Infidelity: Sacrifice (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Rae Riley

  Closing my eyes, I tried to ignore the exhaustion setting in. After what had happened with Alton, I hadn’t gotten much sleep. I kept waiting for him to come back. Surely he wasn’t going to just let it go.

  The ringing of my phone made me jump.

  INCOMING CALL

  From: Bryce Spencer

  Pressing the REJECT button, I switched my phone to silent and exited the car.

  Over the course of the next several hours, Bryce called me numerous times. He also sent a ridiculous number of text messages. Most of them were threatening. Some of them were picture messages, reminders of the pain he had caused me in the past. They weren’t pictures of me – he was too smart for that. They were pictures of his belt or handcuffs. I tried to ignore my phone, but every time that I walked into a building I wondered if he was already there – waiting for me. I wondered what I would do if he was. How would I stop him from taking me back to Carmichael Hall? Would I make a scene – scream and yell? Or would I try to run?

  Alex promised that tonight was the night, the night that I would be getting away from it all – Bryce and Infidelity. She had a plan and I had to trust her. Still, there were several hours before her plan would be set into motion. There were so many things that could happen between now and then.

  ***

  Biting my lower lip, I played with the necklace around my neck. It was time. I set my phone on the vanity. Bryce had reminded me on several occasions that he could use the phone to track my location. I had no intention of helping him find out where I was going. Pulling the light jacket tighter around my body, I slipped out of the bedroom. Careful not to draw attention to myself, I followed the path that Alex had told me to take – halls and staircases that were usually only used by the help. Fresh air filled my lungs as I finally stepped outside.

  I didn’t check for guards. I didn’t look to make sure that no one was watching. I just ran – as fast as my feet would carry me. I wished that I was in better shape.

  Alex used to jog. I made fun of her for it. Why in the hell did I do that? Holy shit, this is hard.

  I almost decided to slow my pace. I had made it far enough away from the manor and with the fog I thought it was safe – until I heard what I thought were footsteps behind me. That pushed me to run faster. I knew what Bryce would do if I was caught. He would kill me. I was sure of it. The tears made it harder to run, harder to breathe.

  “Charli,” a voice called through the fog.

  That’s when I noticed the two figures running toward me. One of them was Nox. Who else would refer to someone he thought was Alex as Charli? That was who he thought I was – Alex. That was why Alex had made me wear the necklace. She knew that as long as I wore the necklace, I was safe. Nox would make sure of it. I assumed that the other figure was Isaac. Alex had explained that Isaac was part of Nox’s security and that the two of them would be waiting for me.

  “Nox?” I called back as the figures' features came into view. The two men stopped, frozen in confusion. I fell at Nox’s feet, exhausted from the long run. I had wanted a moment to rest, but Nox’s hands on my arms pulled me to my feet.

  He stared at me through frantic eyes. “What the hell? Where is she?”

  “S-she told me to wear it and to come,” I panted. “S-she said you’d help me.”

  “Where is she?” he yelled, his grip tightening. The darkness couldn’t hide his anger. I could feel it, hear it. His face didn’t turn red like Bryce’s did when he was angry, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. His anger was unexpected. My personal experience with Nox had been limited to brief encounters, and I had never seen him upset. He was always the vision of perfection. Alex had never mentioned this side of him.

  “I-I’m sorry,” I cried. I tried to back away, but his grip held me in place.

  “Where the fuck is she?”

  “Sir?” Isaac calmly interceded. He held his hand out toward me. “Miss Moore? We’ll help you. Sir… let go of her.”

  Isaac caught me as Nox released his hold. Tears blurred my vision as Nox took off running toward the manor. Isaac turned to watch him, obviously conflicted about what to do.

  “G-go,” I urged with shaky breaths. “Help him.”

  Hesitating for only a second, Isaac shook his head. “No,” he stated, turning back to me. “Mr. Demetri can handle himself. My job right now is to get you to safety. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I exhaled, pulling my jacket tighter.

  Isaac’s hand reached for my cheek – the one that was still bruised from Bryce’s attack the night before.

  “I’m fine,” I reiterated, retreating from his touch.

  “I promise you, Miss Moore,” he said, “when we get our hands on Mr. Spencer, he is going to pay for what he did to you and Miss Collins.”

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “I’m sorry about Mr. Demetri.” He began, leading me through the field toward the car. “He is extremely protective over Miss Collins.”

  “Yeah. She seems to have that effect on people.”

  “Do you know where Miss Collins is?” he asked.

  “She was supposed to be right behind me. That was the plan,” I answered. “If she hasn’t left yet, she would still be on the main floor, at the party. I don’t think that Bryce would risk creating a scene by taking her someplace else.”

  Isaac took out his phone and typed a message as a new man exited the vehicle we had approached. “Miss Moore, this is Clayton,” Isaac introduced, handing me over. “He'll keep you safe.”

  “Where are you going?” I could hear my voice filling with panic. Alex had told me about Isaac. She had assured me that he was safe. Clayton’s name, though, had never been mentioned.

  “I’m going to help Mr. Demetri,” Isaac explained.

  “I thought you said that he could take care of himself?”

  “Even Batman needs a little help from Robin every now and then.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tiptoeing down the hallway in the dark, I was careful not to make a sound.

  Fuck this! I’m not a fucking damsel in distress. I can take care of myself.

  It had all been too much – running through the field, the confrontation with Nox, watching Isaac aim a gun at Alton and his driver, learning of Melissa’s death, the unexpected questioning from the police, and then the long journey to New York. I wasn’t even sure where in New York Alex and I had been taken. It was yet another thing that had been out of my control. If I had been given a choice, I would have opted for a hotel. Alton and Bryce weren’t stupid – Nox’s address was a matter of public record. It would take them a matter of minutes to put two and two together. A hotel was anonymous. A hotel made sense. But just as with every other decision that had been made over the past couple of months, my opinion hadn’t been asked for.

  Realistically, with the security, I knew that Nox’s home was the safest place I could be. Still, it didn’t feel that way. The way that Nox spoke to Alex – threatening to redden her ass! After all that she had been through over the past ten days, how did he think that it was okay to speak to her like that? Hell, he didn’t even use her real name. He insisted on calling her Charli. And then there was the greeting we received from Nox’s father. There was just something about Oren, something that made him terrifying to be around. He certainly put Alex on edge.

  Not only did it not feel safe, it felt crowded. Between Carmichael Hall and Montague Manor, I had grown accustomed to always having people around, but this was different. Nox’s home wasn’t filled with nameless household staff. It was filled with actual people – people who were there only to help Alex and her mother. I was supposedly under their protection as well, but the doubt lingered.

  Alex may be able to blindly trust these people with her safety, but I couldn’t. I had tried that with Deloris and learned my lesson. Alex had helped me out of a bad situation, and I would be forever grateful to her for that, but now it was time for me to help myself. The first step to helping myself w
ould be to run away. Bryce was looking for me. I had lied to the police. I needed to disappear.

  Wrapping my fingers around the handle of the front door, I took a deep breath. Goodbye, Alex.

  “What are you doing?” a low voice questioned from the darkness.

  My body jumped in surprise. Stifling a scream, I stammered, “N-nothing.”

  Isaac switched on the light above the entryway. “Really?” He smirked. “Because it looks like you’re running away.”

  I didn’t respond. It wasn’t like I could deny it.

  “If you really want to leave, I won’t stop you,” he promised. “But can I just ask you why?”

  I shrugged, lowering my gaze to the floor.

  “Do you want to go back to Mr. Spencer?”

  “No,” I frantically declared, my eyes snapping up to meet his.

  “Okay,” he said, nodding. “But that’s where you’ll end up if you leave this house. His men are out there, waiting. I don’t mean to scare you, but you need to know.”

  “That’s why I want to leave,” I explained, working to keep my voice low. “He always knows where I am. Always. Every moment of every day for the past two months he has known exactly where I was. I hate it. I can’t take it anymore!” Tears poured down my cheeks. I couldn’t control them.

  “Yes, Mr. Spencer knows where you are,” he confirmed. “But this time it doesn’t matter. This time he can’t get to you. This time you are safe.”

  “I’m not safe,” I argued. “You… all of you… are here to keep her safe… and him safe. I’m just the third wheel – the stupid whore that signed the agreement.”

  “Stop. You know that that's not true. You are Miss Collins's friend. You protected her when we couldn’t.”

  I shook my head, dismissing his words.

  “And for the record, my job is to follow orders,” he clarified. “My orders include keeping you safe. You should know, I am very good at my job.”

  “Are his people really out there?” I asked, glancing at the door.

  “Yes, but so are ours. No one will be able to get to you if you stay here.”

  I sighed, wiping away my tears. Even from thousands of miles away, Bryce was still in control. I was still his prisoner. I wasn’t locked in my bedroom, but I still couldn’t leave.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Isaac offered.

  I shook my head. “No, thanks. I can’t sleep as it is. Caffeine won’t help.”

  “Why can’t you sleep?” he asked.

  “Why can’t you?”

  “Deflective tactics.” He chuckled. “Okay, I get it. You don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Nope.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “So answer my question. You’ve had a long night and it’s almost sunrise. Why are you awake?”

  “I’m supposed to be listening to audio surveillance from Montague Manor,” he explained.

  “Audio surveillance?” How long has that been there?”

  “It was put in last night. During the chaos of the party.”

  “Alex was always worried that our rooms were bugged,” I admitted. “Can I listen?”

  Isaac nodded and gestured toward the living room. Only the bright screen of the computer lit the room. The sound was on but only static came through.

  “What have they been saying?” I asked, sitting next to him on the couch.

  “Nothing, so far,” he replied. “Mr. Fitzgerald hasn’t returned home since Mr. Spencer’s arrest. Deloris has been listening to his phone. He’s been all over Savannah, going back and forth between the police station, Hamilton and Porter, and Magnolia Woods.”

  “Is Bryce still in jail?”

  “For now,” he answered.

  My body relaxed with relief.

  “There is still a chance that they will allow him to post bail and be out until trial,” Isaac continued. “But he will have to stay in Savannah during that time. He won’t be able to hurt you.”

  “He will if they make us go back. I heard the officer at the airport. They want us to come back to Savannah to answer questions. He'll be able to hurt us then.”

  “I won’t let him get near you or Alex. That's a promise.”

  Static filled the air as I thought about Bryce – sitting in a cell. I prayed that his bunkmate was the violent type.

  ***

  The sound of dishes being moved around woke me. I was lying on the couch where I had sat with Isaac. A blanket had been pulled over me. My shoes had been taken off and were near the couch on the floor. I couldn’t remember falling asleep.

  Rubbing my eyes, I got up and made my way into the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” Sylvia greeted me. “Are you hungry?”

  “No,” I responded, shaking my head. “What time is it?”

  “It’s time for lunch. I’ll make you something.”

  I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I tried to smooth out my tangled hair. “I look like a mess.”

  Laughing, Sylvia said, “When Alex wakes, I’m sure that she'll let you borrow a change of clothes.”

  “And hopefully a hairbrush,” I joked, taking a seat on one of the barstools near the counter island. She went to pull food out of the fridge. “Please, Sylvia. I’m really not hungry.”

  “Okay. How about some coffee?”

  “That would be wonderful,” I said, smiling.

  “So are you going to tell me why you tried to run away this morning?” She didn't look up as she asked, busying herself with making the drinks.

  My heart dropped. Who else had Isaac told?

  “Isaac asked me to keep an eye on you while he freshened up,” she explained. “He didn’t want you to bolt while he wasn’t looking.”

  “Are you going to tell Alex?” I asked her, knowing that Alex would feel hurt by the information.

  “Not if you don’t want me to.”

  “It’s just…” I started, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I feel like I’m intruding. Honestly, it’s how I’ve felt since this whole thing started.”

  “Don’t be silly,” she said. “You’re a friend of Alex’s. The Demetris have welcomed you here. You can stay as long as you’d like.”

  “They scare me,” I confessed. “Mr. Demetri more than Nox.”

  “Nox? You call him that too?”

  “Only in third person. It’s the name Alex called him from the beginning – I was there when they met.”

  As if just speaking his name had summoned him, Nox rounded the corner into the kitchen. How much had he heard? Glancing at his bare chest, I averted my eyes to the floor. That behavior wasn’t like me. The old Chelsea would have blatantly stared and made appreciative comments. The new Chelsea prayed that her blushing cheeks wouldn’t give her away.

  “Did you forget your shirt?” Sylvia smirked.

  “I’m looking for Oren. I figured formal attire was optional,” Nox retorted.

  “Now, I suppose,” Sylvia hummed. “But I’d suspect this place will get busier as the day progresses.”

  “Is Alex awake yet?” I asked, hoping to fix my appearance before anybody else saw me.

  “No, she was up late with her mom,” Nox answered before turning back to Sylvia. “I think I’d like to take her some breakfast.”

  Sylvia wiped her hands on a towel. “It’s after one. How about some lunch?”

  Nox nodded, “What do we have?”

  “Go talk to your father,” Sylvia told him, waving Nox away. “He’s in the office. I’ll make both you and Alex something.”

  Nox started to object. “You don’t –”

  “I can help,” I interrupted. “Please, Sylvia, let me feel like I’m doing something.”

  Nox turned toward me. “I owe you an apology. This thing – Infidelity – was never supposed to end up…”

  “I’m a big girl,” I replied, shaking my head. “I signed the agreement.”

  He was looking at me intently. “I have a question. Did you write the note that the guard gave me at Montague
?”

  “Yes,” I answered honestly, lowering my head.

  “The rules. You were giving us a clue.”

  “I tried.” I shrugged.

  “I just heard you refer to me as Nox, yet the note was addressed to Lennox?”

  “I hoped that it would let you know that it wasn’t Alex who wrote it.”

  Nox nodded, his eyes warm. “Thank you.”

  His words repaired a small piece of my heart. I had worried that he would be angry when he found out. “I’ll go help Sylvia,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Thank you. I’m sorry too. I wish I could have done more to help her.”

  “You’re her best friend.” He smiled. “I’m glad that hasn’t changed.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Isaac flicked on the light as we entered my Savannah hotel suite. Tears continued to stream down my cheeks. The past couple of days had taken their toll on me. Allowing Deloris to photograph the bruises that Bryce had caused and giving my statement to the police had been hard but doable. However, the interview with Ralph Porter and the news that Bryce had been released on bail had turned me into a blubbering mess. I hadn’t wanted to leave Alex’s side until Isaac offered to sit in my room with me. I didn’t want to be alone.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, sniffling. “The tears won’t stop. I’m sure I look ridiculous.”

  “You’ve had a bad day.” Isaac offered a tissue. “They’ll stop.”

  “They better stop soon. Savannah is going to run out of tissues at this rate,” I joked, wiping the moisture off of my face.

  He laughed. “I don’t think that it’s quite that bad.”

  Our eyes met briefly before I quickly looked away. Isaac was a handsome man but I knew that my attraction to him was displaced. Besides, after what I had been through with Bryce, I wasn’t ready for any sort of relationship. Still, by the way Isaac looked at me, I would swear that the attraction was mutual. “Thank you for staying with me,” I said with a smile.