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My mind is telling me that something bad has indeed happened to him during his mission, but worrying will do nothing to help me. I just hope that he will respond as soon as possible so that my worry will be eased.
I glance at Liam again, thinking that I shouldn’t be depending on other people that much. My job here is to take care of Liam, and I can’t do that if I’m being a crybaby myself. Besides, if I go downstairs to get food for Liam, they can’t possibly harm me.
With that in mind, I head to the door, preparing to get food for myself and Liam. We can just have our meals inside his room.
When my hand touches the door handle, I glance back one last time at Liam and find him still sleeping soundly on the sofa. I step out of the room and close the door behind me softly.
I hope that the hallway will be deserted, but that would be too good to be true.
While I’m trying to find my way to the kitchen, I pass some guys and girls who automatically snap their heads toward me as soon as I walk by. Their gazes make the hair on the back of my neck stand. The atmosphere here hasn’t changed at all. It’s still as horrible as the night they were trying to drown me.
The air around me feels like it’s made of sin. No kindness. No empathy. Just evil.
I can hear their whispers.
“Look. That’s Liam’s slave.”
“Do you think that he touched her? I don’t think he ever touched a girl.”
I can feel the girls’ jealousy all over the air. While I’m trying to ignore all their acquisitions about me, one comment makes my pulse quicken.
“Look. It’s the girl without the tattoo.”
Fear builds up inside me again. I want to run for my life. I don’t belong here. They’re supposed to kill me. I don’t know if Liam claiming me as his slave would save me anymore.
It’s not that difficult to find the kitchen because, at this hour, that’s where everyone practically comes and goes.
Many kinds of food are already prepared on the giant kitchen island, where everyone can just grab a plate. The sooner I can get out of the kitchen, the better. I take a tray and start to prepare the food for Liam and myself.
A whistle catches me off guard. I snap my head toward the source of the voice, and to my horror, Kelvin is staring at me.
Kelvin crosses his arms over his chest. “Look who we have here. Liam’s slave, who is apparently a girl without the tattoo.”
Everyone is paying much more attention to me now than before.
I attempt to ignore him and just pour mushroom soup into a bowl. My hand shakes a little as I reach for the toasts. I beg in my heart that he will simply leave, but sadly, he walks towards me instead.
I’m ready to get the beverages when I run into someone’s chest. I’m about to drop the tray. When I glance up, I see Kelvin smiling down at me with a smug smile. Two men stand on either side of him.
“Well, then.” He raises an eyebrow in a teasing way. “Was he nicer to you than we were?”
I get chills when I think about what this man has done to me. They laugh.
His pal adds, “Come on.” “You need to let us know if he gets bored with you so we can start teaching you a lot of great things without bothering him.”
“Unless our king wants to share,” the other guy says with a sneer. “It’s risky,” he says. “But it might be worth a shot.”
“Be careful, guys,” someone says, and as I look over, I notice a tanned guy with curly hair giving the three of them a warning look. “From what I remember, Liam doesn’t like to share. Do you remember how he dared us to fight him over Emily? I would think a million times before going against him.”
I feel better in my chest. At last, someone is trying to make them think.
Kelvin’s face stiffens as he thinks about it further.
The guy who just stood up for me takes my arm and pulls me away before Kelvin can make a move towards me. “Come on, Emily. I’ll help you get the drinks.”
I look back to Kelvin and his buddies. He says something quietly to himself before the three of them leave the kitchen. I let out a sigh of relief.
“Thanks,” I say to the individual who just helped me.
He helps me place two bottles of water on the tray I’m holding. “You’re welcome.” He grins, and I’m glad to see that he’s being nice to me. “I’m Arthur, by the way.”
He takes me back into the corridor, and I follow him. I believed he would go upstairs with me, but then he gently pulls me towards a spot under the stairs, which surprises me. He pushes me against the wall, but he stays far enough away from me that I know he’s not going to damage me.
“You need to be careful, Emily,” he warns. “What are you doing here, girl?”
I huff. “Well, surprise. I am Liam’s carer. He just doesn’t want to admit it.”
Arthur seems unhappy. “That’s the truth?” His lips twitches in anger. “What a f*****g jerk.”
“Do you really think everyone is going to believe me?” I ask.
Arthur looks down, as if he’s really thinking. He looks back at me and says, “I don’t know.” His voice shows that he is disappointed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think they will, unless you have a tattoo.”
“Is it possible for me to work as a carer for Eagle Wings leader without being a part of it?” I ask. “I don’t even want to be a member,” I said.
Arthur says, “Not a chance,” and he means it. “The rules are very clear here. No one who isn’t a member can come onto the property. There’s no room for negotiation.”
I swallow.
Arthur warns, “Don’t go near Kelvin.” “He’s bad for you. He’s dangerous.”
I chuckle without any humour. “I know that very well. Do you know him well?”
Arthur shakes his head. “Not really, but I know enough about him to know what kind of person he is. My brother is the one who is close to him. I’m sorry he made fun of you just now.”
Arthur’s fury is obvious, and it’s nice that he cares for me when most others here don’t.
“If no one here will believe my story unless I have a tattoo, why do you believe me?” I ask. When he looks at me with a confused expression, I immediately add, “Not that I have a problem with that. I just want to know why because it means so much to me.”
Arthur’s grin is back. “Because I know what it felt like.”
I look at him with squinting eyes.
“Because I was once like you, Emily,” he continues. “I saw you when you first walked in. You looked so lost, like you didn’t want to be here. You’re not an intruder, and I knew it the moment I saw you.”
What he said almost makes me cry. He’s the only one here who trusts me so freely.
Liam couldn’t do that either.
“I was like that too,” he admits. “I came here because I was worried about my brother. He sent a lot of money, but my family never found out what he did. I did a lot of research and finally found out about Eagle Wings. I was worried that he was doing something dangerous, and it turned out that my fear was right. Now I’m stuck here too because I was looking for him.”
I feel bad for him since his tale is so awful.
“I’m so sorry,” I say in a whisper. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
He shakes his head once again. “I’m fine now. I can make it. I’m worried about you, though. You shouldn’t be here. This place will ruin you. Liam is blind, but he’s a dangerous man. Did he touch you?”
There’s a sparkle in his eyes that makes me believe he could be possessive, but I don’t want to think about it too much.
“No, he didn’t,” I say.
Arthur grins. “Good. Just let me know if you need anything.” He abruptly kisses my cheek, which surprises me.
He just offers me a mischievous smile as I glance up at him.