Page 136 of Dark Duet: Platinum Edition

Adrenaline pounded in my veins. Something bad was about to happen.

“Abra la puerta!”Celia shouted from the other side of the door. She was in a panic of her own and I didn’t know what to make of it.

Caleb rushed toward me and slid onto the floor. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close. His hands dug into my wrists as he pulled me away. Something cold and hard made its way into my hand. I looked down and saw Caleb’s gun.

“Get dressed and stay here. I’ll knock two times before I come in. If anyone else comes into this room, you fucking shoot to kill. Do you understand?” he asked.

My panic made me deaf and blind. I didn’t understand. I had no idea what Caleb was trying to tell me. He stood and tried to walk away. I grabbed on to his leg. “Caleb! Don’t go; don’t leave.”

“Do what I tell you!” he shouted and pulled free with so much force I was afraid my arm had come out of its socket again. Caleb was at the door before I could catch him again. He held a big knife at his side and stood to one side of the door. He unlocked it slowly.

Celia burst into the room, but she didn’t have a chance to say anything before Caleb grabbed her around the neck with his arm and put the knife to her throat. She struggled, but Caleb subdued her quickly and held her still.

“What’s going on?” he snarled.

“I came to warn you,” she said. “Rafiq and his men are here. They’re downstairs with Felipe. They want to see you.” Celia’s hands held tightly to Caleb’s forearm around her throat. “Por favor,” she sobbed.

“Caleb, let her go,” I sobbed. “She came to warn us.”

Caleb squeezed Celia’s throat until even her sobs couldn’t escape. “We don’t know, Kitten. She could be here to separate us.”

“You’re going to kill her!” I urged. I didn’t believe Celia would sell me out, but I had no reason to believe she wouldn’t. I raised the gun in my hands. “Let her go, Caleb. I’ll keep her here.”

Caleb stared at me. His eyes weren’t his own and reminded me more of an animal than a man.

“Please, Caleb. Let her go,” I begged.

Slowly, Caleb’s arm around Celia’s throat loosened and she collapsed on the floor, sobbing as she held her throat. I looked up at Caleb and saw the horror in his eyes as he looked down at Celia.

“What’s the plan, Caleb?” I said to refocus his attention. As much as I liked Celia, I liked living even more.

Caleb nodded as he fisted a handful of hair at his nape. “I need to go meet them.”

“You can’t! What if they’re just waiting to kill you?!”

“If everything is as Celia says, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t go downstairs.” Caleb went down on one knee and held the knife to Celia’s throat.

“No,” Celia pleaded, “Felipe sent me to warn you.”

“Why would he warn me?!” Caleb insisted.

“Felipe knows what’s been happening between the two of you and hasn’t said a word to Rafiq. He doesn’t want to deal with the fallout. You’ve been here for months, instead of the few days Rafiq originally promised. The last thing he needs is bloodshed in the house,” Celia cried. She rubbed at her throat; it was red, but the damage seemed relatively benign. She could speak clearly and there weren’t any bruises.

Caleb stood. “You stay here with her until I get back.”

This was my worst nightmare come to life. Caleb was going to walk out the door and never come back. I just knew it. “Caleb, please don’t go. Let’s leave. Right now.”

“I’ll get her out if there’s trouble,” Celia suddenly offered. Caleb and I stared at her incredulously. “There are passages in the walls. Felipe had them built in case we needed to escape. I’ll get her out, I promise.”

“Why would you?” Caleb asked. He seemed to be coming around toward Celia.

“Not for you,” she spat. “I don’t want her to suffer.”

Caleb nodded. “Thank you, Celia. I’m in your debt.”

“If anything happens to Felipe, I’ll be sure to collect,” she said.

“Understood,” Caleb whispered. He grabbed a shirt from the closet and put it on. “The library?” he asked. Celia nodded, and with that, Caleb left the room.