The door flies open, crashing against the wall behind, making me jump out of my skin. I scoot back on the bed until my back hits the metal railings.
A red-faced Frankie barrels in. He’s almost out of breath.
“Pack your shit, you need to get the fuck out of here.”
“What, why?”
He stalks over toward the end of the bed. Fuck, he looks so exhausted. His usual pristine black stubble is starting to grow out. The first few buttons of his black shirt are open, buttons missing.
He just throws a suitcase on the bed and unzips it. He races around the room like someone possessed, hurling in all of my minimal belongings.
“It’s not safe. If something happens to you, Grayson will definitely kill me and I need him on my side for now.”
“Why are you speaking in riddles?”
“It’s not what you think, okay? I’m sure Grayson will fill you in eventually. Just know, I am doing this to look out for you. That’s all I’ve been doing this whole time.” There’s a sadness in his tone beneath that hard exterior.
But he’s lying to me, and worse, he’s lying to Grayson and Luca.
Once everything is packed, he zips the bag up and walks it toward that cracked front door with hundreds of locks on. My prison door.
“Come on, Maddie!”
“Where are you taking me now?”
“You’ll be going with an old friend of mine, Theo, to London.”
“I’m not leaving the fucking country, Frankie.” I wrap my hands around my chest. The only thing getting me through this is the fact that I was close to Grayson.
“It wasn’t a question. Please don’t make me drag you. I really don’t want to.” His features soften.
“It’s just a few more days. Then you will be back where you belong and you will be safe. I promise you.”
With a sigh, I swing my legs off the bed and slip on my biker boots.
He shoves a black beanie hat into my hands and says, “Put this on.” Once I’m ready, he jogs down the stairs and opens up the fire escape door. The sunlight beams through.
God, I’ve missed it the fresh air.
Just a few more days of this hell.
A few more days until I am complete again.
With my chin held high, I make my way to the black Mercedes. Frankie opens up the back door for me and I slide into the cream leather seat. Theo, the driver I assume, stares at me through the rearview mirror.
“I’m sorry for all of this, Maddie. I hope maybe one day, you’ll understand, and you never know, maybe we could actually be friends.”
I hold in a laugh.
Like hell would Grayson ever let that happen. So, instead, I give him a smile.
He holds out a black card to me. “Take this. Once it’s safe, I will let Theo know. Do what you want, stay in London for a bit, go sightseeing, spend what you want, I don’t care.”
“Is that your way of apologizing for kidnapping me?”
He rests his hand on the roof of the car. “I like you, Maddie. I see why Grayson is obsessed with you. You’re a good one.”
“Bye, Frankie. Don’t you dare hurt my Grayson.”
He grins and slams the door, and we pull away.
I fiddle with the black Amex in my hand, but the name written in gold catches my attention.
Frankie Falcone.
That sneaky asshole.
