“Where are you going?” E asked as I came downstairs.
“Out. Is Cole working today?”
“Yeah, I just talked to him and checked the map. He’s at the hospital now.”
“OK. I’ll see you tonight. Get a new TV.” I left before he could question me and went straight to my Escalade. I usually had people drive me around, but I needed to make this trip alone.
I drove straight to our old house. Cole didn’t even bother to change the locks. I opened the door and stepped inside.
It looked just how we left it.
I wandered around downstairs, but there was no sign that anyone was staying here, so I went upstairs and looked around. Nothing. Everything was pretty much how we left it.
Wondering what the fuck, and deciding maybe I’d have to just confront him, I went downstairs, but stopped when I saw the basement door cracked.
I went down to see that he’d completely gutted the place.
“What the fuck?” I murmured, looking around. He really was trying to build a cat sanctuary. He had cat towers and loads of shit down there.
I wandered around before I noticed the door to E’s old sugar room had been changed. I frowned and went to it, trying the handle. It was locked.
I could pick that lock no problem.
I went back up to my old office and rifled around in the desk in there and found my lock-picking set before returning to the basement. I messed with the lock for a moment before it clicked, and the door swung open.
“Rosalie?” I called out softly, my heart jumping into my throat. He’d completely turned the room into a small apartmentspace, and she was sleeping soundly in bed, the TV on in the background.
I stepped inside the room and went to her. A bottle of pills was on the bedside table. I looked at it to see that they were pain meds, and her foot was wrapped.
“Rosalie,” I called out softly, shaking her gently. “Hey.”
Her lashes fluttered, and she looked up at me. She was toasted on those pills.
“Enzo?” she mumbled.
Fuck.
I had to get her out of here. She looked to be in good health, aside from her foot, but they would kill Cole if they found out she was here.
“Come here,” I said softly, scooping her small body into my arms and lifting her from her bed.
“Let’s get you out of here.” I left the room, letting the door close behind me, before I took her to my Escalade and seatbelted her into the passenger seat. My windows were blacked out, so no one could see inside.
I drove straight back to my place and pulled into the parking garage.
I dialed E quickly as Rosalie slept.
“Hey.” He answered on the second ring.
“Take Laz out of the house,” I said.
“What?”
“Take Laz out now. Take him to Ann and Harold’s. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“OK.” E disconnected the call, and I got out before grabbing Rosalie. I carried her to the elevator and got inside.
She looked so fucking beautiful.
