Nightfall (Devil's Night #4) - Penelope Douglas Page 0,124

like you, Em, but I’m not leaving without him, so don’t straggle.”

Why the hurry all of a sudden? It had been days already.

My breath shook as I raised my eyes again. “A year,” I said, hardening my eyes on her. “He’s been gone at least a year, and you knew that when we talked last summer.”

“Well, what were you going to do?” she fired back. “Care?”

What the hell did she just say to me?

The urge to slap her hit me, but I balled my fists instead.

“This isn’t my fault.” I stood strong. I was to blame for some things, but not everything. “You’re his friends. You saw him every day, and you knew what he was doing to himself. This is your fault.”

Maybe she was a little right. Maybe I hated myself, because she’d come for him, and I’m not sure if I would’ve. Maybe it wouldn’t have changed a damn thing if I’d known about this place months ago.

Or maybe she knew nothing about me and should shut her stupid mouth.

She held my eyes for a moment and then dropped her head, sighing. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean that. I’m worried about Will. I’m scared, because I haven’t heard from my friends. I don’t want to be found here.” And then she shook her head as if clearing it. “I’m glad I’m not alone. I’m glad you’re here.”

I chuckled despite myself. “I’m not,” I joked.

She put her hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “Nothing is going to happen to us. I’m sorry I didn’t get you sooner.”

“Why didn’t you?”

She hesitated, searching for words. “I didn’t know you were here until I saw you running for your life through the forest on our first night. I spotted you from a window as they gave chase,” she said. “We couldn’t get out until the crew got here, and you were already discovered, so...”

So you stayed hidden.

I had been sedated when we arrived because I was brought here against my will. She was smuggled in and probably awake when she entered the house. She had intel, blueprints, and supplies. She ran and found a place to hunker down, no doubt.

“I…” she paused and then continued. “I kept an eye on the situation from my vantage points, ready to swoop in if needed.”

I studied her. That made no sense. She wouldn’t have been able to stop anyone from hurting me at any moment. She could’ve dived in at any time, collected me, and hidden me somewhere. Why leave me in their care? Every moment that she did was a gamble.

“What if Will doesn’t want to leave?” I ask her.

He wasn’t even remotely content, but he’d given up. Suited to his lot in life of perpetual sidekick, whether it was to Michael Crist, Kai Mori, and Damon Torrance, or Aydin Khadir.

Alex was quiet for a moment as she looked for the entrance to the next passage. “We just gotta wake him up.”

Maybe.

Maybe seeing Alex would snap him out of it.

Another wave of jealousy rushed over me. He would listen to her.

I heard a voice through the walls and some pounding, and I trained my ears.

“Shh,” I told her.

“Emory?” Another knock in the distance.

I darted my eyes to Alex. Shit!

Spinning around, I ran back for my bedroom.

“Emory, no,” she whispered after me.

I spun around, looking at her as I walked. “The chair is under the door handle,” I told her. “He knows I’m in there. He’s going to wonder how I disappeared if he breaks in and sees me gone.”

He couldn’t find out about the passageways.

I ran back to my room, calling behind me, “Go to Will. Come back for me.”

Pushing the picture open, I leapt through, closed it, and ran to my door, scooting the chair out from underneath the knob.

Opening the door, I saw Aydin standing there with a stack of clothes in his hand.

I swallowed the heavy breaths pouring in and out, so he wouldn’t wonder why I was out of breath.

“Why didn’t you answer the door?” he asked.

“I was asleep.”

His eyes thinned on me.

But he didn’t argue further, handing the clothes out to me.

I wanted to take them, since everything I had was wet, dirty, or ripped, but…

In my clarity, I was a little pissed.

“My brother used to bring me presents, too,” I told him. “After he made me bleed.”

I moved to close the door, but he shot out his foot, stopping me.

I looked up, seeing his eyes crinkle at the corners, and I’m sure he