19. Emily
19
EMILY
I wonder if maybe he does have a torture chamber.
What would he even have in there? Chains? Whips? My knees buckle slightly, and I clench my teeth to stop my imagination from running wilder than they already have.
“Tell me more about the wedding.”
When he doesn’t respond, I press harder.
“I get that you’re a mob boss and have secrets. But don’t I deserve to know what I’ll be getting into? At this rate, you might as well send me down the aisle in a literal blindfold.”
“I told you.” Konstantin squares his shoulders, and I prepare myself for more silence. It’s a pleasant shock when he speaks. “It just needs to look real from start to finish. That means engagement photos, a wedding dress, and a ring.”
“You seem to understand what goes into planning a wedding more than most people,” I snort. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’ve been planning your wedding for years, like Nadia.”
“You’ve got the wrong idea about me.”
“So.” I had the wrong idea about you from the start. “Just how real do we have to be?” I taunt.
He doesn’t answer me.
“You said that this is all about inheritance, right? Will they expect everything else that comes with a wedding?”
He stays silent.
“A happily ever after?”
He continues to walk in silence.
“ Babies? ”
Suddenly, he comes to a stop, and turns around so quickly that I take a step back.
There’s an unreadable look on his face. His eyes are burning into me like embers. And then wordlessly, he turns back and exits the room.
I wanted to get under his skin. After all he’s done to me, he deserves to be uncomfortable.
But his silence has told me everything .
Oh fuck …
He should have laughed! But he didn’t. He fucking didn’t, and that scares me way more than anything else he’s said or done this whole damn time.
Babies.
He told me that he was going to use me, and I was stupid enough to agree. Stupid enough to believe that there wouldn’t be any consequences.
Babies …
I’d call that some pretty fucking real consequences.
Suddenly, I can’t suck in a full breath. The room starts spinning and I feel myself hyperventilating.
I’m having a panic attack.
Because of course I am.
He all but admitted that he’s going to have babies with me.
I have to get away from this place.
Whipping my head from side to side, I search the room for a solution. It’s big, and the view is great, but that’s all it’s got going for it. The paisley-patterned chair in the corner can’t help me. And when I look in the drawers, there’s nothing but some folded clothes.
My attention focuses on the window. A flock of tiny yellow birds explodes by the glass, fluttering away into the branches of a nearby cypress tree. The swans dip their heads, guzzling water. One by one they begin paddling across the lake toward the distant shore.
The thudding of my heart hastens until it becomes a hailstorm. Fuck it. I’m swimming across the lake. It’s the only way to reach the other side. Once I’m there, I can bolt into the bushes and hide from Konstantin until I find the police.
I try to remember if there was a road that I might be able to flag down a car on the other side, but I can’t. Everything was happening too fast on our way here.
There’s only one way to find out.
Jutting out my chin, I study the lake again.
Growing up, there was a deep pond near my house. Olivia and I preferred to spend our time away from our parents. Since we were very broke, something free like swimming in a pond was a treasure for us.
She was always the better swimmer. For the first time in far too long, thinking of Olivia doesn’t make me gloomy. The memory of her body powering through the water as we raced is inspiring.
Plus … the sooner I get away from here, the sooner I can return to getting justice for her.
Cracking the door a few inches, I peer into the hallway. I haven’t seen anyone else yet, but a place like this is too big to not have others living in it. He’s got to have cleaners and guards and whatever else. If they work for him, they can’t be trusted. I’ll make sure it’s clear before … aha!
Two women in matching black pants and cinched tops with beaded hems stroll by my door. They’re talking loudly to each other, but I can’t make sense of what they’re saying.
Holding my breath, I wait until I can’t hear them anymore and nudge the door open to slip into the hall. I head in the opposite direction as them. Where the hell is the exit? The ceiling is high enough that I’d need a ladder to brush it with my fingertips, and you could practically drive a car through the corridor.
It’s my first time in a real castle. I just wish I could enjoy it.
There! Around a corner I come across a circular room with colorful glass windows. A rectangular wooden door calls my name. Rushing at it, I tug it hard, terrified it will be locked.
I go dizzy with delight when it opens easily.
Olive-scented air tickles my nose. The birds from earlier flit around me, startled by my presence. There must be hundreds of them in the trees. But I only have eyes for the lake. Sprinting toward the water, I kick off my shoes. The bank is muddy. I stumble, falling in up to my waist, sputtering as I swallow a mouthful of water.
At least it’s not freezing! I’ll take every advantage I can get. Coughing, I throw my arms forward, wading eagerly into the lake. The ground falls away rapidly. I lose my footing before I’m six feet in. It’s deeper than I thought ... The shore is really far away, and I haven’t eaten. Fuck.
This was a terrible idea. But I have to escape.
If I don’t, I know what’s waiting for me.
Konstantin.
Wedding.
Babies.
Gritting my teeth, I begin to swim.