Her hands ball into fists, eyes lighting with rage, and I realize then this was orchestrated by her, not him. “Things are changing around here, Milton. Perhaps it’s time to pick a side.”
“I have a side, thank you.”
“If you could even call that a side—”
“How about you say that to Maxim? I’m sure he’d love to hear it.”
Just as Bella storms away, our food arrives, and I can’t believe it considering there’s a dead man on the floor a few feet away from our table.
As Milton wraps pasta around his fork, unaffected by murdering a man, he glances at my untouched dish. “Eat. It’s going to be a long night.”
I want to scream at him. Run. But years with Blake have destroyed normal human emotion, and I don’t know what to do other than pick up my fork and copy his actions. Chew and swallow.
The line is thin between knowing better and craziness. And I’m leaning more toward crazy. To survive, you have to be.
Dark gray clouds drift in front of the moon, encasing everything in darkness as we drive further away from Fair Haven. My bones rattle after what happened in the restaurant, yet it confuses me.
Blake killed. He murdered people who wronged him. Who so much as looked at him the wrong way. He killed men, women, and often in front of me. So why has Milton murdering that man shaken me like this? Because he killed to save me without Blake telling him to?
No, I don’t trust him. I can’t.
I don’t know where he’s taking me. He isn’t bringing me to Blake’s or back to Stonehill. He drives the opposite way, over Fairdell Bridge and out of Fair Haven.
Soon, we leave the highway, veering on to a much smaller road with sharp turns and bends. The wheels kick up spray and throw dirty water over the windshield. The wipers come on automatically, clearing away the water, revealing an isolated, bumpy road thick with foliage and woodland trees.
The bit of food I managed to shove down my throat turns in my stomach. Being someplace secluded with Milton sets my nerves on edge. He’s a cold-hearted killer, so maybe selling me off was too dull.
As I imagine him dragging me out of the car by my hair and killing me too, I’m left even more mystified as the road smooths and trees thin. That’s when I see it; a three-story mansion made of black stone sits spectacularly lit on an incline. I’ve never laid eyes on a place like it, and wariness pulsates through my body because the unknown is a damn scary thing.
We meander up a circular driveway and stop outside. The large front door, trimmed in gold with two stone columns positioned on either side, opens, and a man smartly dressed rushes outside as Milton gets out of the car.
As I fumble with my belt, transfixed on my surroundings, he opens my door and waves me out. My legs wobble as I exit the car. This isn’t a home, it’s too formal, and I’m aware that my Stonehill attire doesn’t go with a place like this. God only knows why he’s brought me here.
“When I’m leaving, bring the SUV around,” I overhear him say to the valet, tossing the keys at him. It starts to rain again as the man gets into the car and drives it away.
My shoulders sag, knowing tonight is only getting started. The real reason for me being here only minutes away from being revealed. I’m exhausted and miss my bed in Stonehill, yearning to be under the covers and pretending I don’t live in a world like this. With buildings lurking in dark places in the middle of nowhere.
“What is this place?” My spine stiffens when his hand lands on the small of my back, his heat radiating through the material of my shirt. He leans in, and I inhale sharply at his closeness, not wanting it but gravitating toward the warmth. He’s always been warm.
“You’ll see.” Tingles spread through my body as his breath brushes against my neck. I know I should resist as he guides me toward the door. It’s almost as if the mansion itself has cast some imaginary power over me, stunning me into compliance.
Or maybe I’m just too far gone now, and I’ve all but accepted my inevitable fate.
As we step over the threshold, I tilt my head to the side, soaking in the strangeness of the foyer. With silver granite floors and harsh gray walls, the hallway is cold and masked in shadow. It’s a place I don’t want to be, but also can’t help the curiosity, especially noticing the three archways perfectly aligned with three directions to take.
Right, left, or forward.
All lead to darkness. Unknown places of secrets I sense they hide. The only decor in the room is the three colossal silver Xs displayed directly across the entrance, like the ring on Milton’s finger.
The tightness in my chest is unbearable now, especially when male laughter and music hints that we’re not alone.
“This way.” Milton’s arm wraps around my waist as we go left through the arch, down a straight corridor. Moonlight spills through huge windows, casting a glow against his frame, like some twisted version of a halo.
Since leaving the restaurant, his face has been formidable, secretive of his true feelings. But for the first time tonight, the harshness has softened, and it’s like he’s relaxed being here.
Or it could be just another lie his face paints. I can’t tell anymore.
Finally, we reach a set of thick solid doors with golden handles. Letting go of me, he digs into his pocket and produces a black card with another X on it. Swiping it through a scanner, there’s a beep, and the doors unlock.
As soon as he pushes me inside, my mouth drops open. The room we’ve just entered has high ceilings and onyx marble floors that shine. The
