“Keep an eye on him,” I tell Bella and step away, pulling Soren’s cell out of my pocket.
Whatwas the passcode? 7520? No.
7502. Got it.
I quickly maneuver to the contacts, though I’m tempted to do a deep dive into his personal life. His search history, pictures, recent Amazon purchases… That sounds super stalkerish. Which I’m not. I’m simply curious. And… I will still be curious later.
I find the name I need and click on the call button.
It rings twice before someone picks up.
“Hello?” a heavy British accent answers. For a minute, I forgot the person I was calling was a famous thief turned good guy, who is rich and really attractive.
“H-hi.” This is a terrible time to be star-struck.
“You’re not Soren.”
That snaps me back to the moment. “No. He’s in trouble. We need your help. There’s another thief here, and we’re trapped.”
“Blast,” he mutters, and I hear some commotion in the background. “I was heading that way already, but I’ll have to make some slight adjustments. Keep this phone handy; I’ll call back.” The phone beeps, signaling the end of the call.
I pace the small room.
It’s all going to be fine. We are just going to sit here and wait for this Liam guy to rescue us. No biggie.
“The bad guy has a sword!” Bella shouts.
Big deal! Bigfreakingdeal!
I rush to the computer monitors. She’s got the feed for the library enlarged on the screen, and there is the Giant, beating on a bookshelf with an antique sword. Presumably, the bookshelf Soren is hiding behind. That’s my favorite secret room, but it’s just a room, not a door to a passageway. It's a dead end. Soren must have it jammed shut, but that won’t stop the man from breaking down the wall. Thankfully, there are no first editions on that shelf.
“I need to go down there,” I say, mostly to myself.
“Are you crazy?” Bella snaps. “That man is smashing my house to pieces. He’ll smash you, too.”
“I’ll lead him away so Derek can get out. Once I’ve done that, I’ll lose him and come right back.” I can’t believe I’m even considering this. This fact alone proves Soren has taken up more room in my heart than he should have after all this time.
“Okay.” Bella sighs, like she’s the only responsible and sane one in the room, and well, she might be. “Run through the conservatory, and I’ll distract him.”
“No.” I shake my head so hard it rattles my brain like the concussion did. “You are not to leave this room.”
She holds up a hand, and again I feel like a child. “I have a trap set up in there you haven’t found yet. I can blow it from here. Trust me. It will slow him down.”
Trust a child? At this point, there are no other options. My eyes drift to the security feed and Soren’s helpless position. I cringe as half the bookcase comes down with the Giant’s next hit. He’s going to get through the wall soon.
“Okay.”
I take Bella’s hand from the mouse, forcing her to look at me. “Promise me you won’t leave this room. Not until I get you.”
“If I had a choice, I’d never leave this room.” She says it lightly, settling into her seat.
“Bella, I’m serious. Promise me.”
She purses her lips.
“But… what if he catches you?” The first sign of actual worry crosses her face. An even bigger worry hits my chest. Is leaving her a bad idea?
No. She’s safe and hidden. As long as she stays here, he’ll never find her. I’ll give him the painting before allowing him to get anywhere near her.
