Chapter 44 #2
No excuse would be good enough if he woke and caught me with my hand in his pocket.
Grabbing his keys. I quickly put on my everyday uniform and grab the bathroom laundry basket.
I stuff a bag with a change of clothes in it under the dirty towels.
Moving to the door, I glance once more at Javier before carefully unlocking the door and slipping out into the hall.
I make my escape to the laundry room, where I meet Tyra, who is glancing around nervously.
“Finally!” she whispers, moving to shut the door.
She locks it and helps me climb into the massive hamper with my bag.
She covers me with linen, wheels it outside to the waiting truck, and whispers the final instructions.
“Stay down, and when the truck stops, you must be quick. Don’t let the driver see you. Toby will be waiting for you in a black van.” she tells me. “Good luck,” she says when I hear a man’s voice before I can reply. “Just the one?” he asks.
“Yep, extra guests; thanks, Patrick,” I hear Tyra tell him.
“Any time,” he replies. As the hamper rolls away and is lifted into the truck, my heart pounds with fear but also excitement.
This is my chance for freedom, to break away from the web of deception and danger surrounding me.
I take a deep breath; I am finally going to be free.
Finally free of Xandros and this luxurious prison.
The bumpy ride in the huge laundry hamper leaves me feeling queasy.
Despite this, I am filled with a mix of excitement and worry.
I'm excited because I’m finally escaping the castle's confines and my overbearing mate. Also, worry because I can’t help thinking about its impact on Xandros.
The pain he’ll feel when we manage to break the mate bond.
Some part of me also wonders if the side of him I’ve recently seen is legit.
The words he spoke, did he truly mean them?
Despite my conflicting emotions, a sense of freedom washes over me.
Freedom to be with Toby, to explore a different life without having to peek over my shoulder every few seconds, hoping not to be scolded or punished.
As the van slows, I brace myself, ready to move, while praying I am not caught by the driver.
Quietly as possible, I climb out of the laundry hamper, my heart pounding as adrenaline courses through my veins.
Listening intently, the van stops, and I hear the driver fiddling with his paperwork.
I crack the rear door of the van open, listening for footsteps.
I hear the driver climb out of his van and quickly jump out, closing the door at the same time he slams the driver’s door shut.
Peering around, I find myself standing in the loading dock of the laundromat.
Not wasting any time, I quickly slip out of the dock and up the side of the building.
The hum of machines and the scent of detergent fill the air, along with chatter from inside the building.
A few people stand out in front of the laundromat, smoking.
I swiftly blend into the small crowd, scanning the surroundings for Toby’s car.
Luckily, no one pays attention to a woman in a cleaner’s uniform.
My clothes are bland, just like the laundromat staff.
Striding to the corner of the building, I spot Toby’s car.
Toby has his back to me, staring in the opposite direction.
My escape is parked near the bakery across from the laundromat. The parking lot on this side is empty except for his car, a black van that glistens in the fading sunlight. I breathe a sigh of relief upon sighting his car.
Yet standing here, I am a sitting duck and a sense of urgency pulses through me. I hurry toward the car, my steps quickening with anticipation. Toby stands by the car, his presence a beacon of familiarity and comfort. The moment Toby hears my rushed footsteps, he turns, a huge grin on his face.
As I reach him, Toby immediately pulls me into his embrace. The warmth of his body envelops me, and for a moment, everything else fades away. “Thank the Goddess, I was starting to worry,” he whispers, squeezing me tight. I hug him back, enjoying his embrace.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he whispers, his voice filled with longing. I can feel the sincerity in his words, and the depth of his emotions. He presses his lips to my temple. “Come on, before we’re spotted,” he whispers, turning and nudging me toward the passenger door.
He guides me around the car and opens the passenger door.
As I settle into the seat, I notice the back seat is packed with suitcases.
Toby, anticipating my needs, leans over me into the back, tugging a tote bag into my lap.
He opens it, handing me a pair of jeans and a hoodie to change out of my maid’s uniform.
“Quick, get changed,” he tells me, helping me unbutton my dress while using his body to help shield me from people outside. I tug it down to my hips, and Toby immediately pulls the hoodie over my head. He glances around nervously before gripping my dress.
“Lift your butt for me,” he whispers, and I do as he says before ripping the jeans up my legs.
He shuts the door, casually walking around the car while I do up the zipper and buttons.
Toby climbs in, reaching into the backseat again and handing me some socks and sneakers.
I pull them on while he starts the car. “Ready?” he asks, and I smile before nodding.
Once we’re on the road, I toss my old clothes into the backseat, and notice two duffle bags filled with cash in back there.
Toby glances at me before returning his eyes back to focus on the road ahead.
“What did you do, rob a bank?” I ask him.
“Sold my house. We’ll stay in a hotel near the entrance to the tunnels until the Seekers call,” he explains, his voice laced with excitement.
Yet guilt gnaws at me with how he has just tossed the life he built here away for me.
On the drive, he tells me about a cabin in the woods he’s purchased, a place where we can truly be free. It sounds like heaven, an escape from the bonds that have held me captive. Escape from Xandros, though I wonder how Toby feels about tossing everything away and starting again.
However, as the distance between us and the castle grows, a wave of nausea washes over me.
The bond that connects me to Xandros tugs at my core, the pull becoming stronger and stronger.
I clutch my stomach; the pain intensifies until it becomes unbearable.
“Sienna. Sienna, are you okay?” Toby gushes, reaching over and gripping my shoulder. He pushes me back in my chair.
“Crap, hang on,” he murmurs, and I feel the car jerk to one side.
The world blurs and Toby’s voice fades into background noise, and the next, my ears are ringing.
Darkness steals the edges of my vision when I feel his hands on me, tugging the seatbelt away.
“Hold on,” he tells me before I feel a pinch in my arm just as I succumb to darkness.