Page 40 of So Thirsty

“Where?”

He takes a deep breath. “If you leave, you cannot speak of this. You must swear it. Or they won’t let you leave.”

“Wha—what?”

“I didn’t lie to you, Sloane. I’ll never lie to you. Everything I’ve said has been true.” He hangs a hand on the back of his neck. “The cellar really is drafty.”

It takes me a second.

Why bring up the cellar? I wonder, assuming for a bittersweet moment that he dodged my question instead of answering it.

But then it clicks into place, and the horror of it sends bile bubbling up my throat. My hands cover my mouth and I’m stumbling off the love seat, over to the stairs, swallowing down acidic, gin-flavored vomit.

“Sloane,” Henry says. “Sloane, wait. Please.”

I don’t stop to see if he’s following me. My heel slips on the winding stairs, and I land hard at the bottom. I crawl forward until I gain enough momentum to get to my feet. I scramble past the cellar door, still rattling, the groaning louder now. If I were stupid, or kind, I’d stop to open it, try to help the man behind it being held captive in his own house. But the danger here is real and I’m not taking any risks.

The danger is real.

I sprint down the hall, yelling for Naomi.

“Nay? Nay!”

I trip over myself as I make it to the living room, where there’s a pile of naked bodies writhing around on the floor. I avert my eyes.

“Naomi. Naomi!”

It’s too late to be subtle, to make a quiet exit.

“Sloane?” Naomi says, out of breath.

“Naomi, we need to go. Now. Hurry. Get your clothes.” I’m winded, too. For a very different reason.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t go,” I hear Ilie say. “The night is young!”

“Sloane…” It’s Henry. He calls my name from down the hall.

“Please, stay,” Elisa says. I look over and see she’s grabbing at Naomi, who stands in front of the fireplace, slipping on her lace thong. Naomi’s hot tip for random hookups was always to tie your underwear around your wrist so you wouldn’t lose it. Elisa tugs Naomi’s arm, nearly pulling her down.

“Hey!” I bark. Feeling like cornered prey has turned me into an animal. I leap forward, and suddenly the fire poker is in my clammy hands. I’m holding it up like a weapon, like a goddamn lightsaber. “Let go of her! Everyone, get back. We’re leaving. We’re going.”

“Sloane!” Naomi shrieks. “What are you doing?”

“This isn’t their house! I—I think they’ve got the owner locked in the fucking basement!”

“What? Sloane, just calm down. I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding,” she says, picking up her bra and clasping it behind her back.

“Don’t! Don’t you dare! We’re in real trouble, Nay, so don’t tell me to calm down! I need you to listen to me for once. Get your shit and let’s go!”

There’s stunned silence.

Tatiana, who was in the middle of blowing Costel, lets his dick fall out of her mouth, which is wide with shock or maybe just frozen in position. Miri is spread-eagle on the floor, Ilie’s fingers still inside her.

It is very, very awkward to interrupt group sex, and for a split second I forget the menace of the situation and have to stifle a laugh.

But then there’s a lurid bang in the hall. The sound of a door breaking open.