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I’m taken aback by the comment but nod in understanding. When we reach the front door side by side, I grab for it before he can, opening it for him. “Since we’re equals and all.”
He holds the door above my head. “Nice try. We may be equals, but I’m still a gentleman.” I roll my eyes, laughing to myself, and walk in.
The entry appears to be like any other office building, with a directory posted next to the elevator. Alex presses the ‘up’ button while I peruse the list.
Laura Crest, M.D. — Children’s Psychiatry — 203
Timothy Meadows, C.P.A — 206
Joshua Hamilton — Target Investments — 208
Fredrick Milton, M.D, D.O. — Neurology — 210
Alice — Gallagher Whiskey — 211
Kristina Dawson, J.D. — Criminal Law — 215
Why are they only on the second floor?
I don’t have a chance to continue reading the most obscure list of tenants I’ve ever seen when the elevator dings. Alex gestures for me to step inside first and follows behind me, pressing the button for the fifth floor.
The building and elevator are older than I am, and the light above us flickers a light gold. The silence is deafening. “Why are there medical offices on the same floor as a lawyer and an accountant? And why is there nothing listed for the rest of the building?”
“You’ve been in your ivory tower too long,” he chuckles, continuing to face the elevator doors.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He doesn’t have a chance to answer when the elevator ascends with a jolt; I hold on to Alex to keep my balance. As we reach our floor, the doors open to a metal wall. “What’s going on? Where are we?”
He opens the small call box and punches in a four-digit code, holding the receiver to his ear. A few seconds pass, and he replies to whoever is on the other line, “Alexander Blake. Code word ‘snapped.’”
Snapped?
The large metal door opens, and Alex steps out; I hesitate for a moment. “Don’t you trust me?” He offers his hand, but I don’t take it. It doesn’t matter if I trust him, there are no prying eyes to put on a show for. If either of our fathers were to see us holding hands, there would be questions.
I take a deep breath and follow him down a dimly lit hall with light gray walls. There are no doors or office windows anywhere to be found as we continue turning left twice and then right. Eventually, we reach one that has the same metal as the elevator. Alex opens the call box to the side and types in a code. Like before, he states his name and a code word again.
The door opens, and the beeps of medical equipment fill the space. “Is this where Chris is?” I whisper, now wishing more than anything that I was holding Alex’s hand. We approach one of four doors, and Alex opens a call box for a third time, going through the motions.
A man in a black suit and earpiece appears, likely part of one of our fathers’ service details. “Mr. Blake. Mrs. Blake.” I begin to correct him, but he cuts me off, commanding, “Right this way.”
“You’re no longer Jaclyn Taylor,” Alex reminds me. The man enters a room on the right, and as I’m about to walk in, Alex stops me.“Ignorance is bliss.”
I chew on my lip, wringing my hands. “Come in with me?”
“No, princess. I promise I’ll be here when you’re done.” He offers a small smile and takes a step back. I breathe deeply and walk in without the slightest idea of what I might find.
Chapter 12
Chris
“You have a visitor,” a man who is part of my father’s secret service detail announces. I sit up and attempt to make myself presentable, my father doing the same in the chair beside my hospital bed.
Jaclyn comes into view, wearing a blue, sleeveless dress with a high neckline and hem that reaches her knees. It’s form-fitting enough to show off her incredible curves but still conservative. I expect her to rush to my side, maybe even worry about what happened to me. Instead, she remains rooted in place, emotionless.
Did he tell her?
Seeing Jaclyn like this reminds me of when we started dating and I was unable to pierce her frosty exterior. Years later, nothing has changed. Her frigid tone matches her expression and posture as she breaks her silence. “How are you?”
I look to my father for the proper response, but all I get is a dip of his chin. I sigh in defeat; Alex must’ve filled her in.
