The closet is neatly packed with clothes, and as he promised, they’re all my size, which freaks me out a bit, because that takes meticulous planning. This Andrei guy didn’t kidnap me on a whim. He planned this over time. Weeks or maybemonths. I don’t know. But it makes me nervous.
I’m here because he has it out for my brother. That much is clear.
But join the club, moron.Everyonehas it out for my brother, even me,his own sister.Boris is an asshole. We know. Move on. Get over it.
I huff loudly as I push the next closet door open. What’s worse than the fact that he packed it with clothes in my size is that he chose items I actually like.
I’m going to pretend it was a coincidence, because that level of planning leans towardspsychoticand not just being organized.
I slide my legs into a pair of dark skinny jeans, high-wasted and snug around the hips. Then I chose a pink crop top and a dark, short-cropped hoodie to put over it.
The neon pink sneakers immediately catch my eye, but I choose the ones next to them, the dark blue ones. I need to blend in, not stand out, if I want to sneak past guards later.
Dressed, focused and ready for anything, I start searching the rest of the room. There are a few hours left of daylight; that’s time I can use to my advantage.
After I’ve looked through every part of the closet, I move over to the drawers. There is face cream, hair products, a drier, hair pins, clips, notebooks, pens—
Hang on.
I pick up the stainless steel hairpin and grin at it as I roll it through my fingers, between my thumb and forefinger. It glints in the light like a beacon of hope. This will beperfect.
I slide it into my pocket for later and keep looking.
A knock on the door makes me jump, and I spin to face it, my cheeks heating as I worry that someone might see into my thoughts and know what I’m planning.
A quick look around the room for cameras makes me realize it’s the first thing I should have checked, but if there are any, they’re well hidden.
The door pushes open, and a woman walks in carrying a tray.
“Miss. Tatiana, I’ve brought you some food.”
“Okay. Thanks,“ I say, my eyes narrowing towards the woman while I search my memory. Lisa? Maggie? I can’t remember now.
In the doorway behind her, there are two bulky security guards, watching closely.
“I’m Maggie. I’ll be the one who brings you your food. If there is anything specific you want, I can arrange it.” She smiles tightly, setting the tray down on top of the dresser. “This is tagliatelle, with mushrooms and creamy white sauce. I hope you aren’t allergic to mushrooms or dairy—are you?” she asks, sounding worried.
“No. I’m not allergic. Thank you, Maggie. Can you tell me if the boss guy is still here? Andrei? Does he work here all the time, or does he leave, or…”
“Oh, I’m not supposed to talk to you about things like that,” she says hurriedly, turning towards the door to escape my questions.
I had to try.
I walk over to the food, and my stomach growls loudly. It smells incredible. I have a weak spot for pasta of any kind.
I could protest and refuse to eat. But a hunger strike would annoy me more than it would annoy him. I get super grumpy without food.
And it’s already been too long since I last ate.
The door clicks closed. I’m alone again. I carry the tray of pasta and fruit juice to the sofa near the window.
The views are really pretty, especially because the sun is starting to set, and the sky is turning beautiful colors.
Soon, I’ll be out of this shithole and free.
I recognize the city of Boston in the distance of my view. We aren’t too far away. Thank goodness, I know where I am. It won’t be hard to get into the busier part of the city and wave someone down to help me get home. Oddly, the thought of rushing home to Boris isn’t as refreshing as it should be. Boris might not be ideal, but at least he’s an evil I understand.
I eat my food slowly, savoring it and trying to stretch out time. It would be amazing to get some sleep, but I can’t risk it. If I fall asleep and don’t wake up at the right time, I’ll miss the opportunity to leave tonight, and I’ll be stuck here for another day. No thanks.
