Chapter Twenty-Five
His leaving couldn’t have been better timing—and I have no intention of being a good girl. No, this is my one shot to get out of here and make sure the girls are okay. It hurts to lie to him, but I’ll ask for forgiveness once I’m back and I know the girls are safe. Though, I have to admit that I have no idea what I’m going to do once I get there.
I don’t know where I am, either.
It’s a problem, but not one that I can’t figure out. I know that first, I have to get past the security guards and the alarm system. It shouldn’t be all that hard to accomplish, given that I’m the lovely lady of the house, right?
Hopefully.
As soon as I see Aiden leave, his car zooming down the winding drive, I jump into action. I flip the covers back and head for the bathroom. I need to look presentable, but not over the top. I flip through the clothes in the closet, opting for a tight black blouse and a pair of light wash jeans. I pair the outfit with a white cropped jacket and a pair of white platform sneakers. I spend the next twenty minutes fixing my disheveled hair and dabbing on enough makeup to look normal.
I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I might have never done this before, but I can only assume that the best course of action is to act as if whatever I’m doing is perfectly normal. No sneaking, just doing.
Without a license or money, I’m going to be relying on whatever Aiden has around the house, but to make an illusion that I’m legit, I grab one of the purses and toss a few things inside to make it at least appear used.
I can do this. It’s for the girls.
I have no way of letting them know that I’m coming, but I did tell her that it would be as soon as possible. And I’m lucky that I’ve been given a solid window of opportunity. I make my way down the stairs, eyeing the area. There’s no one in sight, which seems to be the norm.
Glancing around, I head in the direction of the garage, not knowing exactly where I’m going. I know there are men posted up somewhere in the house, but I don’t know where. But also, where are the car keys? And is there another car for me to take?
I bite down on my lip as I slink closer to the garage, searching for any sign of keys. Finally, as I enter the mudroom, I notice the key rack. There are three sets hanging there. I have no idea what they go with.
Shit.
I peer at the fobs, finally pulling off one that I recognize. Mercedes. I can pick out a Mercedes. I grab that set and try the garage door, bracing for an alarm.
None sounds.
I breathe out a sigh of relief and flip on the garage light. There, in the middle of the garage, is a black Mercedes SUV. I hit the unlock on the key fob, and the lights flash. Everything about it feels too easy. Way too fucking easy. I make my way to the driver’s side door, opening it and sliding inside. I adjust the seat and search for the garage door opener.
Prepare for the alarm.
Two deep breaths later, I punch the button, and sure enough, the alarm sounds. I put it in reverse, and as I do, a man in a suit comes rushing into the garage.
This is where I have to play it cool.
I roll down my window. “Could you turn that off? I’m so sorry. I forgot to disarm it.” I give him a purposefully weak, embarrassed smile.
“Where are you going?” the dark-headed security guard snaps at me, his gaze narrowing.
“I was supposed to ride with Aiden this morning to his meeting, but I couldn’t get ready in time. I told him I’d meet him there.”
He studies my face but seems to buy it, turning and punching a code into the alarm. Then, he turns back to me. “You shouldn’t let the alarm go off with everything that’s going on. You might get yourself shot.”
I nod quickly, not really understanding anything he’s said. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugs and waves me out. “Go. He doesn’t like it when anyone runs late.”
I give him a small, once again, slightly embarrassing wave and back out, my heart beating so loudly I can barely hear anything else. I start toward the end of the drive and see the security guard smash the door close button on the wall.
Oh my God. I did it.
I fear Aiden will kill this guy for the amateur mistake he just made by letting me go.
The automatic gate opens as I near the edge of the pavement, and now the realization hits that I have no idea where I’m going. However, I do remember Aiden taking a right to turn into the driveway, and so I follow with that, heading down the road and out of sight. Once I make it to a stop sign, I pull up the GPS and type in my old address.
Holy hell. I have almost two hours of drive time.
The thought makes me feel anxious, however, it should work as a buffer as well. When Aiden returns to the house to find that I’m not there, it will take him the same amount of time to follow me. And by then, I’ll be ready for him.
I smash the gas, turn the radio up, and focus on nothing other than the drive. It will be easy to let my mind wander and run with all the things that might happen because of this decision. But whatever consequences Aiden thinks I deserve, I’ll pay them. I made a promise to the girls, and Eliza made it clear that she needs me.
I need to be there for her.
Aiden had an excuse not to come back to me all those years ago, but I don’t have the same kind of excuse. I’m putting the girls in danger by not going back to them. Aiden will understand. He has to. I’m not doing it out of defiance to him. I’m doing it out of loyalty to the promise I made to my sisters.
That’s the only thought in my mind as the nearly two hours come to an end, and I pull into the neighborhood I was taken from. Strikingly, my stomach only feels sick as I approach the house—and that’s bothersome.
I thought I’d feel some sort of longing for the place, but I don’t. I only miss the people. Will and Ronny ruined the home that I once loved. I pull up in the driveway, take a deep breath, and climb out of the car. I didn’t really think the plan through to this point. Other than the fact that Will should be at the store.
My footsteps feel weak as I make my way to the front door, stepping up onto the porch. I almost catch myself ringing the doorbell, but I stop and punch in the code to enter instead. I push the door in, the familiar scent of the house making me nauseous.
I don’t want to be here.
The thought plays over and over in my head as I step into the entryway and close the door behind me. I peer into the seemingly empty house, surprised that no one is there to greet me.
Where are the girls? Did they go somewhere?
I wish I had my phone as I make my way deeper inside, the hair on the back of my neck bristling. Everything about being inside feels wrong, and I can’t put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t miss the house. Maybe it’s because I now know that more evil took place here than I originally ever thought.
A muffled noise cuts through the thickness of my mind, and I pause, trying to make it out. What the hell is that? The sound happens again, and I follow it. It leads me to the living room, and I freeze as I pass through the threshold.
Everything is all wrong.