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“You’re not taking Liam again?”
Ansel shook his head slowly. “Felix wants me there alone. He specifically requested it.”
My stomach turned, and this time it wasn’t from the stomachache I always get after drinking too much. “Ansel . . . how do you know it’s not an ambush?”
The corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. “You're worried about me, aren't you? If I didn’t know any better, sweetling, I would think you actually liked me.”
“I—” I cut myself off before I could stutter out the rest of the sentence. My cheeks heated as I quickly added, “I’m just concerned, okay? That’s all.”
He winked. “You don’t have to worry about me, I’m a professional. I can take care of myself.”
“Ansel . . .”
He sighed; his features turning more serious. “I don’t know if it’s an ambush, Skye. But I have to take that risk. We’ve been at this for a year, and it’s our only shot. Don’t worry, Liam and Demie will take care of you if anything happens.”
I paused, pressing my lips together in a line. To hear him say that made me feel like my heart was being ripped from my chest. But what could I do? He was not my responsibility; he never was. This was just some weird story I would tell my grandkids one day.
Did I ever tell you about the time I was kidnapped by an orc mafia boss?
He reached over, grabbing my hand. He turned my palm over, so my wrist was exposed. He held my stare as he pressed his lips to my skin, right above my pulse. “I’ll promise to be safe, if you promise to be a good girl for me today. Alright?”
I nodded, my throat suddenly tight. “I promise.”
I groaned as I carefully lowered the burglar bars onto the fire escape outside the window. The screw had popped out with no issue, and I had luckily caught the bars before they fell off the side of the wall. The bars were heavier than I was expecting but, somehow, I was able to set them down without rattling the fire escape too much.
That’s how my whole day had gone so far—smooth sailing without any hitches. I really thought everything had been ruined when I caught Ansel standing in front of the open window this morning. I was still scratching my head, trying to figure out how he hadn’t noticed the missing screws, especially if he smoked like that every morning.He must really enjoy a morning cigarette if he doesn’t notice something right in front of his face.
I decided not to dwell on it. It was a miracle, and when the universe gave you a gift, you didn’t ask why. You just went with it.
Liam brought my meal trays on time. He must have been in an extra surly mood today—either from the fact Ansel had told him to stay put while he met with Felix, or because he was nursing his own hangover-headache—because he dropped the tray off and walked out, not even offering a passing glare. That was perfectly fine; I had nothing to say to him, either.
I paused outside the window, my hand pressed on the sill and ready to hoist my leg over and climb out. I stole one last glance of the room. I was more than happy to be leaving my little prison, but I did regret leaving Ansel. Stockholm syndrome or not, I was developing strong feelings for the orc. I was grateful for Ansel; he had given me so much, including two world-rocking orgasms. But most important of all, he had taught me that I wasn’t broken, not completely. I deserved a partner that loved me as much as I loved them. My poor therapist had been hammering that lesson in my head the last four months, but for some reason, it didn’t stick until Ansel.
It was laughable to think after all that time I had spent in therapy, all it took was a couple nights with a handsome orc to finally reach the breakthrough I needed.
As for Carter, I wasn’t planning on running back into his arms. Not yet at least. I needed time to myself to think about what I really wanted. I was willing to hear him out, but I needed time first. How long? I wasn’t sure. Part of me hoped he had a life-altering breakthrough while we were apart as well, and once I was ready to call him back, I would learn he was ready too, ready to finally commit to me. But until then, I would keep a safe distance from him, and that included any booty calls.
I just wished I had the chance to tell Ansel goodbye. Or at least leave him a note. I had no idea what I would say, though.Thanks for the amazing orgasm. Have a nice life? Good luck taking down your uncle?It was just easier for me not to say anything at all. My feelings were already so twisted and confused that it was better to end things this way. Better to sever my line to Ansel with a clean cut.
I hoisted my leg over the mouth of the window and climbed out into the darkness. I was wearing comfortable clothes—sweatpants and a sweatshirt—along with socks and a pair of flip-flops. The choice of shoes wasn’t ideal, but they were better than my only other option being the heels I had originally brought with me.
I started climbing down the fire escape’s ladder, taking each step slowly and carefully. The flip-flops weren’t much better than the heels because every time I moved one rung down, the flimsy plastic of the flip-flop slipped against the metal. If I didn’t hold the ladder with such a tight grip, I would have probably slipped off and broken an arm or something.
Just a few more steps. You’re almost there.Even though I was only two stories up, I had never been a fan of heights. So I kept my eyes up, refusing to look down, as I descended the ladder.
It wasn’t until I reached the last rung that I decided to look down.Shit.I still had quite a bit of a jump, at least eight feet, before I reached the ground.
I took a deep breath and pushed off the ladder, moving quickly so I wouldn’t have any time to chicken out. There was a whoosh of cold air and then a painful crunch as my body hit the street below.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry,I told myself as I clutched my leg to my chest. I had landed directly on my right leg and pain throbbed up and down my entire leg, radiating from my ankle. I need to get going. Once the pain had subsided enough for me to move, I held out my right foot, turning it left and then right. It hurt like a bitch, but it wasn’t broken.
I slowly pulled myself off the ground, wiping grit and gravel off my clothes. I paused, testing my ankle by putting my weight on my right foot. It throbbed a slow, steady pulse like a heartbeat, but I could still manage. I had to. I had no other choice but to get the hell out of here unless I wanted to risk being caught by Liam or Demie.
I started down the alley as fast as I could while running with one bad leg. Once I passed the second block of buildings, I slowed to a hobble-walk. I had no idea where I was going. I had no way of knowing if I was anywhere near where I met Ansel. Every building or alley I stumbled through looked exactly the same: spooky and abandoned.
I wasn’t so naïve to think that now that I had escaped Ansel’s warehouse, I was safe. Quite the opposite, actually. This was where Gregor’s soldiers liked to hang out and sell their product.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Gregor’s men were armed and dangerous. What other lowlifes lurked down here, preying on defenseless women? Why hadn’t I thought to bring the screwdriver for protection? It was better than nothing.
