Page 60 of Trapped With You

Ever.

I wiggled my hand out of his hold and lifted a haughty eyebrow in his direction. “I’ve ridden on the back of your motorcycle while you shot a grenade at mafiosos following us. I can handle danger, Cade.”

Dating the son of a kingpin, danger naturally came with the territory. I’d spent many nights with Cade while he punished dirty rats and further solidified the Remington reign.

There had been some close calls, but I never worried for my safety when I was with Cade. I knew he’d always protect me come hell or high water.

“Fine.” He started walking ahead. “But stay behind me. I don’t trust whatever is on the other side.”

“You think it’s the bogeyman?” I joked, falling into stepbesidehim. “The proverbial monster hiding in the abandoned tower, waiting to feast upon the flesh of young students.”

Cade chuckled. “You watch too many scary movies, Ella.”

I wasn’t going to deny it. I had an affinity for mystery, gothic, and horror movies. I’d made my ex-boyfriend watch at least one with me every other weekend.

Sometimes, I wondered if those were the reason for my interest in fear play and primal kink. A few months ago, I finally admitted to Cade my fantasy of being chased in the woods with his mask on. However, we never got around to fulfilling it.

We reached the end of the hallway. The only thing visible from here was a pair of hidden stairs leading up to an unknown destination.

All right, that was creepy.

Realistically speaking, it couldn’t be a mythical creature like a three-headed dog. Perhaps it was a secret lair? St. Victoria was known for having many hideaways from its time as a motherhouse. Though most of them had been sealed over the decades.

“I think it’s one of the bell tower entrances,” Cade said flatly. “And it’ll definitely bring us to the belfry.”

My shoulders sagged.Well, fuck. “You’re probably right.”

Cade touched my waist, sensing my unease. “My offer still stands. I can go alone and you can wait for me down here.”

Scared or not, I never backed down from a challenge. “I’m not letting you go alone, Cade.”

“Always so ride or die.” He smiled. “Fine. Let’s go, Ellie.”

A light inkling of pain pulsed through me.

Ride or die.

He knew what those words meant to us.

Once again, he threw the past right in our faces. I was doing my best to remain civil. But he was doing everything in his power to unbalance my emotions so I could react and give him theversion of me I was keeping under lock.

The one that wasn’t indifferent and wore her heart on her sleeve for him.

Ire swelled inside my body, running from the roots of my hair to the tips of my pedicured toes. Until I was vibrating with the urge to lash out and tell him to just fuckingstop.

Instead, I calmed myself by sucking in a deep breath.

And then I entered the abyss with the man who’d once been my anchor in all of this maddening darkness.

C H A P T E R1 3

Bats in the Belfry

Ella

The Present

1:13 a.m.