Monster in My Bed

Chapter Thirty-Nine | Is Spit A Distraction?

Maybe it was because of the contrast from being outside in just sweatpants and a t-shirt to being inside of a concrete compound, but the cellar did not feel nearly as cold as it had only a few weeks ago. By no means was I complaining, it was just odd.

The constant feeling of eyes following my every move as I moved quickly through the complex, however, did send a chill down my spine that I was not willing to acknowledge. It took more than a few kind words to convince the guards at the entrance to let me in, especially because they had strict orders to not let me into the cellar unless otherwise stated by Matteo. The last time I was allowed inside was when Jack and I had our little spat. That was also the last time that I actually wanted to venture inside of it. I've been keeping my space recently.

After threatening to send the guards and their families on a nice long vacation in unmarked territory, they agreed to let me in. The downside of it was that I was under heavy watch to make sure I left this stupid hell hole in one, untouched piece. I couldn't help but grumble under my breath about how difficult Matteo's stupid minions were making this.

Finally entering the correct block, I felt the weight of the world sink on my shoulders. I could not shake the feeling that maybe I should have just gone back to bed and spoke to Matteo about what happened with Hayden in the morning. Nevertheless, I did my best to brush the feeling away and continued my march down the cold hallway.

I'd only been to Taylor's cell once, but somehow I knew exactly where to go. The familiar crack in the concrete being illuminated by the fluorescent lights that hung from the ceilings of the hall alerted me that her cell was only steps away. Making those final few steps, I turned to face the girl slumped against the far wall. Chains still enclosed around her wrists continued to deny her much free movement, and, by the look on her face and the way her body seemed to be growing smaller, it was taking a bit of a toll.

"Not the person I expected to see right now," Taylor laughed humorlessly. Her voice sounded so dry that it seemed painful.

"Does 'override your mission' mean anything to you?" My blunt question clearly took her by surprise. Her jaw dropped slightly, and her brown eyes widened for a moment. She quickly recovered, snapping her mouth shut and glancing toward the floor.

"Who told you?" She asked carefully, raising her eyes up to meet mine. I knew what she was doing because I was hoping to do the same. She was looking for any signs that I could be lying.

"An old friend that was sent over here," I stated calmly. I could see the gears turning in her head as she thought of her next response.

"So Barron?" Her tone was cautious. She was clearly playing the field blind right now. I wondered how thrown off she would be if I said, 'no,' but didn't test it.

"Yes?" I responded honestly, but I couldn't hide the confusion behind my words. I spoke before I had the chance to make sure my tone matched my attitude. Her eyes continued searching mine for what felt like minutes, but, in reality, it had only been seconds. They shifted from one eye to the next before she removed her gaze completely, returning it to the floor. Her head tilted downward only the slightest fraction that I almost missed it. It was the smallest gesture that could have been offered, but it was still a submission. Something in my big head told me that this was a good sign.

"Was it Hayden?" Taylor asked softly. I drew my brows together in confusion. How did she know? Sensing my confusion before I even had the chance to verbalize it, she answered the question. "Barron knew this plan was risky, so he planned to send Hayden over if he didn't hear from me."

"Why Hayden?" I couldn't stop my curiosity from overtaking my mouth. The moment the words left my lips, I cursed myself for asking stupid questions instead of the right ones. Who knew how much time I had in here before Matteo realized that I was no longer in bed with him. I'm sure he knew I left, but it was only a matter of time before he started to get the hint that I was taking quite some time to return.