Keeping Secrets (An Anonymous Novella)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The drive to the safe house took almost an hour and a half. Chloe watched through the window as clumps of trees and yellowing fields passed. They'd gotten off the highway relatively early, but she'd recognized some of these back roads. If they kept this course, they'd soon pass the East River.

"The safe house is on Daria lake?" She asked upon seeing the big wooden welcome sign. "That seems a little too...normal."

Darius, Ethan's personal bodyguard, maneuvered the car towards a long stretch of road that traced the edge of the water.

Daria Lake was a hotspot for vacationers. It was a manmade lake, one that spanned around 1400 acres, and always had people around it. By now the sun had begun to set. It lined the horizon, casting oranges and yellows along the sky. The lake water glittered with the light, making it appear as if the stars had fallen from the sky to float along the surface.

Chloe rested her temple against the window. She loved the way the trees grew along the lake. Amid those trees, big, sprawling houses peeked out.

She'd never really gone on a legit vacation before. Frank never wanted her in the public light, instead choosing to lock her away in the house. When Danika started getting bigger and bigger—when her career really took off—trying to get out of the house that was her prison only got harder.

Living at the palace with all its freedoms was the closest she'd ever gotten to a real vacation.

But now, being at Daria Lake gave her the smallest sense of a retreat. After all, weren't beaches and sun and swimming everything that came with a vacation?

She had to fight to keep the excitement from taking over. She was still scared—of course she was scared—but at least for this moment, she'd appreciate what she had.

Ethan reached over and wrapped a warm hand around hers.

Ethan. She had Ethan. He was okay. He was safe. And for now, that was all she could ask for.

They drove for what felt like hours. Eventually, the car stopped. Darkness had swept in and the smooth chill of night hit the air. Chloe got out after Ethan, following his lead as he went back to the trunk to help Darius with their bags.

Two other black cars—small, sporty cars like the one they'd arrived in—pulled up behind them. Doors slammed shut and the bodyguards assigned by Jackson stepped out.

Altogether Jackson had stuck them with four other bodyguards besides Darius. Five bodyguards seemed a bit much, but Jackson didn't want to take any chances. Chloe didn't either when it came to Ethan's life.

He meant too much to her.

The house Darius led them to peeked out from deep in the trees. It was a quaint house right on the lake. What she noticed right away was the lack of neighbors. Beside the bright lights on the porch of the cabin-style home, the only other lights were the ones across the lake.

"The safe house is very...normal." She said into the dim hiss of the crickets.

Darius was the first to address her comment. "Sometimes the best way to hide is in plain sight."

Ethan, who never let go of her hand, squeezed.

And with that, they stepped into their temporary home.

Darius had the key to open the door, but even before that he'd had to type a code into a hidden panel in the wood next to the knob.

The first thing she noticed about the inside of the house was the mustiness. It was actually so bad that she coughed.