Page 36 of Savage Little Secret

I glance around, looking for some way to at least tell him what’s been left unsaid. I have no idea where he put my phone. After some rifling around in drawers and checking other rooms, I manage to find a sheet of paper and a pen.

It won’t take him long to shower, so I get to writing, penning out a letter that I hope he doesn’t rip up and destroy.

As I jot down the last few things that I want him to know, my eyes start burning once more. I don’t think that I’ve ever cried so much in my life, but it’s clear to me now.

Leaving him hurts worse than anything my father ever did.

I’ve never felt this hollow.

But I’m still alive. That’s what’s important for now.

My father might not care about me, and Dmitri might not want me anymore, but I’ll figure out a way to survive.

People will be keeping an eye out for me, and if my father gets his hands on me, I doubt it’ll be pretty. He’ll be worried that I gave up intel on him to be released, or he’ll use me for some sort of twisted plan that might end up killing me. Worse, make good on his promise to send me to the brothel.

It’s time to disappear. I need to leave everything behind, even the man that I love. At least for now.

With tears in my eyes, I fold up the letter and set it on his bed. Then, when I hear the shower switch off, I hurry out of the room. As I walk through the foyer, my eyes catch sight of the car keys in a dish close to the door. It’s too dangerous for me to call a cab or walk to my place.

I grab the keys and step out of the penthouse, my eyes sweeping the empty hallway. As promised, there aren’t any guards. Hopefully, I don’t run into any because they might be at the breaking point where they’ll shoot me first and ask forgiveness later.

Checking every corner and looking behind my back constantly, I make my way to the parking garage and hit the unlock button on the key fob, causing the lights of a black Mercedes-Benz S-Class to turn on.

Without hesitation, I get into the driver’s seat. When I pull out of the parking garage, I’m grateful for the tinted windows.

I drive through the city toward my apartment to grab the rest of my things before fleeing. I won’t get far wearing baggy sweats without any money.

When I turn down the street that runs in front of my building, I press the brake, slowing down so that I can get a good look at the area. People roam up and down the sidewalk as usual, heading to their jobs, going home, or running errands. It all seems so normal.

All I want to do is quickly run inside and grab my cash and some clothes before hitting the road. Maybe some food and water so that I don’t have to stop for a while. A kitchen knife in case things get dicey.

But before I can pull into an empty parking spot on the street, I catch sight of a man wearing black sunglasses and black attire in the Vegas sun, lingering in front of the entrance of the apartment building. He doesn’t look familiar.

An odd feeling creeps up the back of my neck.

He seems…suspicious. Like he’s waiting for someone.

A horn blares behind me. He turns his head.

Panic punches through me.

I drive off, ditching my original plan. It looks like I’ll be leaving the city without any of my things and without a dime. I can figure out a way to buy what I need later, like a decent weapon and emergency contraceptive.

I’ll ditch the car somewhere and figure out the rest, just as soon as I’m far away from Vegas.

As I head to the city’s outer limits, I glance in the rear-view mirror, catching sight of all the buildings that I used to walk in the shadow of. I tried to belong here.

I couldn’t ever fit in properly. I couldn’t meet the expectations that were made for me. I couldn’t become the person that my father wanted me to be.

I was never meant to stay.

I don’t belong in Vegas, and maybe I don’t belong with Dmitri either.

I can’t go back and ask him to flee with me. I can’t convince him to abandon his family, even if they’re willing to have him suffer just for money and alliances. I can’t force him to do anything.

If he wanted to run away with me, he would’ve dragged me into a car and taken off, but he told me to leave instead. He said he never wants to see me again.

Thinking of his harsh words makes my throat grow tight, but I push past the ache and focus on the road ahead. I have no idea where it’s going to take me, but I can only hope that it leads to where I belong.