Obsession (A Bad Boy's Secret Baby)(86)

Stopping the motorcycle, I gaped at the house.

No.

Not a house.

A fucking mansion.

Is this for real? Baffled, I hopped off of the bike. In my mind, I'd imagined an awful, broken down warehouse. Or maybe just something more filthy. This building was gorgeous, it reminded me of the plantation style houses I'd see in real estate magazines, but never in person. Even on the drive here, Ronin and I had seen nothing as grand as this.

Guiding the bike into the grass, I tucked it away. Driving up onto the front lawn was reckless, and I'd come too far to make any mistakes. Hiding the vehicle would help insure our get away, as well. I was intent on not messing Claudine's jail-break up.

Slinking through the sharp green blades, I approached the house warily.

Towards the front porch, I could hear the telltale voices of men laughing. Craning my neck, I counted five of them, all hanging out and either smoking or talking. On their chests were vests, and though I couldn't read the patches, I knew by now who they were.

The Knights.

Their weapons glinted in the sun, hanging off their shoulders on straps. I didn't know the brand of gun, but they looked like they'd tear a truck into pieces.

If they saw me, there'd be nothing left of my body when they were done.

Nibbling my thumbnail, I considered the outside of the mansion. If they were guarding the front door, how was I going to get inside? Fighting them was stupid, I'd never stand a chance. I need an opening, I need...

There, chest level along one long stretch of siding, was a window.

Darting another nervous look at the men, I began to breathe faster. Could I make it? The distance between me and the mansion was big enough that the guards would have plenty of time to see me approaching.

I wished it was night time. But I couldn't wait till it got dark, that would be hours away. What if more men showed up?

Just move slow. They're watching the road, not over here. It was true; I'd slipped up on the side closest to the water, and the bikers were clearly keeping an eye out for big vehicles, not small, sneaky people like me.

Crouching, I scampered over the yard. Each step I took drove nails into my blood. I expected the men to turn my way, to hear my pounding heart from where they were.

Pressing against the white paint, I took a rattling breath. My adrenaline was at full blast, my shirt sticking to my flushed skin. I did it! They hadn't seen me.

Reaching up, I tested the windowsill, expecting it to be locked. Things had been too easy. Surely that would change?

Don't jinx yourself.

The window cracked open, and I bit back a surprised laugh. With a final glance around, I leaned on my toes, peering into the mansion. I could see a long hallway, oil paintings and reddish walls, but no patrolling bikers.

Deciding this was my lucky break, I scrambled over the edge. Inside, the mansion was oddly quiet. The gentle, mechanical whirl of air conditioning whispered through the air like a lost spirit. Someone was paying a lot of money to cool a gigantic building like this.

Creeping along the carpet, my hand on my gun, I listened for any tiny noise. My own breathing kept me on edge, the loudest sound in the place. As I walked along, peering back over my shoulder a million times, I saw a few doors waiting ahead.

Cracking one, I made enough space for just my eye. Inside it was dim, but even with the shadows, I could see the shapes of two people on a bed. The springs squealed, an insistent, obscene racket they told me they were having sex.

To my left, a man hunched over a desk. In one wet snort, he sucked up a line of white powder.

With my stomach coiling into a small tangle, I backed away, returning to my search.

Most of the rooms were empty, as if there was a party happening somewhere else. Or, like the owners are all on vacation. That wasn't a good thought. Though I'd seen guards outside, maybe I was too late. Maybe Claudine and the other women had been shipped off.

Defeat absorbed into me, battling with my nerves. Staying upbeat was a challenge, the ever present silence slicing into my sanity. On and on, I peered behind doors, occasionally encountering a lock. Soon, every room in the hall was stuck, not yielding to my tugs.

Every room...

But one.

Under my palm, the knob twisted. I jerked, actually shocked after the endless row of stuck ones. This door sat near the end of the hall, before the passage took a hard turn to who knew where.

Licking my lips, I shivered, reaching out to push on the wood. I expected to find more seedy activity, because so far, that was all this mansion had presented me with.

Tall ceilings hung with sparkling chandeliers. It was wide, spacious; a kind of ball room, except this place was far more devious. Instead of dancers, several half-naked girls waited for me. Some were lying down, others propped against the walls limply. There were multiple tables, gorgeous old wood that was now covered in a plethora of white gold.