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He nods. “Yeah.” He drops my empty backpack on the bed, defeat clear in the lines of his shoulders. “Me too.”
* * *
My emotions area mess once I repack my things and pull my bag onto my back. Sin doesn’t look my way as I open the door and head into the hallway. He hadn’t said another word while I moved around the apartment. I wish I could say he would get over it, but I knew my twin and putting myself into danger after we almost died getting out was something it would take a long time for him toget over.
On wooden legs, I approach the elevator. I press the call button and my heart thunders in my ears, anxiety a heavy ball in my stomach. The elevator doors slide open almost soundlessly, either that or I can’t hear over my pounding pulse. The interior is empty, and I breathe a sigh of relief for that small gift. My finger hovers over the 24, and I force myself to light it up while twisting the key Austin gave me in the lock.
Seconds later, the doors open, a small open area greets me. A planter with a miniature tree stands to the left of the closed door in front of me. I curl my fingers around the straps of my backpack as I take a step onto the floor. To my right there is a floor-to-ceiling window with a pretty view of the river and bridge. The door swings wide before I can take another step.
My breath stutters inside my chest as I stare at Felix taking up the doorway, a welcoming smile on his face. His long bangs flop over his forehead in disarray, and his green eyes sparkle.
“Audrey, come in.” He steps to the side, holding the door open for me.
The room beyond him is huge. More floor-to-ceiling windows line the entire wall that faces the river. The whites and grays of the furniture and the fancy sculptures on the end tables come together to make for an expensive-looking room. A plush rug lays beneath the coffee table, and there is not a television in sight. Instead, the couch faces the windows. Arm chairs flank the large sofa facing each other.
My gaze flicks over the open looking floor plan, and I glance over at a large dining table that is both elegant and rich, matching the rest of the furniture perfectly. The kitchen is viewable past the open island between us. With the best appliances money can buy filling the space. The fridge looks like one of those you just tap a screen and view what is inside without opening the door. Our cook back home hated that I never used that function, preferring to release all the cool air as I searched for a snack.
The memory brings with it a familiar pang of sadness for a life that was destroyed by the most terrible of betrayals. I shove it back where it belongs, in the blackest depths of my mind. My hands shake, and I wrap my fingers around the straps of my bag again. Felix notices the movement and gestures toward the hall.
“I can show you your room. But you might not need any of those clothes. Austin has a flare for the dramatics and bought you a whole new wardrobe that was delivered earlier today.”
He pushes open a door that reveals a room that is bigger than four of my apartment combined. The soothing view of the river greets me, and when he catches my attention on the windows, he moves over to a control panel on the wall.
“You can lower the blinds so the sun doesn’t shine in and wake you in the morning. Or if you want it to be dark in here.” He demonstrates and hidden blinds unfold from the ceiling and slowly spread down the glass. “This also controls the air, heat, and lights.”
When I remain silent, he moves over to one of two doors and opens it. A light turns on automatically, and he steps inside the largest closet ever. Even bigger than the one I grew up with. There is a large window at the end, adding daylight to the space and a fancy-looking bench in the center of the open space. They lined a wall with places for shoes, and there are some already in place of my exact size.
I fold my arms over my stomach and press my lips together as I take in the rows of clothes. Most still have plastic covering them. A single dress cost more than I pawned the watch for. I recognized the designer's name when I peeked at the tag. I couldn’t imagine how much everything else cost. On the other wall, there is a safe. Felix moves over to it and punches in a code, and when it opens, I can’t help the gasp that comes out of my chest.
Jewelry. Sparkling diamonds, gems, and gold catches in the interior light of the safe. My lips part on another breath. I could pawn all of that, and we could run.
As if he could read my mind, Felix glances over. “The jewelry in here looks nice, but it all has trackers in them. If more than a single set is removed at the same time, an alarm will alert Austin on his phone. So I don’t suggest taking them to pawn.”
“I wouldn’t–”
He laughs. “I would, so I know you would.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Do you work for them?”
He turns to me with a look of guilt on his face. “I’m pack, actually.”
My mouth forms an ‘oh’, but no sound comes out. I am doomed.
“Hey, it won’t be that bad. They are good guys.”
A sarcastic laugh pops from me, and I shake my head. “Yeah, Austin is a charmer. Set me up, kidnap me, make me sign a contract…”
“When you put it like that,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck; his cheeks darken with embarrassment as if Austin’s actions reflected on him. “I’m sorry. He’s pretty focused on this.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I grumble.
“Right,” he breathes and moves past me. “You have your own bathroom, and your bedroom door has added security on it if you go into a heat. You’ll be able to lock it from the inside, only you will have the passcode.”
“Can I use it when I’m not in a heat?”
He looks surprised at my question.
“You’re safe here. Austin says, hands off, he’s the boss. And even if he didn’t, we aren’t that type of pack to force ourselves on an unwilling girl.”
