Page 34 of Cinderella and Her Vampires (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 5)

I frowned. As much as this man was a nuisance to me, my heart broke for him.

“I’m going to figure out a way to free you. Maybe I can find you something to eat and drink as well…” I said and raked my gaze around the room for a hint of the key to unlock his shackles and finding none.

Not that the key to a lock for the room would be in the room. Not only would that have been stupid, but it also would have been too easy.

“Do you know where the keys are?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me with wide eyes. A few seconds later his eyes shifted to the door behind me.

I smiled at him gently. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to find the keys.”

I left the room without a word from the man and started thinking about where I might find the keys. If I was the one in charge, I would probably hide them somewhere safe. There was a desk in the room Silas had given me the best sex of my life. I was sure that would be one place a key could hide. But if he wasn’t the one in charge, then I would have to find Brock. He definitely would be the one I wouldn’t put past finding pleasure in torturing and maiming.

I wasn’t sure how to get back to the room, but it was a start, and worth the chance.

As I moved, I kept to the shadows and held my breath to keep myself from being found. I even ducked and dodged everyone I came across as I tried to recall where the office was.

An hour had to have passed by before I gave up. There was no point in finding the keys. I was looking for damn near a literal needle in a haystack and I had other things I could be doing to help free that man.

There was a kitchen I passed by not too long ago. I could find the tools I needed to just pick the lock. It might take less time, and I could gather what food and water I could find to bring to him.

Minutes later, I managed to find my way back to the kitchen. From there I dug through all the drawers and cabinets. I found what I needed for tools to pick the lock and then started rummaging for food and water.

Not surprisingly, I wasn’t able to find much. Just a few pieces of bread and a bottle of water. It would have to do.

I collected my things and snuck my way back to the basement and the cell. I was careful to make sure I wasn’t followed or didn’t accidentally bump into Brock or the other two on the way. Relief flooded me when I managed to make it to the cell. I placed the bread and water next to Collin and used the tools to pick the lock.

A few minutes later, the lock clicked open, and the man pushed me away from him. I scrapped my hands on the rough floor and turned to look at him as he stood above me. He sniffed the air and then growled. Not even a few seconds later and he took off out of the cell.

I gasped to catch my breath. He moved too quickly. I realized I had made a mistake and struggled to catch my breath as the weight of what I had done settled on my shoulders.

Not only did I lead that man to his demise, but I was also partially responsible for him turning into a monster.

16

BROCK

I should have known things were going too easily.

There I was, strolling through halls on the third floor after a satisfactory visit with one of my donors. I was minding my business, biding my time before checking on Collin, when Xavier comes from out of nowhere, and pinned me against a wall.

He gave me an ultimatum. And then he left me stewing in my own mess. All the while the only thing I could think of was going after him and knocking his teeth loose. How dare he threaten me. He always had it out for me. The asshole never thought I was good enough for his Silas.

I ran my hands through my hair. I was out of time. No matter how I had planned to approach this, Xavier took all my choices away from me. And I knew better than to think he dealt with idle threats.

The only thing I could think of was “Fuck!”

I kept screaming the word over and over in my head. Though it did little good, I had no choice but to keep the word from slipping from my mouth. No matter how much I desperately wanted to let the word ricochet off the walls. But if I had, my shouting would have alerted Silas to my mistake. And I couldn’t have that.

Not yet.

It was bad enough that Xavier knew. Him and his almighty self. Who the hell did he think he was? King of vampires? He wished. And I was tired of answering to him.

Admittedly, I overreacted and jumped the gun when it came to what I had done. My infraction. My transgression. My “pet,” as Xavier and Silas had referred to him. But I had no choice. It was all their fault. I was forced into my decision.

One way or another they were going to accept I was capable of having something they couldn’t touch or take away from me.

All the talk about pushing Silas to the point his hand would be forced… when did anybody stop to give a shit about me and what I wanted? The answer was never. And since that was also never going to change, I took matters into my own hands.

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