Page 42 of Sweet Torture (Torture Games #1)

THIRTY-FOUR

NAZ

I couldn’t see Chaos because he was being interrogated, and after waiting for more than an hour, we decided to return later.

Bastian dropped me at the penthouse and made an excuse of having something important to do before he grabbed his bag and laptop and ran out the door.

As I closed the door behind him, I wondered what I could possibly do to make this situation better for Chaos.

I guess I could try to get his bail money ready for when it is needed. His arraignment is only in the morning but with the banks closed, I might need to call someone who has access to his accounts.

The only person I can think of is Mike, but I only have Griffin's office line number. Maybe his assistant could point me in the right direction or give me his number .

I select Griffin’s office number from my call log but the line just rings incessantly.

I don’t know what I was expecting. It was after hours, after all, and everyone had gone home. There was no one to give me access to Griffin’s money.

I do have one other option left, but I was hoping to avoid it because I really didn’t want to explain to anyone why I have so much cash on hand.

Desperate times and all that shit.

I bite my lip for a few seconds, reviewing all my other options, and come to the same conclusion.

I need to go get my go-bags.

Surely if I get at least three of them, I should have enough to post Griffin’s bail.

With no time to waste, I sling my handbag over my shoulder and take an extra coat in case this wind turns into a storm. I lock the door behind me. Bastian organized an extra key card for me earlier in the week but also cautioned me to stay inside the penthouse and to never leave the building alone.

What other choice do I have? I can’t give him a call to tell him because, although the security was great, we were both shocked to indeed find a listening device in the flowers.

There is no telling what else might be bugged until he has swept the penthouse with his gadget.

And as of right now, I could only alert our enemies to my plans if I gave Bastian a call to tell him I am going to get the money .

We can’t afford to be caught off guard again. And Griffin needs the money.

I assume Bastian will be able to investigate the device to get more information on who was setting Griffin up.

I lock the door behind me and take the elevator downstairs.

When stepping out of the elevator, Herb rushes over to see if I need any assistance.

Bastian must have mentioned something to him.

Herb offers to hail me a cab and helps me into the cab when one stops at the curb.

After a too-long cab ride, I run down the cobbled stone path in front of my real home.

Having any type of garden within the city limits is very rare.

Most people resort to turning the roof of high-rise buildings into a leafy paradise. I was lucky to find this gem.

The building itself is built in a U-shape around the courtyard. That gives every tenant a view of the glorious fountain and the greenery that Michael, the caretaker, lovingly takes under his wing. I hear he even talks to the plants.

I wish I had that gift. I only know of one thing that grows tall when I raise my voice a little. And I am certainly not going to showcase that baby to the world. No, sweet Chaos is all mine.

However, the courtyard garden is not the crowning achievement of this place.

The building borders one of the few parks created in the city. I have a ground-level studio in the corner, which means I can access the park anytime I want from the little courtyard at the back.

It has really been a godsend to be able to dip my toes in the earthly smell of freshly cut grass and see the joys of summer play out before me. I even attempted to imitate the scenes on canvas, but I gave up when the tall trees began looking suspiciously like…

“Miss Adams, it is so good to see you again. How was the tour?”

I have tried to maintain a strict code of privacy here, but to no avail; the people have crawled into my heart.

“I am just dropping in for a change of clothes, Ferdi. Then I will be on my way.” I aim for my front door, only to be stopped again.

“What would you like us to do with all the packages you have received, Miss? They were cluttering the walkway, so I put them in the safe in the office for you. I can go and collect them and bring them to you. It is quite a few, and to tell you the truth, some of the staff have been gossiping.” Ferdi holds his hand to his mouth as if sharing a secret.

“I would really appreciate that, Ferdi. See you at the studio, yeah?” I try to keep the tremble from my voice, but I fail miserably. Ferdi gives me a joyful nod and immediately leaves to perform his task.

My feet slowly carry me to the uncertainty of my fate. I have not seen the packages, and for all I know, they could all be from Rose. Since Rose is the only other person who knows of this place, one fact becomes abundantly clear.

My secret is out.

Somebody found my sanctuary.

I might be in danger right this minute.

My eyes dart around to find anyone lurking behind a rose bush or to judge if the woman from number three is staring at me with suspicion in her penetrating gaze.

At my door, it takes me three tries to unlock it successfully with my trembling hand.

Usually, I would have a much more sophisticated locking system in place, but I didn’t want to give anything away and create a stir under the body corporate.

They are very proud that the building offers security around the clock and has cameras installed everywhere.

It has made some other tenants lax in their security, but not me.

The inside of my door is a completely different story.

I have a deadbolt that I installed myself, and early warning systems in place.

Cute little trinkets turn into audible hazards when placed strategically around my home.

Not to mention all the chimes hanging over every doorway.

There is no way to avoid them unless you are as short as I am.

And aware that you need to duck to curb the sounds of a symphony when you return home.

I also never gave anyone this address, and I am registered in the system as Samantha Adams .

I open the door, duck my head, and automatically reach for the drawer of the coat stand, and retrieve the petite 9mm Glock I have stashed under the mail.

I close the door softly and hook the chain at a frustratingly slow pace. If someone is here, I would rather they be surprised than me.

I looked up at the corners of the crown molding, which played a huge role in my taking the place.

I knew it would be easy to install microscopic cameras, and since this was a studio, it offered a bird's-eye view of most of the space.

None of my motion alerts had warned me of any movement, so I was fairly certain nobody had been here, but you can never be too careful.

With my gun held in position, just like Jenny at the gun range taught me, I scope out every nook and cranny before I lower it to the ground and take a deep breath.

As if this day hasn’t been stressful enough.

That is why I went against my better judgment and Bastian’s warnings and quickly popped over to get the cash.

No one is supposed to know about this place anyway. No one except Rose. And she won’t tell anyone.

I have three or four go bags stashed around the studio. When in need, I could grab the one closest to me, and make a run for it. The bags include cash and jewelry, easily around half a million, a change of clothes, and some of my more intimate belongings .

I needed to ensure that if I had to run again, I was cared for.

I didn’t want to leave Rose behind, but it would be best for her own safety if she had no clue where I was.

After checking that the locks on the windows and the back door had not been tampered with, I put my gun away in the same drawer and lock the front door properly.

I used to do all my work here and exclusively have visitors at my playhouse.

Being on the ground floor and at the very end has afforded me much more privacy than the rest, since there is a little service road at the back that all the maintenance workers use.

I have often used the road to smuggle my paintings out of the room.

Rose sends the van, a different company every time, and they know exactly where to come to collect the multitude of frames I have ready for them.

Most of the time, Rose puts my work in the storage at the gallery until we are ready to showcase.

It just gives me an added layer of anonymity, in my opinion.

I have been so sneaky about this that I doubt anyone in the building knows I am an artist.

I suspect that Ferdi thinks I have an unreliable job in the arts because he keeps asking me how my tour was. But that is about it.

But after spending the last two weeks practically living with Griffin, both my homes have been neglected. There is a thick layer of dust on everything, and I shudder to think what kind of beast the sparse food in the fridge has turned into.

A knock at the door stops my heart, and I grab my chest to keep it from falling to the floor.

“Miss Adams, it’s Ferdi. I have those packages for you.”

I completely forgot he was coming by and undo all the locks again. I did leave the drawer with the gun open a sliver to make it easy to reach.

“Sorry, Ferdi. I got so distracted by all the dust in this place that I forgot you were coming by. Could you please put it down on the dining room table for me?”

He is carrying an impressive stack, and when placed on the table, some of the smaller parcels scatter.

“There you go, I hope you say yes. He has gone through immense work to catch your eye, Miss Adams.”

The frown on my face was enough to draw a chuckle from him. “What are you talking about, Ferdi?”

He sees my genuine confusion and picks up one of the smaller boxes. “The notes always say, with all my love. I just assumed you have a secret admirer trying to make contact.”

We both look at the stack of boxes and come to the same conclusion at the same time. “Looking at this now, I think he might be a tad obsessive. Do you want me to remove this for you?”

His face is so apologetic, and he has already started to rake all the packages together .

“No, Ferdi. Just leave it. I will take care of it. Now, if you will excuse me, I do have a former appointment.” I gesture to the door.

He drops everything in his hands and straightens with a subservient smile. “Of course, you enjoy your day, Miss Adams. I hope it is a great one.”

I lock the door behind him and lean onto it.

Out loud, I give myself a pep talk, “At least it can’t get any worse.”

How wrong I was.