The questions bombarded her.
What should she do?
Needing to do something, Novah waited until she no longer heard their footsteps and she took the winding staircase, her heart thudding hard against her ribs. She had to be careful because if the men saw her, she could end up sharing the same fate as the woman. Yet Novah couldn’t turn back—couldn’t just leave the woman to go find help. Novah was the only hope now.
The second floor was cast in eerie darkness. As far as she knew, no guests were on that floor. Langley’s staff usually stayed in the north wing on the first floor and security personnel stayed in the special housing where Egan had a room. Novah had been the only ‘guest’ staying in one of the upper levels. Why hadn’t she connected the dots before now? Langley had been treating her less like staff and more like his private guest.
This didn’t answer any of her questions about the woman they were carrying and what they wanted from her. One of the men had said “by morning she’ll be a distant memory”. That could only mean one thing.
Standing at the end of the corridor in the shadows, she heard one of them say, “Stop being so noisy.”
The other man grunted, “Why don’t you try carrying her up a flight of stairs, dickwad.”
“She probably weighs a hundred pounds soaking’ wet. Are you telling me a linebacker like you can’t handle her?”
“Fuck you.”
“She’s pretty though, ain’t she?” the first man said.
“Keep your slimy hands off, shithead. Boss will hang you by your balls.”
“Let’s put her in the room and then go grab a sandwich. That’ll buy us some time to see if she’s going to wake up.”
“She’ll wake up, just in time. I only gave her a mild sedative that wouldn’t hurt a baby.”
The other man snorted. “That’s pretty fitting considering—”
“Shut up. Don’t even speak the words.”
A door opened then closed with a boom.
“What the hell don’t you understand about being quiet?” one of them said as they strolled into the hallway.
“I’m not taking the stairs. I’m sweating like a pig racing for his last supper. Let’s take the elevator. I’m getting too old for this shit.”
“You can’t handle a flight of stairs? You are old, bro.”
Pressing against the wall, Novah felt a sense of relief that the men would take the elevator at the other end of the hallway. She was safe hidden in the shadows.
The elevator whirred and the men were gone…for now.
Novah’s hands were shaking as she hurried down the hall toward the room where they’d left the woman.
But what could Novah do with a woman who was passed out? She couldn’t carry her.
Egan would know what to do.
Reaching for her phone, her pocket was empty. She realized she’d left it in her room. She had no way of calling him, or anyone for that matter. The men were going to come back soon. Then what? Maybe she could go find one of the security team, but who could she trust?
Novah couldn’t leave the woman.
An image of Finley came to her mind. What if it was her daughter in the room, unsafe and under the influence of something?
There were so many questions and Novah felt like she was pressured to help in some way.
Tiptoeing down the quiet hall, she kept looking over her shoulder, fearing someone would sneak behind her.
At the closed door, she darted a quick glance up and down the hall then stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her.
The lamp sitting on the nightstand was turned on and the dim yellow light cast a soft glow on the sleeping woman. She was sprawled out over the large bed as if the man had given her a toss and left her the way she landed. Her skirt was hiked up high on her bottom and her long, thick hair was spread out over her face and the pillow.
Novah could hear Egan now, “Don’t do this! Come get me and let me handle it!”
But she couldn’t do that. Going anywhere wasn’t an option.
Approaching the side of the bed, she shook the sleeping woman’s shoulder. “Hello?”
She wasn’t responding but Novah could see the soft rise and fall of her chest.
“Wake up! You need to wake up!”
Finally, a murmured, inaudible word came from her, but she wasn’t opening her eyes.
Stepping into the adjoining bathroom, Novah hurried to grab the hand towel from the rack and poured cold water on it. She didn’t bother wringing out the excess wetness before rushing back in the outer room to aid the woman.
Pushing the hair off the woman’s face, Novah gasped. She had visited Mr. Langley recently. What was her name? Lola? Lilah? No, it was Lindsay…
“Lindsay? Wake up.” She pressed the cold towel against the woman’s cheek.
Her eyes fluttered underneath her closed lids and a faint moan gurgled up in her throat.
“Hello?” Novah whispered. “You need to wake up. You’re in danger.” She continued to rub Lindsay’s skin with the towel.
One eye finally flicked open. Fear filled her expression. She jumped up and like a cornered animal she huddled against the headboard. Her wide-eyed stare tore through Novah.
“You’re Lindsay.”
“W-who are you? Wh-what do you want from me? Where am I?”
“I’m Novah. You’re at Lake Jade. I didn’t bring you here. Two men did. I don’t know why you’re here but I’m going to help. Do you remember what happened?” Although they had little time, Novah didn’t want to alarm the woman any more than she already seemed to be.
“I-I don’t know. I-I…A man…he …then this…” She gave a frantic look around the room.
“Can you walk? The men who brought you here will be back any time. We
