"Besides them, there's only one more prisoner down there, and she's a little off." Mona shook her head.
"That's one way of putting it." Kassie laughed hard. "Or you can just say damn crazy."
"She tried killing your mom after your parents mated." Mona shook her head. "She'd been obsessed with your father and thought she deserved to be Queen."
"Wow, things that I never expected to hear." They'd never mentioned anything like that to me before.
"It hurt your father dearly." Tommy frowned and put the car in PARK. "They grew up together. She was even his high school sweetheart."
"And he had no clue whatsoever that she was insane?" This almost sounded like a movie or something you'd find on Netflix.
"Not a single one." Kassie opened the door and got out.
Within a few minutes, we were heading toward the familiar elevator we'd normally take up to the apartment. We followed Tommy inside, and he badged again, hitting the letter B.
Do not do anything stupid here. Mason wrapped his arms around me, pulling me back so I was leaning against his chest. I almost lost you once. I'm not sure if I could survive a second time.
Even though we hadn't discussed it, through our bond, I felt his guilt. He blamed himself for my near miss with death. I had even tried explaining to him that it wasn't his fault, but he wouldn't let it go. I'll stay right by your side. I had every intention of doing that.
As I stepped out onto the cool, basement floor, it hit me. I hadn't changed out of my stupid dress. This was going to be fun. I could run upstairs and change, but it would only waste more time. I'd just have to suck it up and deal.
The walls in the hallway were white, and the lighting was dim. It was obvious that we were underground. In the front was a younger guard whose mouth opened and closed as he stared at us from behind a large desk with computer monitors all around it. He had to be close to our age.
"Josh." Tommy nodded his head at the young man. "Where is everyone else?"
"They're ..." He cleared his throat and tugged on the neckline of his black shirt. His longish brown hair was plastered to his forehead, and his golden eyes seemed to glow. "In Richard’s and Debra’s rooms, trying to figure out what happened."
"Why aren't you tracing the scent?" Mason stepped forward and glared at the guard. His body was tense, and I placed my hand inside his, squeezing comfortingly.
"It doesn't matter." The last thing we needed to do was berate Josh and make him feel worse than he already did. "Let's get to it."
"You're going to do it?" Josh blinked his eyes at me.
"What the hell does that mean?" Ella pushed through Mason and me to the front. "I bet she could kick your ass." She nudged me on my shoulder. "Go ahead. Do it. Make the little bitch cry."
"No. No." He shook his head from side to side. "I didn't mean it like that." He raised a finger and pointed at me. "It's her dress."
"Don't take offense to her." Louis grabbed Ella’s waist and pulled her back. "Her mouth runs away with her at times."
"Did you really just say that?" Ella's eyes widened, and the green in her hazel eyes was hidden by their darkening color.
"We don't have time for this." Kassie waved her off. "Let's go."
"Yeah, okay." The guy reached over to push a button, and there was a loud buzz. "You're ready to go."
Our group followed Kassie down the hallway and through a large set of steel double-doors.
It was similar in the cement vibe, but there was just a long hallway of steel doors that were all secured, giving it kind of a hospital feel as well. We walked about halfway down when we came to a spot where two doors were opened, side by side.
There was a guard in each of them.
"Any clues yet?" Mona walked into the room where an older woman was searching for a clue or anything that stood out from the norm.
"Not a one." She blew out her breath and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't get it. It's like they just vanished."
"Same over here." The guard from the other room shouted. Frustration was evident in his voice. "I don't know what to do."
I entered the same room as Mona and took a deep breath, filling my lungs. I could smell Richard in here but nothing else. "So he had to get out by himself."
"That's not possible." Tommy marched into the room. "It would be hard enough for him to get out but with his mother too?"
"What about the cameras?" Kassie and the other guard walked into the room with us. "Didn't they see anything?"
"No." The male guard's shoulders sagged. "It was like they all blacked out. We thought it was a technical issue."
"Did the other prisoner see anything?" Mason's body was tense and ready to pounce.
"Well, yeah. Kind of." The lady ran her hand through her dark brown hair. "Gabby was loose in the hallway when we got here."
"Is that the girl who had the hots for your dad?" Ella glanced down the hallway like she might appear.
"She means the former king." Louis shook his head and grinned.
"They knew what she meant." Kassie rolled her eyes and focused on the guard. "What did she say?"
"She hasn't been really forthcoming with information." The male guard cringed. "The only place they could've exited was the stairwell."
"You're right, but how?" Tommy headed out of the room and turned down the hallway in the direction where the other exit must have been.
"I'm going with him." Kassie marched out the door and turned to Mona. "Why don't the rest of you go and talk to Gabby. Maybe she’d be willing to talk to someone in this group."
"Okay, let's do this." Mona pulled some keys out of her pocket and walked to the door directly across the hall. She inserted a key, and soon I heard a click.
I need you to stay next to me. Mason snagged my waist and turned me so I was facing him. I get that this is important and you need to be involved. But don’t leave my side. I can’t be worried about something happening to you.
It hurt that he worried so much. I go where you go. I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his lips quickly.
He nodded and gripped my hand like he thought I might disappear as we entered the room.
"Well, well ..." A woman who had to be in her mid-forties stood only a few feet shy of the entrance. "This has been such a weird day. I've had so many visitors." She straightened her shoulders, and some of her midnight black hair fell into her face. Her dark mocha eyes skimmed the group, stopping right on me.
"Cut the crap." Mona entered the room and motioned for us to follow her. "Tell us what you know."
"So you're the bitch that she birthed." Gabby sneered and took a few steps toward me. “You have her red hair and his blue eyes. What an abomination.”
"She is your queen." Mason moved in front of me, his body ready to fight. "You can't talk to her that way."
“Wow, this girl is whack.” Ella murmured behind me, whispering it into Louis’s ear.