Page 148 of Lust & Lies

However, as I got older, I realized that it wasn’t just me he was trying to protect. The rival wanted blood for blood. If he felt he was still owed a life, there was a chance he’d come after Grandpa Park’s grandsons.

Ethan. Tristan. Aiden.

My hiding was more to protect them than to protect me. And while I’d been existing as a ghost, my sister had been thriving. She’d had everything, while I’d had nothing after my father passed.

Yet, that hadn’t been enough for her. She’d wanted more. She’d fought to take everything from me. Did she not realize that life had already been so fucking unfair to me? I’d lost everything.

The man I loved. My identity. My past. My fucking present, and they were trying to take my future and my dignity too. They’d made me into a joke. They’d treated me like I was nothing.

My hands balled into fists against the floor as I cried for the little girl I never got to be, the woman I was supposed to be, andthe woman I would become if I didn’t get away from this place. I had to leave. I had to leave right now!

I rose from the floor, legs wobbly, hands trembling. My breaths came in ragged gasps, chest tight, the aftershocks of the dream still ricocheting through me. Aiden was asleep in the guest room, too exhausted to do much of anything.

His tiredness was the only reason I had a shot at escaping tonight. I had to move fast. Had to move quietly. I changed into black leggings, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes. No socks. No bag. No plan.

Just the desperate need to get away from this place before I lost the last piece of myself. I slipped out of the room, careful not to let the door creak as I pulled it shut behind me. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and for a second, I thought it might give me away.

Downstairs, I crept toward the security panel. I entered the code I’d seen Aiden use the day before. The panel beeped. A soft click followed. The screen lit up:MODE: Security Unarmed.

It worked.I opened the door, slipped outside, and closed it behind me. I didn’t stop to think. I rushed across the yard toward the black van. But when I reached it, I realized I’d forgotten something important. I didn’t have the keys.

“Damn it,” I whispered, turning to stare around me.

Going back inside wasn’t an option. If Aiden woke up and caught me... I didn’t want to think about what would happen if he caught me. I looked toward the shed. The four-wheelers were in there. They were my only shot now.

I sprinted across the yard, praying that Aiden was still sleeping peacefully, the lying bastard. I reached the shed door and tugged.Locked. Of. Fucking. Course. My eyes dropped to the security panel mounted beside the door.

Should I try the same code I’d used at the house? If I got it wrong and it triggered an alarm, everything would be over. Butif I didn’t try, I’d be escaping on foot with no destination, no supplies, only a partial memory, so I didn’t know who was friend and who was foe. I wasn’t sure how far I could make it like that.

I had to take the risk.Damn it.This was nerve-wracking, but I couldn’t keep wasting time. I took a deep breath and entered the code. The panel beeped. A green light flashed. A soft click followed. The lock released. It worked!

Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.

I pulled the door open. The lights flickered on when I stepped into the shed. They must have been motion detection lights. I smiled as I stared at two four-wheelers sitting side by side in the center of the room.Perfect.

They were my ticket out of here. I glanced around the space.Aiden, you lying motherfucker!There was no clutter, nothing that could fall on me or hurt me if I came in here. This place was clean and well-organized.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped toward the four-wheelers, relief mixing with the adrenaline still rushing through me. But then... I saw it. A steel door at the back of the shed that had a black security panel mounted in the center of it.

I should’ve kept moving. Ineededto keep moving. But something about that door... it called to me. My mind was trying to form a memory, but it just wouldn’t come. It was the most infuriating feeling I've ever experienced.

My gaze darted back to the four-wheelers. Freedom was right there. But my feet didn’t budge. What was behind that door? Could it be the real reason Aiden hadn’t wanted me to come into the shed?

Now, I had to see what was hiding behind it. I moved toward it, unable to resist its pull. My hands trembled as I reached for the panel.Well damn.There was no keypad to input a code. Instead, there was a fingerprint scanner.Shit.

What if it only worked for Aiden? What if trying it would trigger an alarm or something? I should’ve walked away. I should’ve gotten on those four-wheelers and escaped like I’d planned. But I couldn’t.

I knew I was being reckless, but I needed to know what was behind that door. I pressed my finger against the scanner. The panel blinked once, then flashed green. A robotic voice echoed from the panel.

“Welcome to the Dungeon, Mist. You have five seconds to verify your identity. Scan your left eye before the alarm sounds.”

Wait. What? Mist? Who the hell was Mist? WasIMist? I couldn’t be. And why did I have to scan my left eye? Why not the right one?

5...

The screen was counting down.Damn it.I should’ve left well enough alone.

4...