Page 22 of Taking Adalisa (Montgomery Syndicate #2)

ADALISA

“ A nd I can pay in cash?” I ask over the phone.

“Yes, you can pay cash for however long you need. I don’t need your name,” the man replies. “We have a room available now if you want it.”

I look around my apartment. I didn’t want to do this so fast, but Matthias isn’t giving me any other option. Him showing up at work earlier today and asking questions isn’t what I thought was going to happen.

Nope.

I was hoping he would leave me alone today, which really shocked me when he showed up. I should have known. Matthias won’t leave me alone. That’s why I’m moving and changing my appearance so he can’t do anything to me.

“I would love that. I can be there in an hour. I just need to grab a couple of things,” I gently say. “Is that all right? Can you hold the room for me? I promise I’m good for payment for at least a month. And I can pay upfront if you need me to.”

I really need the room. I need to lay low and change my appearance when I get there.

“I’ll hold the room for you,” is all he says. “Come by tonight and I’ll give you a key.”

“Thank you,” I reply before he hangs up.

I take a deep breath and look around my apartment. What do I need right now that I won’t be able to get later? I can’t risk coming back to my apartment so soon when I know Matthias will be looking for me.

Toiletries and clothes.

Along with all the charging cords I need, appliances to go with those cords, and any spices for cooking.

“Everything is going to be okay,” I whisper to myself. “Everything is going to work out, and I’m going to be safe.”

But I have this bad feeling in my stomach that I can’t shake. A feeling like I’m not going to be safe. One I’ve felt too many times.

“No,” I push those thoughts out of my mind. “Not today. Not tomorrow.”

I quickly go around the house, putting the necessary things in my duffel bag.

I’m packing light in case I need to run.

I won’t be able to leave my stuff in the new place I’m staying.

When I first called, the landlord said anything left in the apartment will be sold if I don’t pay rent on time. I’m not going to let that happen.

Taking one last look around the room, I take a deep breath and leave my apartment.

“Thank you so much. Here’s a month’s rent.” I hand over the cash.

It was a lot of cash, but I don’t want to forget and leave for work and lose all my possessions. I’m not going to risk it.

The older man looks at me and grabs the cash. “A girl like you shouldn’t be in this part of town. You in trouble, girlie?”

I look around the lobby, checking if anyone else is in here. No one is, and I relax a little.

“Not in trouble,” I quietly say, just in case someone is around the corner listening. What if Matthias has people in this building? “Are you running from someone?” he asks, holding the key to the room.

I want to reach over and grab it from him, but I don’t need to get on his bad side. I need to be patient and let him hand it over to me.

“Do you always ask these questions? I thought this place would be safe. No names, pay in cash, and no questions,” I rush out, looking around the lobby again.

On the way here, I was looking at my area, making sure Matthias wasn’t following me. I have no idea what his men look like and if they are following me, but I didn’t think anyone was.

I don’t know what I’m doing here. I’m in way over my head, drowning with each passing second as I try to stay out of his reach.

“You’re okay, girlie. No names, pay in cash, and normally I don’t ask questions.

Normally, the people coming here don’t look like you.

You are young and have been looking around the lobby like someone is coming after you.

I want to make sure you are safe,” he says, holding his hands up. “You remind me of my daughter.”

“Oh,” I whisper.

What do I say to that? He seems genuinely worried, but I don’t want to go around telling everyone why I’m here. I don’t want people to know in case Matthias comes snooping around. It puts them in danger if they know the specifics.

“Is anyone going to come by asking questions?” he asks.

I shrug. “I don’t think so. I don’t think I was followed here, and I ditched my old phone outside my old apartment and got a new one with cash, so he couldn’t trace it.”

I didn’t want to get rid of it since it was only few months old, but I needed to. Matthias has my phone number, and I know he will be able to track me with it.

“Good. If you need any help, let me know. I’ve helped people hide before,” he offers, handing me the key. “You stay safe out there. I’m here in this building at all times. If anyone comes asking for you, I won’t say nothing.”

I give him a weak smile. “Thank you,” I whisper, getting emotional.

I shouldn’t trust a complete stranger, but he seems sincere in wanting to help me. I take the key and grab my duffel bag, hauling it over my shoulder.

“You’re on the first floor. Made sure you have a window in case the entrance is blocked. I don’t give this room to just anyone,” the man calls out.

“Thank you,” I reply, looking down at the room number on the key.

Sure enough, it is on the first floor. How sweet of him to help me out like this when he doesn’t have to. To think about me needing to escape and having a window in the apartment.

Touching.

I am going to have to thank him when everything works out. Now I just need to lay low, change my appearance, and then I can head back to work with a whole new disguise. I even bought a fake pregnant belly to wear to work so I could change my appearance if Matthias shows up.

This is how dedicated I am to getting away from him. Changing everything about myself. I even thought about having fake tattoos to alter it even more, but I didn’t have time to buy them.

I don’t have a fake ID yet for another name. I will still be using my real one, and I don’t want anyone tipping Mathias off that I am getting a tattoo somewhere.

“Home sweet home,” I mutter as I walk into the room.

There is a couch and a bed in the one-room apartment.

Why does he advertise it as a one-bedroom apartment when it’s technically no bedroom and just one big room for everything?

There is a small kitchen to my right, the bed in the back corner, and the couch in the middle of the room.

I’m surprised the bathroom isn’t out in the open.

I place my bag down on the ground and lock the door.

The locks aren’t very safe. Anyone could get in.

Maybe after I dye my hair tomorrow, I can buy another lock and install it.

Do I know what I’m doing? Absolutely not, but I’ve seen you can place something on the existing lock to make it harder to get into.

Exhaustion weighs down on me as I look at the bed.

First, I’ll can take a nap, and then I can unpack everything and figure out food.

I groan and close my eyes. I’ve brought some of my spices, but I didn’t bring any food with me.

How am I going to do this? The kitchen here isn’t fully equipped with everything I need to cook, and I can’t buy premade food.

No.

Taking a deep breath in, I slowly let it out. First, a nap, and then I can think about everything else. I need a clear mind when I think about everything and make decisions. After walking to the bed, I pull back the covers and slide in.

“Perfect,” I mumble, getting comfortable and falling asleep.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Slowly blinking my eyes, I try to make them focus. What is going on? Why is someone pounding on my door? Could it be the landlord? No, he said he wouldn’t bother me unless it were super important.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Groaning, I push myself up off the bed. Wouldn’t he say something if he needs me? I look at the door suspiciously. Something doesn’t feel right. I feel like he would be announcing himself if he needs something, giving me peace of mind.

Matthias can’t have found me. It’s only been a couple of hours since I left my apartment. Maybe I need to leave New York City for a while. But when will I know if everything has calmed down?

Margery isn’t answering her phone, and I don’t know where she is. She is the only person I would trust. If she were here, I would have to explain about Matthias, which I should have in the beginning, but I didn’t want to scare her.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I glare at the door. What am I going to do? There is no peephole and no window to look out of into the corridor. I would be opening the door completely blind, and I don’t like that. Maybe if I pretend I’m not here, they will eventually stop knocking and leave.

I sit on my bed and look at the door. I’m going to wait for them to leave before I do anything. But how am I going to know if they have left? I can’t call the owner and ask, and ruin my chances of them hearing me.

My heart starts racing as I pin my gaze on the front door. What am I going to do? I am not prepared for something like this. How am I going to figure out who it is and how they found me?Maybe it’s just a drunk who’s come into the building. Whoever it is will leave when I ignore the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Or maybe not. I clench my jaw as I look at the door and stand. I shouldn’t be doing this, but they are clearly not going away, and I need them to go away. Matthias can’t have found me that fast or known I was trying to leave him.

Quietly, I walk to the door and place my ear against it.

“Open up,” a deep voice calls out.

Not the next apartment, and it doesn’t sound like Matthias. Taking a deep breath, I open the door and gasp.

“Hello, wife,” Matthias says, smiling.