CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
LILA
The numbness creeps up my spine and crawls into my arms. My fingers tingle.
My chest tightens. I’m seconds from spiraling, but I can’t lose it now.
I have to stay sharp. I need to know if they’re working for Volkov.
Or maybe Heartford Cyphers Internationals is a polished front for something darker.
Something bigger. Maybe I’ve walked straight into the center of a trafficking ring hidden behind a multibillion-dollar company.
If I’m right, and this house is what I think it is…
then I’ll be the next girl possibly sold and never seen again.
I glance around the familiar room. Just minutes ago, I was buzzing with butterflies.
I’ve been dreaming of being back here since that seductive night.
But now it feels wrong. Off. Like I’m waking up from a fantasy and realizing it was a nightmare all along.
But I am here, which means I’m in the perfect position to find evidence.
Something that finally tells me who they really are.
Anything. A clue that proves the truth. They both live here.
There has to be something hidden in this house.
Hmmmm. Where would the office be?
I throw on a cropped tank and biker shorts, then pull up a pair of long socks. I let my hair down, and it falls in a messy tangle around my shoulders. I look casual. Innocent. Just a girl cleaning. But just in case, I slide a flash drive into my bra.
If I find a computer, I want to be ready . I need to know what twisted secrets these two brothers are hiding.
I walk the halls with a steady pace, keeping my eyes sharp. I look for anything. A cracked door. An unlocked drawer. A hidden passage. But every door is locked. Every hallway is silent. Then I see it. Another staircase tucked behind an arch. A third floor.
Damn! This place is massive.
I glance left and right to make sure I am still alone.
But something shifts beneath my skin. It feels like I am being watched.
Maybe I am just paranoid. Maybe it is my anxiety from all the stress piling up.
Volkov’s flowers. My vandalized apartment.
Kage visiting my mom. Kage and Beck are brothers. Kage is the CEO.
This world I have been dropped into feels like a lie. A beautiful, seductive, dangerous lie. And I cannot trust anyone.
I step off the last step as I enter the third floor.
I hear something… What is that?
Muffled music. The floor beneath my feet vibrates with a slow, rhythmic pulse.
Music? Where is that coming from? Oh, God… What if I am not alone?
Kage is in Paris. Beck is at Aster’s. Unless they have another sibling hiding in this house. Another dangerously sexy relative they have conveniently kept a secret.
Lila, no. They could be criminals. Villains. Monsters. But the truth is, those are the sexiest damn brothers I have ever seen.
I follow the sound to the end of the hall, where it thrums low and steady behind a door. A deep crimson red door.
No. Not that color. It’s the exact shade of red.
My breath catches.
It is the same color as the door from the night I was kidnapped. Why? Why is it here? This is the only door in the entire house that looks like this.
My heart pounds in my ears. My throat tightens. It’s hard to swallow. What if there is someone inside? What if they have a bodyguard in there, slaughtering someone for them? Cutting them into tiny pieces, ready to toss the remains into a pig pen. My brain spins with possibilities.
Open the door, Lila.
I glance around for something, anything, to use as a weapon. That is when I see it. A Roman soldier statue towers in the corner of the hall like it’s guarding the damn place.
Of course. Kage is so extra.
In its hand is a long, ancient-looking sword. Something straight out of a museum or a Julius Caesar reenactment. I step closer, gripping the handle, and wiggle it free from the statue’s grip.
Shit. It’s heavy. I really need to work out more.
I try to lift it, nearly tipping over in the process, and I can’t help but laugh under my breath.
I probably look ridiculous. But at this point, I don’t care.
I need protection. Just in case there is a psycho behind this door, I steady my grip on the sword.
My hands tremble as I reach for the red door.
The bass from the music pounds in sync with my heartbeat.
The rhythm is hot. Heavy. Almost… seductive.
I have to know.
I grab the golden doorknob and crack the door open inch by inch, the metal hinges creaking as I peek inside. Sword raised. Breath caught in my throat. But nothing lunges. No shadow. No scream. No masked man. Just… a gym.
An elite, private gym straight out of a luxury magazine. I lower the sword slowly, confused. The music is now clear, the lyrics dancing through the speakers.
Someone must have left it playing.
I lean the sword against the wall and let out a breathless laugh.
Geez, you are losing it.
“Hello?” I call out softly. “Is anyone here?”
The silence that answers is worse than any scream .
Okay. Focus. How do I turn the music off?
Black matte walls. Gold fixtures glowing like candlelight. Sleek mirrored panels stretch floor to ceiling across the far wall. The space smells faintly of cedar and something yummy. Masculine. Maybe sweat. Maybe testosterone.
I like my men sweaty and… salty.
I wipe my forehead as sweat drips down my temple, the weight of tonight pressing in from all sides. Just seconds ago, I was sure I was about to walk in on a murder scene. I scan the room and spot a stainless-steel mini fridge tucked under the sink.
Jackpot.
I crack it open, grab a water bottle, and chug half of it like I just ran a marathon.
When really, I am just panicking and imagining hot brothers working out in here.
This room is straight out of a frat boy’s Pinterest. Guys would kill to have this setup.
The ceiling lights cast a soft amber halo over everything, making the dumbbells, bench press, treadmills, and punching bag look strangely inviting. Like I might actually work out here…
Spoiler alert… I won’t.
I freeze in place when I see it. A half-full water bottle rests in the treadmill’s cup holder. Condensation still clings to the plastic.
Someone has been here. Recently.
My heart skips. Then it hammers. I scan the room again, every muscle locked in place. And then I hear it. A moan.