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“I’ve got eyes on you.” Xander kissed me before handing over the bags. “Memphis is going to stand watch with you whilst I help Barrett with a final look around. Then I’ll be back…”
“Okay, baby. I’m going to go and start to get ready. Remember what I said…” I whispered.
“I will.” Xander walked off and left me to enter the room as Memphis took guard, playing with his earpiece before putting it in his ear. “Do I get one of them?”
“And give the game away?! Not a chance. Go on. I’ll be just outside,” Memphis replied, taking a stand across from the room. “I’ve already done a sweep.”
“You’re too cautious.”
“No, I want to keep my balls. Your guy would chew them up and spit them out if one hair is touched on your head.” Memphis sniggered before winking. “He only does it because he cares.”
“I know.” I smiled.
The moment I got inside I sighed. I placed my bags on the chair in the corner and unpacked my dress, allowing it to breathe in all its glory. I grabbed my coordinating accessories and did a twirl, forgetting how much I loved getting ready for an event normally. I should be enjoying my birthday, not tainting it I thought, but what better present than freeing myself from the cage I’d locked myself in for protection. I deserved a life and if anything, a birthday should symbolize rebirth and freedom if nothing else.
I started to hum, lost to the song in my head, knowing I’d have to get Xander to request it later when a loud knock disturbed me. I scurried backwards, thinking who it could be when Memphis’s voice echoed.
“It’s just me. Are you decent?” he asked, his voice sounding unusually sharp compared to normal. “It’s just that I forgot to mention something…”
“Can you not do it from there?” I chuckled as I headed towards the door and opened it. “I mean it’s just a piece of wood separating us…”
I felt the immediate draining of color fall from my face as I saw the woman behind Memphis holding a gun to his temple. I reached forward and she shook her head as Memphis’s eyes widened in fear. Had she cocked it already? Fuck!
“Now now, Lotte. I think we need to have a little talk but first, we need no interruptions.” She slammed the gun against the side of Memphis’s temple, leaving a trail of blood trickling down his head as she pulled him into the room and shut the door behind us. “Don’t even think about alerting your boyfriend and his friend, either. I’ve got that other bitch dealing with them.”
“I won’t. I’ll listen…” I shuddered as I walked backwards, watching as she dumped Memphis’s unconscious body in the center of the room.
“First for everything, I suppose,” She cackled before hacking up some phlegm and spitting it by my feet in disgust. “You always were a disgrace. A thorn in my side that I should have removed when I had the chance. If only I had listened to my own mother…”
I could feel the rage building as she waved the gun around in the air.
“But then Lotte, why should I expect something different from you?” she bellowed into the air. “I thought that maybe my life would be different… a success; but then nothing ever goes to plan. My letters didn’t even freak you out a little.”
I shook my head, trying not to rile her up any further but I knew it had. My silence was most likely the worst response ever.
“Nope. I ended up cursed instead as your fucking mother didn’t I, you little bitch and now I’m going to take great pleasure in destroying your life.”
“Try your best. I dare you,” I gleaned back. “Try your best.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Xander
The lock I’d secured on the toilet door jiggled and made a racket as someone tried to force their way into the room. I hoped they got the clue that it was out of order and to find another restroom before Barrett and I needed to get out of here. I didn’t fancy having to climb out of the window to not get caught.
“Xander, please say you’re in there,” Cass’s high-pitch tone made me raise an eyebrow as I indicated for Barrett to find out what was going on when a sudden high squealing noise echoed through my eardrum, making me yank the earpiece out of my ear.
What the fuck? Why was that happening?I noticed I wasn’t alone in the pain the earpiece had caused as Barrett fell to his knees, ripping the item from his ear and clutching his head, leaving the doorway opened. I paused as Cass stepped into the room.
“It… It’s not what it looks like.” I held up my hand, trying to reason with Cass but knowing I could have blown everything as I tried to find my balance. I hope she didn’t notice the small cameras dotted on the wash basins ready to be installed. “We are…”
“Xander… I made a stupid, idiotic mistake.” Cass blew out a breath as tears fell down her cheeks. “She told me to contain you. That she had to get to her. I didn’t know she’d have a gun…”
“Who? Cass, where’s Charlotte?!” I screamed it at her before I barged past her and headed to where I left her. “Cass, I won’t say it again,” I threatened, not caring I’d left Barrett behind. I knew he’d find me. He’d alert my friend. He knew what to do. “You…”
“I couldn’t do it… I care too much. I knew you’d never forgive me.” She sniffled harshly as she tried to grab hold of me and I shrugged her off me. I wasn’t someone who’d ever laid a finger on a woman but at this minute I wanted to silence Cassandra Draketon for what she’d done. It didn’t matter if she’d come to find me; she’d allowed someone to get to her.
“Memphis… the earpiece. Fuck.” I started to run, exerting my body to get to her as fast as I could. Whoever this was had managed to disarm my guy and had my woman. She had a gun… I couldn’t lose her too. “I need to get to her. If you care you’d go to Barrett and give him everything he needs. I can’t… I just can’t…”
