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I eye the emergency door behind me instead. I know it's highly likely that going out that way will set off an alarm, but I also know it'll take time for someone to respond. Time that will give me a head start.
It's an easy decision made suddenly more complicated when I hear footsteps on the stairs above me. I glance up to see Al just a flight up, looking down at me with concern.
I take a few tentative steps toward the emergency door.
"Tess?" Al calls after me, but he makes no attempt to follow. I'm relieved he doesn't seem aware of Dominic's plan to hold me captive indefinitely. I shove out the door, ignoring the blaring alarm that starts right away, and let myself have one split-second to appreciate the sun hitting my face for the first time in days.
I tense to shift, continuing to move forward to give me the momentum I need to take off sprinting.
"Woah." Luca catches me around the waist, forcing me to stop, and then releases me immediately. "Where are you rushing off to?" he asks conversationally, like he just happened to be passing by.
I scowl at him. "I don't need a guard."
"Pulling a runner kind of says otherwise. Sorry that third time's not the charm." He smiles boyishly, teasing as if this is all in good fun.
No wonder Al wasn't too worried about following me. Dominic probably has someone stationed at every door.
I try to sidestep Luca, but he does the same thing—putting his arm out and then pulling away so he's just barely making enough contact to stop me. I'm sure that's another thing to thank Dominic for. Just a week ago, Luca was looking at me with worshipful eyes, now he’s barely looking at me at all.
I'm equal parts relieved about it and mad at Dominic for being so possessive.
"This is the most absurd thing I've ever experienced. Last week you were trying to keep me for yourself but now you're holding me for the boss. Seems a little twisted, doesn't it?" I taunt him. It's really Dominic who deserves my ire, but right now Luca is the one standing in front of me.
He hesitates long enough to tell me he already had the thought himself. But I don't want him to start getting ideas about running away together.
Self-preservation is in full swing. The only way I'm going to feel safe is by being out on my own.
"Just go back to your room, Tess. There's no way out of this place until Dominic is here to escort you home himself." He sounds weary, like he really believes that, but there is always another way out. I ignore him completely, closing the emergency door in his face as I slip back into the pack medical building.
I'm relieved Al isn't waiting nearby to make sure I make it back to my room. I'm actually pretty sure given the chance, Al would be the first in line to let me run. He doesn’t seem particularly impressed by Dominic's sudden suspicion of him or the caveman attitude. I also overheard him say he has a granddaughter my age, so I'm sure that makes him more sympathetic to my case than the other wolves around here.
But at this point, it's pretty much a given that the regular exits are all covered. I need a more… creative way out.
And that is how I end up sweet talking a very nice man in the kitchen into wheeling me out in a trash can.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tess
I like to think I can survive almost anything at this point. I was not counting on the lingering scent of fish from yesterday's lunch. There's one perk though… no one else has any hope of smelling me, as confirmed by Eddie the very helpful dishwasher.
“Ow,” I grunt as we hit a bump on the sidewalk.
According to my talk with Eddie before climbing into this nasty trash can, we only have to make it about thirty feet to the nearest dumpster. From there, there's a line of trees I can follow out to the highway. And that highway marks the line where Dominic's territory ends.
All I have to do is make it to the other side of the highway.
Once I'm free and clear of Dominic, then I can figure out what the heck to do about my sister and her sudden brainwashing by him. Hopefully, she'll have gone home to Callum and her own pack by then. And even after the weirdness in Dominic's office, I'm pretty sure dealing with Callum will be better than dealing with Dominic.
At this point, if I'm lucky, maybe I'll find a way to not deal with either.
Eddie slows, whistling as he carefully brings the can to a stop. After a few seconds, he knocks twice on the lid before opening it. He stops whistling to grin.
"See? You were right to come to me. All clear." He holds his hand out to me to help me out.
Even though it's a smaller trash can, I still struggle to climb over the edge. Eddie tries to help, but at the last second, I lose my balance and end up practically falling out of the can onto the concrete. I wince as my knees hit the ground.
"Shit. Are you okay?" Eddie leans to try to help, but he's not in the best shape, so he wheezes when he tries to help lift me up.
