Page 28 of Bloody Kingdom

It’s almost sundown, yet another day of my life has passed being stuck here. It’s odd, time is moving fast, but so slow at the same time. It’s only been a little over two weeks since I was blackmailed into this, but in the same breath, I feel like I’ve been here for months. It’s a wonder to me how Della and Ira could dedicate years of their lives here.

The hazardous material bin is kept in what could be considered a mudroom in the back of the house. Unlike a normal home, there aren’t any shoes or jackets kept in here. For the most part, it’s empty, only a simple black bench and the bright red bin sits in the corner. There’s a glass-paned door that leads to the backyard, but it’s always kept locked. Just like every door and window in this whole mansion.

Of course, I’ve checked every exit before, but each door has a fancy keypad on it that keeps it escape-proof. What kind of house locks from the inside? Silas Laurent’s, that’s whose. He’s not trying to keep people out, he’s trying to keep people in.People being me.

Opening the lid to the bin, I pause when I see them on top. Empty blood bags. Why are there empty blood bags? Ira isn’t getting any transfusions and nowhere in his records have I seen that he was ever given blood. Confused, I place my bag on top of them and toss my gloves inside as well.

Is someone else getting blood transfusions? Maybe someone else is sick and they haven’t told me. They’re all very skilled at secret-keeping, and Silas is shady as hell. There could be another sick person in this house and I’d never know.

With my mind wandering wildly with thoughts of blood, I almost miss it, but the soft breeze that blows across my skin has me halting in my tracks. Turning back around, I find that the door has been accidentally left open today. Moving toward it slowly, afraid someone is going to pop out and scold me at any second, I open it wider and peek my head outside. The warm night air rushes over me and I sigh in relief. I haven’t felt fresh air in weeks, and I want to bathe in it right now.

Feeling daring, I check behind me before stepping fully outside. The sound of the bugs in the grass and the slight rustle of the wind moving through the trees fills my ears. Closing my eyes, I savor the feeling of false freedom.

Fuck it.

Della is sitting with Ira right now. When I left them, she was playing a card game with him while he’s conscious.He’s in good hands, I tell myself before walking farther away from the house. It’s not like I’m going to go far, if something happens, I can be back in no time.

The dread of the repercussions of this are overpowered by my need to walk away for a little while. I know I’ll be in trouble, but I don’t care.

I just need a second to myself.

The farther I get away from the house, the more I feel like I can breathe and think clearly. In Boston, I used to go on runs when I started to get too much in my own head. I would run as far and for as long as I could until I felt like I had clarity again. Since I’ve been here, the voices in my head have grown louder and the constant state of confusion and worry is weighing heavy on my body.

Not to mention I’m slowly losing the ability to think of anything but him. He’s found a way to crawl into my head. Even as I sleep, I don’t get a reprieve from him. His presence is justeverywhere.

The second I open my eyes, I start putting a plan into motion for the night. I send off a couple messages to people telling them I need to push my meetings with them to later in the night and I get a hold of Duke to have him start arranging my plans.

Looking at my watch on my wrist, I know she’ll be in Ira’s room now. She always is. She never sticks around when I show up. Quincey usually excuses herself and disappears into her room while I visit with Ira for a little while. When I’m far enough down the hallway, I hear her door open and her bare feet pad across the hall back into his room.

I’ll give her credit, she’s good at avoiding me.

I’m halfway down the hallway to his room and I know immediately something isn’t right. The delectable scent of her isn’t as strong as it should be and her heartbeat, one I’m quickly finding myself in tune with, isn’t present. The warm energy that fills the space wherever she goes is absent.

She’s not in the room.

When I broaden my senses, I can’t sense her anywhere in the house. Not bothering to contain my inhuman speed, I sprint into Ira’s bedroom. The wooden door slams into the wall as I thunder inside, making both Della and Ira jump in fright.

“What on earth, Silas?” Della scolds like a mother would as she stands to her feet.

“Where is she?” I bite out, ignoring her question completely.

“Who?” Ira questions, wheezing as he speaks. “Quin?”

“Quin?” I repeat. “I didn’t realize we were giving nicknames now.”

Ira laughs. “She has one for you too, but I don’t think you’ll like it.”

I’m sure not. “Where the fuck is she? She’s not in the house.”

Della’s eyes widen behind her glasses and she drops the cards she holds in one hand back on the tray attached to Ira’s hospital bed. “What do you mean she’s not in the house? She just went to throw away something.” Looking out the windows and the now set sun, Della looks at me with worry crossing her features. “I hadn’t noticed she’d been gone so long.”

“Goddammit.” Anger bubbles up in my chest as I stalk out of the room.

The sound of Della’s heels clicking on the floor follows behind me as I trace the faint scent of Quincey through the house. I knew she was brave, but I didn’t think she’d be stupid enough to try to escape. She knew the consequences if she did such a thing.

In the back room that holds the hazardous material bin, I discover the back door has been left ajar. “Who didn’t lock this?” I seethe, spinning around to face Della.

The look on my face makes the color on Della’s face drain and she takes a step back. She’s never afraid of me, but my unstable emotions regarding Quincey have me acting unlike myself. “It was an accident, Silas. I must have left it open when I brought in the new groceries.” She attempts to push past me as she says shakily, “I’ll go find her.”

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