Page 81 of Sinner's Sacrifice

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

“We’re about to have company,” Yvgeny said as he texted someone. “They’re already on their way up.”

She started looking for her clothes on the floor. Whoever they were, she didn’t want to be naked when they got here. She found her panties and pants on the floor and tugged them on, but her bra and shirt were torn and useless.

She grabbed fresh ones from the closet. Her last fresh ones. “I’m going to need more clothes.”

“Hurry,” he said, staring at the phone. He sounded...concerned.

“Stop being a prick,” she muttered.

His head jerked up and he chuckled. “Even when the world is imploding around us, you make me laugh.”

“Imploding?” What did that mean? “Are you about to get arrested?”

“Oh, no. Something much worse. My aunt is here, and you need to hide in the closet.”

Whatever she thought he might say, that wasn’t it. “I beg your pardon?”

He went to the closet door and opened it. “We have about one minute before she arrives, so hurry.”

Sam stared at him. He’d lost his mind. “Closets are kind of cliché, don’t you think?”

“Well, it’s not exactly the closet I want you to hide in, it’s the safe room below it.” He waved at her. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

She moved to stand next to him as he bent down to reach into the built in closet shelves. She’d put her other pair of shoes on it. He pushed the panel at the back of the shelf, and she heard a click. Then the floor angled up from a hinge that was invisible on this side.

A narrow, steep set of stairs led down into a dark space.

“Turn your phone completely off and don’t turn it on unless I or Baz tell you it’s okay.”

“But—”

“Once you’re down there, turn on the main power switch. That will activate the security system. You’ll be able to monitor the entire hotel from there. There’s also a separate camera that monitors my apartment. This is the only system that camera is connected to.”

He grabbed her by the arm and maneuvered her so she could start going down the stairs. It was so steep, he had her facing the stairs and going down like it was a ladder.

“There’s a fridge down there with food and drinks. Help yourself.” He guided her down the first couple of stairs.

She kept descending even after he had to let her go. “Yvgeny, I—”

“Don’t open this door to anyone but me or Baz.”

“Okay, but—”

“I’m sorry.”

That stopped her two steps from the bottom. “What?”

“I’m sorry you had to find out like this. And I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better than I have.” He shut the secret door.

It locked with an audible click.

She was now in the dark, in a room she couldn’t see, and had no idea how long she’d be in here.

“Turn off my phone, he says,” she muttered to herself as she pulled out her phone and activated the flashlight. She shone it around the room and discovered it was quite a bit bigger than she expected any panic room to be.

There was furniture, a couch at least, but that’s not what she was currently looking for. Ah, there it was. A light switch.