Please be open. Please be open.
The relief is crushing when it unlocks. One of the closest doors once I get inside is a bedroom, a neatly made bed in the center and one large suitcase against the wall. It’s clearly not myroom, as it has someone’s essentials and books on the night stand, but I rush into it anyway, slamming the door shut. I lock it before running into the attached bathroom and locking that door, too.
I slide to the ground. Why is Alric here? Did he have Hunter bring me here because I broke up with him? My heart beats wildly. Hunter made it seem like we would be alone.
My bag is still leaking water, a puddle joining me on the floor.
Loud knocking thunders against the bedroom door.
“Madeline! Open this door! Please!” Alric’s booming voice has me sinking into myself.
How do I get home?
Hunter’s phone is thankfully still unlocked and I open the airline app. I frantically type all the information to find a flight to get the hell out of here. I’ll figure out the boat situation next, but right now, I’m not going to be able to breathe again until I have an airline ticket with my name on it.
I’m leaving as soon as possible.
His credit card information apparently isn’t saved on his phone, which I find even more irritating, so I go to grab my wallet. He will absolutely be paying me back. In fact, I might even sue him for damages. He should have told me if anyone else is going to be here.
I reach around in my bag, but my wallet isn’t there. I throw almost everything in my bag to the ground, desperate for it. Thankfully my passport is here, but my wallet must have been washed away.
I want to cry.
Harper will help me. I open a new browser on Hunter’s phone and type in the social media link we use to chat the most on. I type in my username and password, only to be met withan invalid login attempt message when I can’t type in the code that was sent to my dead phone.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Why hadn’t I thought of memorizing her phone number in the years we’ve been friends? What good is an emergency contact I can’t reach in a real emergency? I want to crawl out of my own skin to escape the waves of fear and anger at myself for getting in this situation.
This once again proves that alphas can’t be trusted. How many times do I need to learn that lesson?
The only flight that leaves tomorrow night is criminally expensive so close to departure. I need to be able to get into contact with someone who cares about me and has money to spend.
Zachary!
I don’t know his number, either, but I pull up his business’s website. After a few minutes of searching, I find a company directory. I scroll until I find the only Aaron. It doesn’t list his job title, but it does have a phone number and extension. I smash the call button. With every ring that goes unanswered, more of my hopes of being rescued from this place dissolve into a pit in my stomach.
“Hello, you’ve reached Aaron, Zachary Clark’s assistant, how can I help you today?”
I choke on a budding sob. “Hello, my name is Emilie, I need to speak with Zachary. He said if I needed to reach him that I could contact you and you would help me and I just need to?—”
“Of course! I’ll connect you right away. If he doesn’t pick up, call me right back and I will assist you in any way possible.”
The line goes silent.
Zachary will help me. He’ll get me out of here, even if he has to fly here from the Stateshimself.
His phone rings, but any relief I was beginning to feel mixes with new dread as I pull the phone away from my ear. Hunter and Alric are yelling at each other, but a phone is faintly ringing outside my door, mirroring the sound on Hunter’s phone.
“What the hell is going on? Hunter! Why are you calling me?” Zachary’s muffled voice demands.
My trembling finger hits the red end button.
Did they bring me here because they think I’ll go into heat and have no choice but to use them?
Did they think that they could trick me?
My blood becomes lava.
