Page 59 of Undeniable

“Ashlynn?” I croak, my voice unusually hoarse.

She gives me a cold look, her makeup free face blotchy and slightly swollen like she has been crying her eyes out.

Ashlynn wordlessly pulls a skeleton key out of her night robe before slipping it into the lock and turning it, opening the iron bar door slowly. I watch her silently, trying to understand exactly what is happening.

“What are you waiting for?” Ashlynn asks icily.

“What are you doing?” I ask as I slowly stand up.

She rolls her eyes like she is already exasperated with me.

“Come on, Tasha or Katerina or whatever the hell your name is. I know that you are a bright woman. I am giving you an out.”

“Why?”

“I-” She cuts herself off and blows out a harsh breath before she shakes her head. “Look, I really thought we were friends. We invited you into our home, into our family and you betrayed us all, put us all in danger. You completely broke Gio and if I am honest, you kinda broke me too, but I won’t lose my family because of you. Luca is determined to go to war over you. He thinks the Chernoff’s planted you here and is insisting on getting revenge.”

“But they didn’t. Ash, I swear-”

“I believe you,” she says quickly.

I pause as I look at her for a moment. “You do?”

She shrugs. “I know I shouldn’t. I just can’t convince myself that all of the time we spent together was all a lie. I see good in you, maybe that is my own naivety, but I think you are telling the truth. Of course, there is no convincing my husband of the same.

“Regardless, there is nothing left for you here. Luca is going to kill you and then he will not stop until every person associated with your family is dead. That is a big fight that will result in a lot of lives lost on both sides. I won’t let my family be put in danger for someone like you.”

Her words cut like a knife, though I do a good job of hiding it. She is right. They did bring me in, a virtual stranger, and treat me more like family than I have ever been treated before. I know that I should have been honest from the start. But would I really have ended up in a different situation than I am now? Probably not.

“So go,” Ashlynn continues. “Run. It won’t take them long to figure out that you are gone, and you just better hope that they don’t catch you. I have heard nasty stories about the Chernoff’s, and I imagine that you do not want to be found by them either.”

I give her a terse nod because she couldn’t be more right about that. I’d rather die at the hands of the Mariano’s than be caught alive by the Chernoff’s. I take a tentative step out of the cell as I stop to face Ashlynn.

“The men walk the perimeter in 2 person teams every 10 minutes. The next one begins the walk in 4 minutes. If you go to the 23rdand the 24thbars in the fence on the right hand side you will notice the gap is slightly larger than the others. You should be able to squeeze between them without the men at the front gate seeing you. From there, you better run fast,” Ashlynn says.

I make sure to commit her instructions to memory as I nod, still wondering why she is offering me any grace at all.

“I am not just doing this for you. Luca said he wants Giovanni to kill you since he is the one that brought you here. He won’t survive it, even if he could go through it. He loves you. I never thought I would live to see the day that Giovanni Cordova fell in love,” she says with a sad smile and a shake of her head. “I wish you deserved him.”

I lower my gaze and nod. “Me too.”

I swallow roughly before I turn on my heel and creep up the stairs slowly. My head whips wildly side to side, just in case I unexpectedly run into someone. I walk quickly through the side door that will take me right out to the front gate without the patrolling men seeing me, hopefully.

Making my way through the lawn, I can’t help but feel like I am being watched or maybe followed. My pace quickens as my head continues to swivel, but there is nothing but darkness around me. I count the bars as I get closer to them and notice that there is a larger gap just ahead. It will be tight, but doable.

In the distance to my left, I see a few men begin walking in the opposite direction, most likely to start their perimeter search. Thanks to Ashlynn’s advice, I will be long gone before they find me. I suck in a deep breath and begin to wiggle my body between the iron bars. I am more than halfway through when I feel a hand grab my free one.

I gasp sharply before I look down to see a bright pair of green eyes staring up at me with concern.

“Where are you going?” Alessandro asks, panic largely evident in his voice.

I step the rest of the way through the gate as I lower myself down to his level, still holding his hand.

“I have to go now.”

“Why? Is it because Uncle Luc hurt you? He will say sorry! Papa will make him! Don’t go!” He begins to shout as his lower lip trembles.

I shush him as I let out a rough sigh, choking back the brimming tears that are threatening to spill. My arms reach through the bars as I pull him against me in a tight hug. I kiss the side of his head before pulling back to see tears gathering in his eyes.

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