Page 15 of Doxed

Dox guides the boat into a space in a marina and secures the tether to the dock.

“Will you take me home?” I ask, wrapping my arms around myself as the boat rocks in the soft waves.

Dox shakes his bent head, focusing on the rope. “You can’t go home. They know where you live.”

Oh my god, this is insane. “Okay, then can you take me to a hotel and I'll figure out somewhere else to go?”

Dox turns around, standing to his tall height, and stares down at me. “They know where you’ll go, they’ve been watching you,” again, he says that way too casually for what he’s talking about. He pauses briefly. “You can stay with me.”

“Whoa, whoa. Hold on. How do you know they’ve been watching me?” I hold up my hands, halting him.

He lightly shakes his head and looks away from me. His mask still hides his expressions. “I told you I’ve been looking into them.”

“They won’t find me where I’ll go. I’ll leave the state,” I argue, though the thought of getting closer to Dox is kind of intriguing.

He chuckles harshly, “Oh, you mean you’ll go to Carlos Vicario’s?” He leans down closer to me and I see a glint of his green eyes behind the mask. “You don’t know who he is, do you?”

I take a step back. The feeling of Dox’s eyes on me is heavy. “What do you mean?”

“Briar.” Dox takes a step closer to me, invading my space again. “Carlos is the head of the cartel that just tried to kidnap you. The Vicario cartel.”

No. “No. Carlos wouldn’t kidnap and traffic me.” I shake my head quickly and take another step away from Dox, the backs of my thighs bumping into the side of the boat. The waves seem to come in larger, rocking the boat.

A soft chuckle drifts out from under Dox’s mask.

“You didn’t think it odd when he left so soon?

” he pauses. He’s right. He left earlier than usual, and thinking back, tonight felt kind of like a goodbye.

“I guess you didn’t impress him enough at the party to keep you.

” Dox turns around and jumps off of the boat and onto the deck.

Is that why Carlos invited me to his house? To see if he wanted to keep me or sell me? When he realized we were better as friends, did he decide to throw me away then?

But it makes sense. He said his business is mainly in Mexico, his house is basically a fortress, he’s always surrounded by security. Everything is clicking into place and all the half answers finally make sense. Everything that Carlos wasn't saying was now clear.

“Hurry up,” Dox snaps and I clamber out of the boat and onto the deck as he stomps away.

I follow Dox through the marina. His heavy black boots make the wet boards creak as he walks. The sun has finally gone down and the old light stands turn on one by one as we leave the boards and step onto the gravel of the parking lot.

The headlights of a dull green Porsche flash, shining off of the puddles from the earlier rain, and Dox opens the driver's door and gets in. Okay, I guess this is our ride.

I slide into the passenger's seat in time to see Dox turn toward me and toss his mask behind the seats.

His eyes lock on mine, and I look at his bare face up close for the first time. His sharp jaw, full lips, pistachio green eyes, and heavy brows. Wavy brown hair peeks out of the hood of his black hoodie on the top of his head.

It’s only a moment, but it feels like time stands still while I blink at Dox.

Dox starts the car and pulls out of the lot. “Why did you come to save me?” I ask, turning to watch him.

His grip on the steering wheel tightens. “Once I knew they were planning to attack, I couldn't let them take you.”

I open my mouth to say more. Maybe thank him, maybe more questions, I'm not sure yet, but he turns the radio up, so loudly that I'd have to yell to be heard over it. “Same Place” by JOY fills the car as I sit back in my seat and shut my mouth.

We drive for a while, and I notice that we’re not in Seattle. Dox speeds down the interstate, passing cars, until he finally pulls off onto a narrow road.

Tall trees line the road as we drive into a forest. My eyes bounce around our surroundings as we drive deeper into the trees. Is he taking me somewhere isolated to kill me? Did I really escape captors only to be murdered in the woods?

The headlights illuminate a gate as he slows down and comes to a stop, rolling down his window and pressing buttons on a small black box. The gate rolls open, only to show another gate slowly sliding open a short distance in front of it.

Dox pulls through both gates and we continue like we were before, but soon a large house becomes visible in the headlights.

From what I see from the car, the house is tall, three stories at least, and all glass. Dark wood beams brace the corners.

He pulls around the side of the house and drives around the circle drive. He puts the car in park and gets out without a word.

Dox stomps up the wide concrete steps and types in another code next to the vast, dark wood door. The small keypad beeps and he pushes the door open and steps inside.

His home is large and cold-feeling.

The floors are concrete and all the walls are glass that looks out into the surrounding forest. It feels like we’re one with the outside, like we’re not inside a house. To the left is an open kitchen and living room with a long wood bar, and on the right is a dark hallway.

I've seen many impressive homes, even modern homes with breathtaking views, but I've never seen anything like this. I like it.

“Spare rooms are on the second floor. I sleep on the third,” he says, walking toward the stairs as I stare around his house.

“You’re not going to give me a tour? Show me around?” I cock my brow. He really is cold.

“No. Stay out of my room and my office. I'll grab you some clothes for tonight, and we can get you your own stuff tomorrow.” He walks up the stairs, leaving me in the dark entryway.

My sandals clack against the stone flooring as I walk into the kitchen and look in the fridge. I take a bottle of water and head for the stairs in the center of the house.

The second floor is a long hallway with three closed doors. I go right and open the only door on this side. Another long wall of glass, the room pitch black because of the storm and the trees.

I slide my hand along the wall, searching for the light switch, and flip it when I reach it.

A bright overhead light comes on and I look around the room.

It’s nice, but bare. Plush carpet and a large bed with a single night stand on one side with a lamp on it.

There isn't anything else in the room. I kick my sandals off at the door and walk through the room and into the open bathroom, flipping on the light in here as well.

It has the same concrete floors from downstairs and a large, gray tiled shower stall on the right wall, which is opposite the glass wall to the outside.

A double sink basin is on the wall with the door, and straight ahead is another opening to the walk-in closet.

Empty wood wardrobes line the wall of the big closet.

Turning around, I go back to the bedroom and close the door before undressing in the bathroom and stepping into the shower. I mess around with the buttons on the wall and the knobs to get the overhead shower head on and the rest of the stall to steam.

I wash my hair and body with the products that are in the shower on autopilot, and when the last of the silky conditioner is out of my hair, I bend down, placing my hands on the cool tile floor of the shower and sit down.

Wrapping my arms around my legs, I hug them to myself, letting the water run over my folded form and drip onto the floor.

What the fuck happened tonight? It all happened so fast. Serena’s fear and panic.

Dox coming for me. Why did he do that? Why would he risk his life for me?

What’s going to happen to all the girls at the club?

I can't believe Carlos turned out like this.

That he turned on me and threw me away because I just wanted to be friends.

I’m so confused. How long are they going to be looking for me? I can’t stay here forever.

Tipping my head backwards, the water pelts my face, trailing down my cheeks.

I let go of my legs and push off of the floor to stand. Walking to the wall and turning the shower off, I step out of the stall and suck in a breath at the warm concrete floor. I expected it to be freezing cold.

A folded pile of clothes with a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste on top sits between the sinks that were not there before. Dox was in here.

I didn't notice him come in, but I also couldn't see out of the stall because of all the steam.

I don't mind that he was in here without me knowing.

I don't think he lingered, and it’s not like we haven't seen each other partially naked. I dress in the boxers and tee shirt he left for me. By the size, it’s apparent these are his clothes, and when I reach for the light switch, I notice another switch next to it.

The floors are heated, and Dox turned it on while I was showering.

That's why they were warm when I got out.

Flipping both switches, I walk into the bedroom and turn that light off and climb into the bed. Maybe I'll walk up and everything that happened tonight will be a dream.