Chapter two

ELENA's POV

Tales of the murderer with an axe It has been hammered into my brain by my mother ever since I was old enough to go outdoors by myself. The moment is coming up quickly and forcefully, and I am getting ready to completely panic out.

While I am attempting to turn the knob and then the deadbolt lock on the outside door, I am running as fast as I can to get there. I am hoping with all my might that there is not any kind of alarm system.

My mind is filled with elation the moment I hurl myself out of the door and shut it behind me, and it continues to do so until I realize that I am in a different corridor. One that is not familiar.

The door numbers are displayed on the doors.

Is it a hotel? A condo? The building of apartments?

Hell, if I am aware of it.

In what way is it that I am unable to recall even a single thing? How did I get to this place? What brought about the situation in which I found myself sharing a bed with him who, despite his appearance of being a guardian angel, might or might not be a total devil?

I am relieved to report that my knees are not shaking and that I have regained some of my equilibrium. With a more confident stride, I make my way down the hallway.

As soon as I see the elevator, I feel a rush of hot air escaping from my lungs. Nearly within one's grasp. We praise God.

I press the button a minimum of ten times in the hope that it will miraculously bring it to this location more quickly.

Finally, a bell rings, and the doors open with a sliding motion. During the time when the doors are being closed, I dive inside and lean against the icy metal rail outside.

I am completely clueless about the floor I am currently on, but it is irrelevant. I activated the button. The words "PENTHOUSE LOBBY" flash on the screen as the arrow pointing downward is illuminated above the entrance. Once more, I cast my gaze upon the floor panel. Forty-five floors in total.

Taking a deep breath, I lean more heavily on the railing and the wall at the same time. A person who commits multiple murders must not reside in a penthouse, right? Do you agree?

No one knows. I ought to just be thankful that I was able to escape.

As soon as I zip open my purse, the amount of cash that I see almost causes me to lose my breath. It is a great deal more than what I would receive from a simple slot machine victory.

As I strive to keep my eyes from bursting out of my head, I bite my tongue and try to keep them from falling out. Having a grin on my face because, well, one thing has gone extremely well.

I have a hazy recollection of cashing in chips going through my head right now. A greater number of chips than I could possibly carry were falling out of my fingertips. I was able to collect them off the blackjack table and cash them in with his assistance.

We were both giggling at the same time. The two of them together. Behaving like thieves and getting ready to celebrate their success.

The sound of a bell ringing causes me to shake my head in an effort to disengage from the recollection and concentrate on the here and now.

Floor number sixteen. I have a frown.

I feel a tightening in my chest when the door opens. On the other hand, I let out a sigh of relief as an elderly woman who was pushing a stroller entered the room. She gives me a look that betrays a certain amount of confusion, and then she immediately looks away.

When I look in the mirror, I realize that the only thing that is frightening about this location is me.

Thank you, Jesus. My hand reaches out to the mass of tangled hair that I have. I have a chestnut nest on my head, and if bedhead and sex hair met and had a child together, it would look exactly like that.

I let out a sigh as I search through my purse and eventually locate my brush, followed by my phone. The first thing I do is use the brush, and every time I do so, I grimace at how hard I have to pull in order to bring some order to my wild hair. After that, I put the brush back in, and I push the wad of money down even more.

Eventually, the elevator comes to a stop, and I follow the woman out while holding my phone tightly. I am thankful to be able to see the wide glass door and the world beyond it. I follow the stranger and her infant outdoors, and as I do so, I take a deep breath of air that comes so close to making me choke.

Although I am not sure what I was anticipating, I am certain that it was not this.

At this point, it feels like an oasis. Grass and trees that are green. There is even a water fountain located in the middle of the stone driveway that is circular. My mouth is quite dry, and the sound of flowing water brings this to my attention.

While the woman who is pushing the stroller turns to the left, I turn to the right because I do not want to receive another one of the caustic looks that she keeps flashing. In a hurry.

It is early in the morning since the concrete is not hot, which indicates that it is. I am going to pull out my phone, but before I can do that, I need to go further away.

To this day, I am not free and clear. He could come rushing down here like a tornado at any moment. He could open his eyes at any moment.

Uneasy, I cast an anxious peek over my shoulder. Despite the fact that there is no one at the entrance, babypusher vanishes around the corner. It's almost as if I'm back at the casino, where I seem to be winning jackpot after jackpot. To my great escape, each and every tiny step is a victory.

I wish that it made more sense.

For some reason, I can't seem to recall anything after the blackjack table.

Right now, there is no time to be concerned about it. I can be seen making a furious sprint over the street and into the grove of brush that has been meticulously maintained. I swipe my phone while I search for a location where I can keep an eye out for him at the front entrance and easily escape if it becomes necessary to do so.

The time is 7:15 in the morning.

We can only hope that he is a late sleeper.

When I go to the casino, I open the Uber app that I had used the night before to get there. I continue to tap a few more times while holding my breath in anticipation of a response.

It's true. Although I am relying on yet another unknown person, I do not have any other options. Too much time is wasted using taxis. Again, there is no family in San Luis. In my hazy state, I could run, but I seriously doubt that I would make it more than two blocks before I collapsed barefoot. Instead of wasting another nanosecond here, I would rather deal with the cheesy small conversation that an Uber driver who is trying too hard is making.

After around five minutes, the app finally verifies the presence of an automobile.

Take five minutes.

We could just as easily call it an hour. The time seems to have already passed.

It is now between me and the building that the water fountain is located.

I would give up half of the money in my purse for a drink, if you were to ask me. Also, Ibuprofens for a couple of times. When you think about it, it's an entire bottle.

I am also curious about the amount of money that is located in my purse. Unquestionably a flip-wad of cash, without a doubt a few thousand dollars.

When I shift my foot, a little branch breaks off the ground and slams against my cheek. It causes me to hit myself across the face.

I push it away and continue to stare through the narrow gap that exists between the thick branches. I tried to convince myself that I couldn't take the risk of digging the money out. For the time being, I should not be counting my loot.

Make sure I don't lose sight of the door. Waiting for him to arrive. Ready to take off.

As soon as a car appears, I scream at it because it is obstructing my vision. Next, I notice that vehicle is red, precisely like the one that the program said would be the one to pick me up.

As the driver slams on the brakes just moments before colliding with me, I realize that I have made a mistake despite the fact that I have managed to force my way through the undergrowth and stagger onto the pavement. Due to my anxiety, I am unable to be surprised or ashamed.

As I dash to the back entrance, I enter the building. "Let's do it. Do you have the address in your possession?

There is a glance from the driver, who is a lady with a long ponytail, toward me. Is everything okay with you?

"Never better," in my opinion. "I am just about ready to go home. It was a big celebration last night. In a way, wild."

With a grin on her face, the woman expresses her relief. As she drives the automobile around the circle drive, she exclaims, "I've been there and done that."

At the moment that we pass through the large glass door, I immediately lean my head back and close my eyes. On such a hot day, the relief that comes over me is like taking a refreshingly cold shower.

Maybe going to San Luis wasn't the best decision I could have made. I woke up in the bed of a stranger on the third day of my stay here.

It is God.

Mother would surely pass away if she ever discovered the truth. To my great relief, I am by myself, so she will never find out.

They won't do it. This private information is going to be buried.

During the voyage, memories of the previous night come flooding back to me like a machine gun, and they reverberate through my broken brain.

Laughing and dancing for me. We are not on a dance floor; rather, we are in a foyer that is tiled.

I was being whirled around by him, my stunning partner, and the only reason he slowed down was so that I could look into those incredible blue eyes that transport me to another dimension.

Long and hard is the way we are dancing. He's trying to spin me. Continually going around and around again.

When I open my eyes, I feel a tingling sensation in my lips. It is too clear in their minds what transpired after that.

I was kissed by him. Perhaps I had kissed him. On multiple occasions.

Not only did he look beautiful, but he also tasted wonderful. A passionate kiss that begins at the tip of your tongue and travels down your entire body, capturing your attention and making you feel completely captivated.

That type that stays with you.

This is the kind of thing that makes an impression on each and every nerve.

Whenever I think of Herc's lips, I am reminded of a more pleasant form of pain that occurred last night. I can feel the warmth between my legs and the sensation of the sizzling stroking the tips of my nipples. I was blitzed out with my face snuggled into my palm while riding in the back of an Uber. A vast and delicious cosmos apart from the repercussions I am currently suffering through.

As I push both hands on my temples, I feel the throbbing in my head once more. Afterward, I will lean forward until my head is resting on my knees. While I'm driving on the highway, the jerky movement of the car causes my stomach to turn.

Only if I throw up would this situation become even more severe.

I don't even know how. I clench my teeth and hope that this ride will be over quite soon.

If there is ever a hangover, this has had to be the worst one ever.

When the automobile finally comes to a stop, it feels like a year has passed.

"We're here!" my driver exclaims with a big smile on his face.

I raise my head and wince in pain as I snap my head up. I am able to say, "Thank you," as I am so close to leaving the room.

This structure is reassuring since it is known. After rummaging through my purse, I eventually locate my keychain after going past the money.

The key fob for the main door and the key to the apartment were both attached to my car keys, and I am thankful to God that I did this.

Compared to the elevator that goes down from the penthouse, the one that goes to the fourth floor seems to take a lot longer. Additionally, it has a more unpleasant odor. Despite the fact that this building is not nearly as well maintained as the mystery penthouse, this is the very location where I ought to have remained the night before.

This is not a home. Even if it's more like home base, it will do.

It is my hope that this trip would serve as a revolution for my freedom. This is my opportunity to break free.

as a tribute to the fact that I was able to escape before things got messy.

The opportunity to witness all of the things that I have sacrificed over the course of my life while living in Ramsey's shadow.

Simply waiting for him to acquire the things he desired and the things he need, while I sat in the background daydreaming about the things I want. My requirements are consistently ignored and disregarded.

That is what the evening before was supposed to look like. It was a wild adventure. A window of opportunity to let loose. for there to be no one or anything that can bind you down.

The next generation of Elena Austin. Better, more seductive, and one hundred times more intelligent than you.

I have no way of knowing, but it may have been all of those things and perhaps more.

I am unable to recall everything to you. All I can do is hope.