Page 16 of Mister Lane

Veronica snorted. “There's a good kind of whore?”

Brayden's lips tipped up in the corner in a smirk. “There's the perfect kind of whore. You'll never be it.”

Veronica scoffed. “I was wrong about you two. You're disgusting. Sure, I was hoping to land one of you, what woman in this city wasn’t? But look how lucky we all were. You’re both in a relationship with that little mouse together, aren’t you? That’s beyond gross. I'm going to tell the whole world about you!”

“You can tell the whole world about us from behind bars,” I told her with a sneer. “And be glad that you won't be in a casket.”

Just then, Brayden's phone rang, and I stared as he brought it to his ear. “Yeah?”

Without another word, he hung up. He turned his head, piercing me with his bright blue eyes, the ones that matched my own exactly. “Come on, I know where she is.” Then he ran for the elevator.

As he scanned his badge, he turned back around to look at Veronica. “Don't worry. You won't be able to leave the building without security stopping you. You'll be in handcuffs within five minutes.”

As the doors closed on the two of us, we watched as she stomped her foot and screamed. “You can't do this to me!”

“It appears as if we already have.”

Chapter

Fifteen

Emily

Ihad no idea how long I had been trapped. After I finished crying, I went back to banging on the stair door, but it didn’t take long for me to realize how fruitless that had been. Nobody could hear because no one ever took the stairs. Why would they?

After banging so long that my hands hurt, I decided to try to pry open the call box, hoping to see if the wires were just disconnected. But after breaking a couple of fingernails without making even the tiniest crack in the box, it finally occurred to me to try to find some tools.

I headed back to the lobby to take a closer look at the construction area. The lighting was too dim to see anything clearly. Looking towards the thick dropcloths blocking the sunlight, I rushed over to the windows. Grabbing the heavy material with both hands, I pulled hard. The covers came loose from the windows where they’d been taped into place. A small bit of construction dust billowed up, making my nose itch.

With sunlight pouring into the room, I was able to look around for tools, but other than used paintbrushes that should have been tossed out and a couple of used wooden stir sticks coated in paint, there was nothing. I couldn’t find a single screwdriver left behind. I shouted in frustration. I thought about finding a metal paint can opener to pry open the call box, but I even came up empty-handed there, too.

I went back to the stairwell door, but even with the covers off the windows, not much light made it into the back hallway where the door was located. So I sat there like I had before, my back against the door, my head resting against my arms that were crossed across my knees, and prayed, not to a god, but to Brandon and Brayden.

“Please, come find me. I’m so sorry I didn’t trust you,” I sobbed. “I promise that I will give us a chance. I want what you’re offering me.”

As I sat there in the dim light on the cold floor, surrounded by those empty papers, I thought about Brayden’s wicked words as they played with my body. I thought of them filling me up. They wanted to give me a baby, to make us a family. I thought of them giving back to me what I had lost all those years ago.

I couldn’t help but think of that night. It had all started that day, that cold winter day when it had been snowing harder than any other so far that season. My family had been so excited.

“It’sthe perfect day to go skiing!” Mom laughed, her pretty brown eyes sparkling with her excitement in the firelight as I sat on the couch with a book in my lap.

I shook my head and tugged the throw blanket further over my lap, and glanced at the fireplace, hoping there were enough logs that I wouldn’t have to go out to the shed to retrieve more.“No way. I didn’t wanna go. It’s too cold. I want to stay home and finish my book where it’s warm and safe.”

My older brother, Todd, reached over the back of the couch and ruffled my curls before flipping a lock of my hair into my face, making me scowl back at him as I attempted to swat him away. “You’re such a party pooper, Em. You should take a chance every once in a while. Have some fun! You might find that you actually enjoy yourself.”

“Leave your sister alone,” my dad said in an amused tone as he walked into the room. He walked over to where I was trying to smooth back my hair after Todd had messed up my curls, making them wild. It was his favorite way of torturing me. “We’d love for you to join us, but it’s okay if you don’t want to,” he said gently.

“I appreciate it, Dad. I really just want to stay here, though,” I promised with a smile.

“Okay, sweetheart.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “We’ll be back later tonight.”

Mom walked over and sat by my hip on the couch. “There’s leftover chili in the fridge when you get hungry.” She eyed me. “One day you’re going to find something special,” she began, her words coming out soft, gentle, but they made me stop reading. I set my book down in my lap and gave her my full attention. She smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “When that something special comes along, I want you to take a chance, honey. It will be the biggest leap of faith you’ve ever taken. It will be scary, but I promise,” she cupped my cheek, and as I watched, her eyes glistened in the firelight as they filled with tears. “I promise you, it will be worth it.”

I would have said anything to her in that moment just to take that haunted look off her face. I didn’t know why she seemed so sad all of a sudden, but whatever it was, it was important to her. “Okay, Mom. I promise.”

She leaned in and gave me a hug. I squeezed her back, relishing in her embrace. “That’s my girl,” she said. Then she booped me on the nose with her fingertip. “It’s okay, Emily. Life is going to be beautiful,” she whispered.

Then,after she kissed my cheek, she rose from the couch. Not long after that, the three of them left to head up the mountain to go skiing.