to his footsteps leave the room. I released a heavy breath and dropped my head lightly. Whew, that was close. Another moment, and he would’ve found me.
If I wasn’t careful—
More footsteps.
“Astrid,” Cairo murmured, walking through the library, “I know you’re in here.”
My eyes widened as the footsteps became louder until they stopped right in front of me.
Shit!
“If you’re going to hide, there’s an underground passageway that leads out into the garden out back,” Cairo said, his voice so close, as if he was squatting down right in front of the cabinet that I was hidden inside of. “You have five minutes before I tell them where you are.”
He was bluffing. There was no way he knew I was in here.
Another moment of silence passed, and then he walked away. “Time starts now.”
When I heard the door close, I slammed the cabinet door open and hurried out of the library. I didn’t know where this underground passageway was, but I had to find a different place to hide.
Somewhere. Anywhere.
I slipped into a dark hallway, opposite of where Arch and Cairo had come from, letting the door click shut behind me. The air here was dustier, much different from the sleek interior in the rest of the house.
My breath caught in my throat. To my left, I stared out of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the gardens. I had to be close to the underground passageway, right? Adrenaline rushed through me, and I turned another corner.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to—
Before I could think, I slammed into someone’s hard chest.
Strong hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me against them.
“I caught you, Hellcat,” Rush murmured into my ear. “Looks like you’re all mine.”