Page 56 of Secret Heir
Or he’s a traitor who’s been playing a long game. But I can’t say that. Not when I don’t know if Maksim was involved too.
“I don’t care—”
“Well, I do.” His voice rises. “You can’t just demand that one of my brother’s closest advisors stay away from our son without giving me a real reason.”
“My instinct is a real reason,” I shoot back.
“Your instinct?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Your instinct told you to run and keep my son in poverty for eight years. Your instinct told you to lie to me about his existence.” He gives me a mocking smile. “Forgive me if I don’t put a lot of stock in your instincts, Aria.”
I hiss. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” He’s right in front of me now, and I’m acutely aware of how much bigger and stronger he is. He could snap me in half if he wanted to. “You keep secrets. You won’t tell me the truth. You won’t trust me with anything except your body. And now you want me to exclude someone from my son’s life because you have a feeling?”
“Yes!” I’m shouting now, and I don’t care. “Yes, that’s exactly what I want! I’m his mother and I know when something is wrong!”
“Then tell me what’s wrong.” His hands grip my shoulders, and I can feel the heat of his palms through my pajama shirt. “Tell me why Alexander scares you. Tell me what you know about him.”
I open my mouth before closing it. The truth is right there, pressing against my teeth, demanding to be spoken.
But I can’t. Because if I tell him what I saw, what I heard, he might not believe me. And even if he does believe me, what then? What if he was part of it? What if I’m giving him information that will get me killed?
And even if he wasn’t involved, Alexander is embedded in the organization. He’s trusted. He’s powerful.
And I have no proof.
“I can’t,” I whisper.
“Then I can’t help you.” He lets go and steps back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Alexander stays. He has full access to this house and to Daniel. If you don’t like it, that’s unfortunate. But I’m not making decisions about my family based on your paranoia.”
He walks out, leaving me alone with my terror and my secrets.
I make my decision three days later.
I have to leave and get Daniel away from here before Alexander decides I’m too much of a risk to keep alive. Before Maksim decides the same thing.
The problem is the security. Guards patrol the grounds and cameras cover every inch of the property. The gates are always locked and monitored.
But I’m desperate. And desperate people find ways.
I spend a week watching and learning patterns. The guards change shifts at two in the morning. There’s a blind spot in the camera coverage near the east wall, where two camera angles don’t quite meet. It’s a gap of maybe ten feet.
It’s not much but it might be enough.
The plan is to test the route first and make sure I can actually get over the wall. Then, once I know it’s possible, I’ll come back for Daniel. I’ll tell him we’re going on an adventure and carry him to safety.
I can’t risk taking him on the first attempt. If I get caught or if something goes wrong, at least he’ll still be safe in his bed and won’t be traumatized by seeing his mother dragged back by armed guards.
The night I try, I dress in dark clothes, my stomach in knots. I’ve hidden a small amount of cash in my room. It’s not much, but it’s enough for a bus ticket maybe. It will get Daniel and I somewhere Maksim won’t immediately find us. I’ll call the police, maybe. Tell them I’m being held against my will, that my son is—
The plan falls apart the moment I examine it too closely. But I have to try. I have to do something.
I slip out of my suite at two-fifteen in the morning. The house is dark and quiet. I move carefully, avoiding the creaky floorboards I’ve memorized, keeping to the shadows.
I get down the stairs and out the back door that I left unlocked earlier.
The night air is chilly, biting through my thin jacket. I cross the lawn toward the east wall, staying low, moving as quickly as I dare.
The blind spot is just ahead. Just twenty more feet. Fifteen. Ten.
