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“All I had that day were the stories about you that my father had told me, and I was afraid,” she confesses. “I was so afraid.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Don’t apologize,” she says. “And don’t worry. We have a plan to get you out of here. One that I’m certain will work.”
Even though she says she’s certain, there is trepidation in her voice. Something about this doesn’t feel right to me. When she speaks about the plan, she shifts uneasily on her feet. Something is making her nervous and I need to know that whatever their plan is, she’ll be safe.
“Tell me,” I demand.
She keeps her eye contact with me and I can see that look of fear creeping back in.
“I can’t,” she says. “I’m worried that someone might be listening.”
She motions with her head in the direction of the security guard.
“And I have no way of knowing if our conversation is private here,” she continues. “It’s just too risky. We stayed up all night with Dalton and there’s only one way to get you out of here. If someone hears the plan, they could stop it, and then all hope would be lost.”
Mattia clears his throat somewhere off to the side where I can’t see him and I know that he is signaling to her to keep quiet. I don’t know what it is, but judging by their behavior, I already hate whatever plan they have come up with.
“Trust me,” she says, and I have no choice but to do just that.
I take her hand through the bars and lift it to my lips, kissing all the bruises and scrapes that I can see. I kiss as much of her skin as I can.
“Alright, that’s enough,” the guard commands.
A few guards come, with Dalton accompanying them, to take Aria away. She will soon be escorted out of the building and I wonder if I will ever see her again. My heart fills with more fear than I have ever felt at once. They try to put their hands on her, but she pushes them off.
With Dalton present, there is nothing they can do about her attitude. She looks at me one last time before she agrees to go with them. Our eyes meet and I know she recognizes the fear in me.
She is almost out of my sight before she stops.
“Get moving!” the guard shouts at her.
But she simply looks him dead in the eyes and ignores his command. She turns to face me again and smiles.
“I love you,” she says before heading down the hall and out of my sight.
Chapter 17
Aria
Thecarturnsontothe street my father’s mansion is on, and instantly, my stomach twists into a tight knot. I hope that this is the last time I ever need to take this turn and go up this lane ever again. Something about this moment really does feel like the last time.
“Are you sure you’re okay with doing this?” Mattia asks.
“Yes,” I answer. “I know it’s dangerous, but it is the only option we have.”
The car slows to a stop and the driver lets me know that we have reached our destination. We’re not entirely ready yet. The listening device is still being secured to my abdomen. It’s not nearly as sleek as I would like it to be, but I’m hoping that my oversized shirt will do a decent job of covering it up.
Mattia looks nervous, and it does nothing to help my confidence. The entire inside of the car is outfitted with screens and audio devices and headphones. It looks like something out of a spy movie, only nobody can guarantee we’ll have a happy ending.
The device is in place, and I button up my shirt. Everyone takes a turn to look and confirm that it’s large enough to hide the device.
“And are you sure that this thing is working?” I ask. “We only have one chance to get this right.”
“Yes,” he says, pointing at the screen. “Do you see those audio waves there? They’re dancing, which means it’s picking up everything in this car.”
“And you’re sure that it will keep this recording stored?”
