Page 29 of Traitor
“Jesus fuck,” I whispered.
I sniffled and turned on the cold water. I ripped the shirt off and tossed it into the trashcan, no longer wanting to have any part in any clothing that he put his hands on. I splashed my face with water and forced myself to wake up because I knew he was expecting me for breakfast.
And I had to be there in thirty minutes.
I cleaned myself up as much as possible and threw my hair up into an impeccable French twist. As the tears continued to flow, I bobby-pinned my hair in place and squeezed my eyes closed. I used the waterproof makeup Lorenzo had purchased for me the other day, painting it on as my tears continuously attempted to disrupt my process.
Except, the makeup stuck this time.
You need waterproof makeup. I can’t stand sloppy women.
His words hung heavily on my mind as I painted on a happy face. I mindlessly walked to my closet and pulled out the first thing I saw: a floral summer dress and a matching pair of heels. I donned a wide-brimmed hat to cover up my lack of time with my hair, and after sliding a pearl necklace around my neck, I made my way toward the kitchen.
Where Lorenzo already had my chair pulled out.
“And here, I thought I’d have to come punish you for being late,” he said with a cheeky grin.
I smiled kindly while swallowing the bile creeping up the back of my throat. “My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
He slid my chair into the table after I sat down. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a pass since last night was pretty exciting.”
He bent down to kiss my cheek and I had to tuck my hands between my legs to keep from clawing at him. I trembled as he walked around to the head of the table and signaled for his waitstaff to serve me first. I felt his eyes on me as I placed my order. As I sipped my mimosa, I forced myself to engage in his version of ‘pleasant conversation’ while trying not to think about my own death.
“Any fun plans for the day, sweetheart?”
“You know, that dress looks fantastic on you. I’m going to get it in a few different floral prints.”
“And the shoes were a nice touch. I’ve got good taste, if I do say so myself.”
“Are your eggs cooked to your liking? You can send them back if they aren’t. I really do enjoy a woman who pipes up for what she wants.”
A butler came out with a silver tray in his hand, and on top of it was a cell phone. I furrowed my brow softly as I watched Lorenzo pluck it from the lacy pattern of cloth that protected the delicate silver tray before he held it to his face. And when his features darkened, I braced myself.
He cleared his throat before he stood. “My apologies, but duty calls. Feel free to eat whatever you like. After that is up to you.”
My eye twitched. Did he just say what I think he just said?
As I watched him walk away, with my plate of food barely touched, I threw back the rest of my mimosa. I ripped the wide-brimmed hat off my head and took off my heels while being painfully aware of the fact that his men were watching me. I tried to keep my cool as much as possible and I decided to order something else. I feigned as if the food wasn’t good enough, then exchanged it for something to go.
And after slipping out of the kitchen, I started walking around.
I didn’t want to be out of my bedroom too long because then I knew people would get suspicious. But, the more I walked around the house, the more I found that it was monitored by people and not cameras. I found that kind of odd, but I also made sure to keep one eye focused behind me at all times.
This is your time, use it wisely.
I whistled to myself softly as I walked up and down the hallways. This house was an intricate maze, and part of me wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find my bedroom in the first place. So, I decided to use that as an excuse and started opening doors. One by one. Acting as if I were trying to find the place where I had been laying my head for the past few nights.
“Oh, come on,” I murmured.
With every opened door I had a curse, or a frustration to bear. Just in case someone was watching, I wanted them to absolutely believe that I couldn’t find my room. And in the process, I got to see what was behind all of these damn doors.
Then, I opened a door that revealed not a bedroom or a bathroom, but an office.
An office stacked to the brim with boxes.
“What in the world?” I whispered to myself.
I looked in all directions before I slipped silently into the room, closing the door behind me. I held my breath and paused for a little bit, wondering if someone might come walking down the hallway. I kept my eyes trained on the crack beneath the door. I looked out for any sign of a moving shadow that might indicate someone outside.
