Page 45 of Forged in the Fire
“Um…where is the restroom?” I basically cut her off, and her head rocked back in surprise.
“Oh.” She glanced around before she gestured toward a door at the far-right side of the windows and buffet. “It’s right down that hall, first door on the right.”
She started to climb from the bench. “I’ll go with you.”
I popped to my feet faster than I should have, attempting to school the shaky anticipation that ripped through me. I pushed out a hand to stop her. “Oh no, that’s fine. Finish your dinner. I’ll be right back.”
Concern curved her brow. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. I’m all good. I figure I’m going to need to learn my way around here if I’m going to be staying, right?”
I wondered if she could decipher the guilt in my laugh.
Without waiting for her to change her mind, I beelined toward the door, putting on a show that I really needed to pee.
Sucking for breath as I curled my hand around the doorknob, my pulse thundering and thumping as I pulled it open to the dimly-lit hall on the other side.
The second I stepped into the darkened, dingy corridor, the air seemed to become nonexistent.
Stagnant and stale.
I might as well have been taking a bath in the stench of the corruption.
Music echoed from the left, beyond another swinging door that must lead back into the bar area.
A hall that was so long that I couldn’t see its end beyond the gloom that swallowed it to my right.
It appeared all the rooms were likely linked by the long hall.
My blood sloshed and careened.
I glanced back once more to make sure no one was around before I began to edge down the long corridor.
Sweat slicked my skin, just waiting on one of these assholes to reach out and grab me.
But no one was there.
With my breaths heaving, I crept down the passageway.
I noted the door to the bathroom that Elena had indicated. I bypassed it and kept on moving.
The quiet click of my heels that I tried to subdue made my heart beat even faster as I was drawn deeper into the murky shadows like one of those first to go in a slasher film.
And maybe I was making every horrible decision that I could.
Just begging to get myself chopped into pieces and fed to the pigs.
But this wasmylife.
Mybrother’slife.
I wasn’t going to sit like agood girland get complacent.
Silas Mercer did not know who he was dealing with.
I made it to another door on the right, and I pressed my ear to the wood.
Moaning.
