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I didn’t see Luca

I held my breath as I listened

I should go back upstairs

Or call for Vaughn

Man up for God’s sake, Aleks

I nodded to the voice in my head I could do this Even if I ca I orth If I could attack Vaughn to protect myself, surely my brain would react in a similar manner around a man anted to harm me

But was that what he really wanted?

He’d said he wouldn’t have hurt me

It wasn’t so I wanted to find out for sure, so I hurried to the kitchen and began scanning the counter for a bag of bread, then realized there probably wouldn’t be any because no one appeared to currently be living in the house The little food I’d seen upstairs had looked like it could have come fro that he just had to put in the microwave And there was always some kind of meat kept in our freezer

Itheht to check if there’d been glasses of anything to drink on the dresser where the food had been, so I grabbed one during my search I’d be able to fill it ater from the bathroom faucet

I was in the process of opening one of the long cabinets by the refrigerator when I heard a slight cough I froze, then began frantically searching the kitchen to see who’d ed to sneak up on ain, I realized it was co from outside I’d somehow missed the fact that the kitchen door was open but the screen door was closed There was a little bit of light out on the porch off the kitchen, but I didn’t see anyone

It could only be Luca out there… or one of his men

I carefully closed the cabinet and gripped the glass inthrough the door to grabaway from the door and back toward the front entryway and stairs… and the safety of Vaughn

Then I heard it

This tih

I stilled as I acknowledged what it was

A sob

I shook my head because it couldn’t be Guys like Luca didn’t cry

It was a trick

He kneas in here and was trying to draw rab me