Page 78 of Daddy's Obsession


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“Give it a twist?” I suggest.

She does so. The bottom pops right off. Taped to the hollow compartment is a tiny black USB that she quickly palms. Raquel locks eyes with mine, watching me like a cornered animal. I put my hands up —as best I can— in mock surrender.

“I’m not going to fight you,” I say firmly. “Let’s focus on getting out of here, first.”

“Hm,” she grumbles, popping the USB into a small, waterproof case, then quickly snatching up two duffle bags full of cash. “Fine. I’ll just have to kick your ass later.” She reaches for her earpiece. “Anders? Klaus? If you’re alive, meet us at the servant’s entrance.”

“Let’s go before the power comes back on.”

Raquel nods but says nothing else.

We hurry across the room together, stepping over the unconscious or debilitated guards before climbing the spiraling steps. We’ve gone over our escape route so many times, but it feels strangely thrilling to actually see it to fruition. I hate that my body can’t keep up. Getting stabbed in the back was not part of the plan.

By the time we reach the main floor of the castle, there are way too many people. Confused and startled party guests crowd the hall, making our escape through the servant’s entrance impossible. We could barge through, but there’s a very good chance we’d be mobbed and apprehended before either of us can blink.

“Shit,” Raquel hisses. “Move to Plan B.”

“There has to be another way,” I insist.

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t be such a big baby.”

“It’s twenty below, Raquel. We’re going to freeze to death if we go with Plan B.”

She shrugs, continuing up the steps toward the upper levels “Twenty below? I don’t understand Celsius, remember?”

I hurry after her. My head feels light and woozy. I’m losing too much blood. “It means really fucking cold,” I translate for her.

“It’s the only way,” she says with finality, and I know she’s right.

We climb and climb until we reach the third floor of the castle. There’s a window positioned just over the security moat. Raquel and I shared a laugh at how over the top it was, but now I’m thanking my lucky stars we don’t have to jump out the window head-first into the ground.

“Which way is it?” I ask.

Raquel takes my hand, pulling me along with her. “This way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Photographic memory,” she reminds me. “I know those blueprints forward, backward, and upside fucking down.”

We make it to the window in question. She shoves it open, the winter air rushing in harshly. Raquel pokes her head out to inspect the mote.

“There’s ice,” she says. “But it looks thin enough to break through.”

“Itlooks,” I grumble.

She gives my fingers a squeeze. “Jump at the same time?”

I nod, squeezing her fingers back. “At the same time.”

We don’t even wait for a count of three. We leap out of the window at the same time and aim for the moat below, breaking through the ice and plunging into the freezing dark waters to safety.

Chapter 31

Raquel

“Glad you could make it!” Anders says chipperly, hopping off the wide tree stump he’s seated on. He sports a nasty black eye and a chipped tooth, but he’s in surprisingly good spirits.

Klaus is his usual grumpy self, arms crossed while wearing a severe frown. He’s got a bloody nose and several scrapes on his face, but he’s in pretty good shape, all things considered. “Almost had to fight our way out,” he explains. “Managed to get out through the ventilation system like you planned.”

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