Page 49 of Gilded in Blood

I change into workout clothes and head down to the gym. I step onto the treadmill, plug in my earbuds with some low background music because my head hurts a bit, and start with a steady warm-up jog.

The rhythm of my feet hitting the belt helps clear my head a little. I’m a few minutes in when I hear a low, pained groan.

I frown, instinctively slowing my pace. I don’t hear it again. Maybe it was the music playing through my earbuds.

I shake it off, turn the volume a bit up now, and keep running. A few seconds later, I hear it again. A low, muffled groan. The unmistakable sound of someone in pain.

I yank one earbud out. The gym is silent except for the hum of the air conditioner. I wait, breathing hard.

There it is again. A groan. Definitely coming from somewhere nearby.

I turn off the treadmill completely and step off, heart picking up speed. I remove both earbuds and listen. There it is again, a low, muffled groan.

What the hell?

I walk out of the gym area and pause in the hallway. The groaning is clearer now, coming from the direction of a heavy door I’ve never paid much attention to before. The one leading to the basement.

Ilya had told me early on that I didn’t need to concern myself with that part of the building, and I hadn’t. Until now.

I move closer, curiosity and concern mixing together. Is someone hurt down there? Trapped?

A digital lock is mounted beside the door, its small screen dark. I stare at it for a second before my gaze drops to the handle.

Maybe it isn’t locked. My hand reaches for the handle to check. My fingers close around the cool metal.

Just as I start to turn it, a large hand lands firmly on my shoulder.

I shriek, jumping violently and spinning around, heart leaping into my throat.

Ilya is standing right behind me, his expression dark and tense.

“Where are you going?” he demands, voice low and edged with anger.

“I—I heard something,” I stammer, trying to catch my breath. “A groaning sound, like someone in pain. It was coming from down there. I was just going to check⁠—”

“Really?” His jaw tightens, eyes narrowing. He looks genuinely pissed. “You were just going to walk down there?”

“Yeah… maybe someone’s hurt or in danger⁠—”

“So, what was your plan exactly?” he cuts in, stepping closer, towering over me. “If there really was someone being attacked or held down there, what were you going to do? Run in and save them? Put yourself right in the middle of danger?”

I open my mouth, then close it again. Heat rises to my cheeks. “I… I didn’t really think it through,” I admit quietly.

“Exactly.” He exhales sharply, clearly frustrated. “There’s no one in danger down there. It was probably just noise from outside or the building settling. Nothing you need to worry about.”

“But how do you know for sure?” I press, glancing back at the basement door.

He gives me a hard look. “Because I know this building. No one is down there. Now listen.”

We both go quiet. The hallway is completely silent. No groaning. No sounds at all.

“See?” he says. “Nothing. And even if there was, you are not going down there. You are not putting yourself in danger like that. You come call me if you suspect anything. Do you understand me?”

I swallow and nod. “Of course. I’m sorry. I’ll… just go back to my workout.”

I turn and head back toward the gym. I notice he’s dressed in workout clothes too. Black compression shirt and shorts that show off his powerful legs. He follows me inside without a word.

I climb back onto the treadmill, slip my earbuds into place, and start running again, trying to put the whole thing out of my mind.