Page 12 of Saviour
“You locked me in,” I rush out, wanting to run and check the door again, but the phone is attached to the wall and it’s one of those old-fashioned handsets with a spiral cable. “And who the fuck has a phone like this these days?” I spit, letting my anger out.
“Whoa, my Birdie’s got a chirp.” He laughs down the phone, but my blood just boils more.
“I’m not your Birdie. I’m not your anything!”
“Hmm, more of a roar then, Rori?” he says, his voice steady and calculating. “How about purring Birdie? Shall we see if I can make you purr?”
I take a deep breath in and try to gather my thoughts, annoyed that I’ve lost my temper with him and let him have a sneak peek to that side of me.
“Why did you lock me in?” I try again, calmer.
“Rori, I just didn’t want you to disappear thinking you were being a burden. You’re not. I just wanted you to have some time to rest. If you want to leave when I get back, you can, okay? I’m not forcing you to stay.”
I think about what he’s said and running out the door at the earliest convenience would’ve been something I’d have done to not be a burden. I’ve been a burden my whole life and I’d like to avoid it if I could.
“I promise, Rori. Enjoy your day, take a bath, watch some trash TV, eat a shit load of food. Just take a breather, yeah? You had a rough night last night.”
I think back to yesterday evening, letting myself remember for the first time since leaving that alleyway, that this man who’s locked me in his apartment also murdered a man in cold blood right in front of me.
“I’ll be back at about six and then you can decide what you’d like to do. I’ve spoken to Sophie. The job is still yours, but you don’t have to go back until you’re ready.”
I think about Sophie offering me a job. Whatever relationship she has with Dax was enough to influence her to let me stay, without knowing a thing about me. How is this happening? I’ve been running for two years and now I’m supposed to… stop? Just like that? Can I afford to stop?
“Rori?” he interrupts my thoughts and I sigh.
“Okay.”
I can almost hear his smile down the phone and roll my eyes.
“I’ll see you at six, okay?”
“Seriously, Dax, who still has a phone like this?”
He laughs and the sound warms my cold heart a little, the anger completely dissipating.
“I’ll see you soon, Birdie,” he says through his chuckle and hangs up.
I hang the phone back up onto the holder and look around the room, trying to figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my day, when the phone rings again, making me jump once more, but this time, I roll my eyes and let the humour come naturally.
“How am I supposed to enjoy my day if you won’t leave me alone?”
“Aurora Shaw,” a cold voice travels through the phone and my whole body freezes in panic hearing my full name. This isn’t Dax, but who is it that knows where I am and my name?
I want to kick and scream. How could I have been so stupid? Of course Dax was playing me and knew who I was and that’s why he locked me here. He wants to send me back. But I can’t go back. I can't!
I stay silent and a cold, dead laugh echoes through the phone.
“I have no interest in why you’re here or most of all why you think you can stay freely in my building. So I have two options for you, Miss Shaw.” I flinch at the name but mainly at the evil voice speaking directly to me with so much confidence. “You can fuck off willingly and never return to either District. There is no place for you here.” I furrow my eyebrows at what he means by District, but he continues, “Or I’ll force you to leave. And I have just the leverage for that. You see, I know people are looking for you, Miss Shaw, and I’m a very important man with many connections, you understand?”
I want to cry, but I steady my breathing and reply with a firm, “Yes.”
“Good. Good luck to you, Miss Shaw. I hope I never have to hear your name again.” And with that, the line goes dead and I leave the phone hanging from the cable and run to the room I slept in last night.
I scurry about, throwing on my now clean clothes, thanks to Dax, and run back into the open space and contemplate how I’m supposed to leave with the door locked. I look around and by the phone, I notice a list of numbers, one of them being the reception downstairs. Quickly dialling it, I wait impatiently for the young girl's voice to squeak down the line.
“Umm hi, yeah, I’m er, in Dax’s apartment and there's a… a gas leak, but the doors are locked.” I make up quickly and pray to all that is holy she’ll come and bail me out. Within seconds, the door opens and an older man is standing at the open door with a key card and I rush towards him.
“Thank you so much. Could you please escort me downstairs? I need some air,” I say quickly, thinking there's no way in hell I’ll be able to navigate the fancy lift Dax brought us up in with his fingerprint.
