Corrupt

29. Out of the Woods and Into the Darkness

29. Out of the Woods and Into the Darkness

The hard-wood floors were cold against my bare feet as I hurried towards the basement, my eyes darting around me in caution of anyone who could be up. I wrapped my arms tightly around my torso in comfort, swallowing against the large lump that consumed my throat. I didn't want to think about what I was doing, how I was leaving all these people I cared for, and the man I loved.

But, it was for the best. At least that's what I would keep telling myself. 

I quickly hurried down the stairs, trying to mute my steps as best I could. The house was silent, giving me some reassurance that I would be able to escape without a problem.

The basement had always been an off-limits zone, though I knew exactly where the door was that led to that dark place. It was locked, for obvious reasons, and I was forever grateful that I had managed to snag Jace's keys on the way out.

Jace.

His named my heart quicken and my steps falter. If I turned back now, nothing would change. Though, even I knew somewhere deep in my mind that that wasn't true.

I shoved the key in the lock, turning it quickly, before opening the door and quietly releasing the handle. I let out a sigh of relief when the door didn't squeak. Most of the men around here were light sleepers and I was shocked no one had caught me yet.

I managed to shut the door without much noise, before thumping mutely down the steps, taking two at a time.

Suddenly, the need to hurry was beginning to creep up on me.

The maze of hallways was a concern, though I continued running forward, almost sobbing in relief when I caught a mess of hair behind a set of bars.

Greg was looking significantly worse, I noticed, when I finally got close enough to actually see him.

"Are you good?" I murmured, my voice cracking with weakness.

"Fine. The fuckers just aren't letting me heal because they want information." He gritted out, not putting any weight on his bad leg.

I shuddered at the new information, still not used to the violence that accompanied this life.

"We have to hurry." I whispered, if that fact wasn't obvious in itself. My vision was blurry as I attempted to unlock the gate with shaky hands, the tears in my eyes making it nearly impossible for them to focus.

There was a pause, then a gruff muttering from the man opposite of me. "You okay?"

"Fine." I whispered back shortly, not wanting to discuss what had just happened. Finally finding the key for his cell.

"Doesn't seem like it." He noted, cocking his head, not moving towards where I stood. "You sure you can do this?"

"I'm fine." I repeated, a bit harsher, narrowing my eyes at him to let him know he should drop the topic. "I couldn't find keys for the handcuffs, but I'm sure Ricardo will have some way to get them off you, correct?" I sniffed, as he moved through the opening, grimacing.

"Yes." He nodded, beginning to jog towards the exit of the cells. I shouldn't have been surprised that he knew this already, but still was.

I struggled to keep up, following his lead. Still not trusting him fully, I watched his back wearily.

"You made the right choice, you know." He spoke up, not bothering to look my way. He stayed focused on the task at hand, leading us through the doorway, but not before carefully checking to make sure that no one was there.