His kiss made me breathless and frazzled, something I had not experienced in so many years. I thought I was dormant to yearning for sexual intimacy after forcing myself not to seek pleasure with another man or even myself in some instances, but once Eryx placed his soft, suckable lips against mine, I knew that the state of dormancy was over.

A part of me was thrilled at how Eryx still yearned for me, his intense stares caused my body temperature to increase to the point where wetness was seeping through my panties, hiding away the passion I hid between my clothes.

His fiery passionate kiss left me hesitant to leave the bedroom roaming the hallways as once done three nights prior.

This was not like me to hide away from anyone, but someone I allowed Eryx Vallea, to do just that.

I could barely get any sleep, tossing and turning as I tried to force myself to not think of him, but every time my eyes fluttered shut, Eryx was there, in my dreams. I was growing eerie about how quickly my thoughts had shifted from thinking about Eryx more frequently than what I should have.

I had so many good and bad thoughts about him, racing through my mind, blinding me, on coming with a plan to escape once again from him.

The only thing that seemed to give me comfort in these past three days is sitting on the plush bench against the windowsill, watching as petals of raindrops fell against the window. My arms were covered around the Ultra Soft Bed comforter as I leaned my head against the glass window, closing my eyes for seconds on hand, trying to keep my anxiety at bay.

I groan in frustration as several minutes pass and thoughts of Eryx are still prevalent in my mind. I lean my head back against the wall as I hear a knock on my bedroom door. My back stiffs at the sound of someone interrupting my time to myself. I pray that it is not Eryx.

I cannot stand to face him at the moment.

I turn my head as I see Zolani walking in with determination in her eyes. I sigh in relief as she enters the room she quickly shuts the door and marches over to me. She takes a seat across from me, "Why the hell have you been hiding away in this damn room.

You had me worry sick that something happened to you". I roll my eyes at Zolani's dramatic tone as I push the comforter off my arms as it now lays in my lap.

"I needed some time to myself". Zolani snorts, interrupting me from continuing, "Bullshit, you have been adamant for the past few days for the both of us to find a way to leave and you go missing. Luckily I was smart enough to alert Eryx to why you have been staying in your room".

Hearing Eryx's name causes my skin to become flushed and pale. Zolani studies my body language and stops talking for a moment.

"Did something happen between you two that you are not telling me about". I was hoping she would not ask me, but I could never hide anything from Zolani, she was so damn observant.

"We kissed", I whisper as stare across at Zolani who has a smirk on her face before she shakes her head as if she finds what I said amusing.

"What the hell is that look for Lani, this shit is not funny at all". Zolani starts giggling as she covers her mouth, "I knew your ass was fronting, you still want your husband. Which is fine and all, but you don't have to be such a prude about it".

I am getting quite irritated with Zolani trying to push Eryx and me together.

"Whose side are you are, like I told you that man and I are toxic together. If anything he brings out the worst in me". Zolani looks at me puzzled.

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about, if anything it seems like both of you all want each other".

Zolani then grabs my hand as she helps me from my seat as we both stand to face each other, "I can't tell you what to do about Eryx or whatever, but I was able to find a key to the black steel door".

Zolani then pulls out a large gold key and places it in my hand. I am confused as I twist the key in my hand, "Do you think this will open the door we were trying to pry open a few nights ago".

Zolani shrugs, "Who knows, I caught Arsenio one night opening the door with a key that was quite similar to this or could be the same. I wanted to see if it works".

I raise my eyebrows, "Do you think the door leads to a way off the property".

Zolani shifts her body from side to side.

"Possibly, but we will never know unless we try", she takes hold of my hand as walks out of the room, down the hallway, and downstairs where the black steel door is located far off to the side in a dark hallway.

I place my hand on the door as I take the key out of my grey joggers, a light suddenly blinks as Zolani and I step back. "I don't remember it doing that the other night".

I glance down at the key in my hand, "It might have some type of motion sensor on it".

I then raise the key close to the door and here the door makes a sound as if it is unlocking it. The door automatically pushes open as Zolani and I take a step back as we both look at each other.

"Well damn, no wonder why we couldn't open it, this is so high-tech shit right here" Zolani comments.

I take a step inside and notice a set of staircases sitting against a brick wall. Zolani and I slowly walk down the steps I can hear my heart beating out of my chest, and each step I take down the steps. I can hardly see anything, but hopefully, this leads to way off the property.

My feet touch the cold ground as a set of lights come on revealing something that causes me to take a deep back as I take notice of the unconscious person lying on the ground meters from me. I lean my body forward and immediately recognize the person.

"Kieran", I say as I run over to him before getting down on the ground and placing my hand on his cheek which is bloody, swollen, and puffy.

"What the fuck is he doing here", Zolani asks. I am thinking the same thing as I work to turn his body around, but as I place my hand on his shoulder to turn his body, I feel a set of hands firmly grasping me off the ground, taking me by surprise as I come face to face with Eryx.

"Cherie, what the fuck are you doing here", he frowns at me as try to pry myself out of his arms, but it is no use being he is a lot of stronger than me.

"Let me go", I demand but he does not remove his hands from my body. I then take notice that Arsenio is holding Zolani as he whispers something that causes her to be a bit frightened.

"The fuck is going on and why do you have Kieran down here", I scream as my voice echoes off the brick wall. Eryx has a sinister look in his eyes before he touches my cheek and then looks down at Kieran before he takes a long glance back at me.

"The man who murdered my mother", he reveals as my throat suddenly becomes dry at his revelation.

I shake my head, "No, you are lying. Kieran wouldn't harm anybody". I was in disbelief at what Eryx was saying.

Eryx shakes his head slowly before placing his hand against my cheek for a moment before removing it, " You are so pure and good, Verena. You see the good in everybody. However, this man is Kieran Alvarado. An enemy of the Vallea Mafia", he then reaches inside of his pocket for a gun that causes my heart to stop.

"The man I swore to my father I would hunt down and kill for murdering my mother".