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Jemma turned around. “Let’s go. Good luck.”
I took a deep breath, pulled my hoodie over my head, then stared at the door. “Only one problem. There’s probably someone guarding the door.”
Jemma stared at me as if I was stupid, then pushed me until I was pressed against the wall, next to the door. She went back to her laptop and pushed a button. The lights flickered, then went out. I started a timer on my phone. Ten minutes. I only had ten minutes.
She rushed back and knocked on the door. “I’m ready,” she singsonged in a very bad imitation of my voice.
I rolled my eyes at her but then froze when the door opened. She strolled through it like a queen on her way to take over the throne.
I waited for a couple of seconds and listened, acutely aware of precious seconds ticking away. Everything remained silent. I slowly opened the door, looked to the left and right—the corridor was empty. I turned towards the back stairs, made my way through the cold, sterile mansion, each step bringing me closer to freedom.
My heart thundered in my ears and made it difficult to focus on my surroundings and any noises indicating someone was coming toward me.
The last thing I needed was someone… The nerves gnawing at my insides made my legs heavy. I was moving too slow, like I was walking through quicksand.
When I finally reached the basement, the room was plunged into darkness so deep, it felt like fog. My heart raced as I fumbled along, feeling my way to the room.
Finally, I reached the wall and searched for the door Jemma had shown me in the blueprints.
The wall was lined with shelves.
As the countdown in my head ticked away, I tried to steady my breathing.
This was it.
Probably my only chance to break free from this life and start over somewhere new without the weight of my family holding me down.
I took out my phone. Five minutes left. Then I activated the flashlight. The narrow beam of light it cast didn’t do much to dispel the overwhelming gloom, but it was better than nothing.
I stopped at the shelf where I thought the door was, then pushed it forward and to the side.
The scratching sound made the hair on the nape of my neck stand up.
I froze and listened.
Nothing.
I clutched the backpack straps tight as I stared at the door. Freedom was so close, I could taste it. A surge of triumph rose in my chest, nearly choking me.
They hadn’t broken me.
I was going to make it out of this hell alive.
But how had I never noticed it before? All those years of snooping around as a kid, and I’d somehow missed a secret escape tunnel hidden behind some shelves?
What else had I missed?
What else had happened in this house where I never felt at home, never felt truly safe?
I never even realized how unsafe I felt—before Alex. The way he’d made me feel safe for the first time in years. The way he was always there, protecting me. Holding me. Caring for me.
Why hadn’t he contacted me? Or come for me?
I shook my head, dislodging the useless thought. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to wait around for someone else to save me anymore. I had to be my own hero. I was my own hero.
Focus, Fee.
I directed the beam to where the mechanical release should’ve been—according to Jemma—only there was nothing.
