Page 183 of Bride By Initiation

I've never cheated on anyone.

Yeah, I just never made it clear if I was committed or not.

She's no saint either. She gets bored too.

Fuck this. I need to work out.

I pick up my shoes, lace them up, then grab my keys. I get in the elevator and press the button for the ground level.

The elevator descends and stops on the sixth floor. The doors open, and Byrne stands there, grinning.

"Jesus. What now?" I mutter.

He steps inside and hits the basement button. "Lad, we need to talk."

I don't argue, knowing there's no point. The elevator takes us to the bottom level, and he gets out.

I follow him through several hallways. The musty odor turns more pungent.

He leads me past the storage units and then opens a door. He takes a small flashlight out of his pocket and steers us through several rooms until we can't go any farther. He shuts the door, then reaches up and pulls a string.

A single lightbulb creates a soft glow in the tiny room.

"Why are we here?" I question, glancing at the concrete walls and two metal chairs.

He points at one of the chairs. "Sit down."

My chest tightens. I normally don't get anxious. But I won't let my guard down until I get a seat at the Omni table and know what's going on. "Is this like a torture chamber or something?"

He chuckles. "No. But they can't hear us here."

I arch my eyebrows. "Who?"

"The Omni, who do you think?" he states.

"Oh."

He points to the chair again. "Sit."

I obey.

He sits across from me and crosses his arms over his chest while leaning back and studying me.

"I need to get to the gym," I tell him.

"It's time you know what happened to your dad."

I break out in a cold sweat, and my chest tightens. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

He leans closer. He looks behind him and lowers his voice. "You want to know the truth, correct?"

I blurt out, "I thought you said nobody can hear us. Why are you looking behind you?"

He shrugs. "Habit. But they can't."

"Would they be upset if they found out you were talking to me about this?" I question.

"About this? No. Not now. You've reached the level required to know the basics. However, I'll say more to you than what I'm allowed. And I don't do dumb things and take chances I shouldn't."

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