Page 109 of Princess of Pride
Finally, she looks at me. “As much as I’d love you gone, I am loyal to Lachlan to an extent. I won’t help you escape beyond what I’m about to tell you. You will truly be on your own other than the information I’m about to give you.”
Fear worms through me that she’ll tell on me to Lachlan the minute it benefits her and make herself look like the savior. But since I don’t have any other options, I have to trust she’s selfish enough tokeep quiet.
“You have to go to the pub with Lachlan,” she says, “and pretend like nothing is wrong. At some point you need to go to the loo downstairs. Go to the kitchen and find a young woman with piercings in her nose and a small heart tattoo on her cheek. Her name is Maisie. She hates Lachlan enough to help you out the back door. If she can.”
“That’s it?” I shriek with panic. How is this helping me? “What if Lachlan follows me to the bathroom? What if this girl won’t help me?”
Tessa shrugs. “I didn’t say I could work a miracle. I shouldn’t be helping you at all.” Her features twist with worry.
“Why does she hate him? Maisie?”
Tessa rubs a finger across her eyebrow. “She blames him for her uncle’s death.”
“Who’s her uncle?”
“Ewan Caldwell. Rory’s dad.”
Oh god. I sigh. This plan seems worse by the second. I turn to leave but spin back. “Is she who you were texting?”
“No.” She wrinkles her nose. “We have a mutual friend at the pub, if you must know.”
“No offense, but how is this young woman going to get me out of a crowded bar that Lachlan will have well guarded?”
“Men constantly underestimate woman. Take you, for example, and how you came to me for help. He wouldn’t imagine you’d try to leave him and certainly not through me. And he’dneverassume I’d help you.”
Fair point.
“But know this: the moment you leave this room, I will deny any involvement. If you get caught, you’re on your own. If you throw me into this, I will have Wes verify that I’ve been with him the whole time. You will look like the liar.”
“I won’t say anything.” If Lachlan catches me, I’m done for anyway. Who knows how he’ll react.
She runs her hand through her hair again as if she’s considering backing out. I almost ask if she knows about his plan to use me and corrupt my family’s business, but I figure if she did, she wouldn’t be helping me escape.
“If you screw me on this?—”
“You’ll what?” She glowers. “You have no power here.”
I don’t have a comeback for that. She’s right. Regardless of what I allowed myself to believe, I came here as a prisoner and I’m escaping as one.
“You should go.” Her hard expression has me worried about trusting her.
27
THE DUMBEST PLAN EVER
When I reach the bottom of the stairs, Lachlan is waiting for me. He looks anxious and his hair is slightly mussed like he’s been running his hand through it.
Does he know he and Tessa share the same nervous habit?
He takes in my outfit and the bare skin of my shoulder. A flicker of hesitation crosses his eyes. Because of my clothes? Or because he’s unsure about taking me to the village?
I pull my pin-straight hair over my exposed shoulder—it falls to under my boob—and walk past him. “No backing out.”
He catches my wrist and tugs me so that I spin into his hard body. My hand lands on his chest to soften the impact.
He stares down at me with intense eyes.
Does he know my plan? Did Tessa tell?
