By the end of the week, I’d grown tired of hiding out in the bedroom, so I decided to venture out. I waited until I heard Billy go outside, and then I opened my door and quietly called out his name, “Billy?”
When I didn’t get an answer, I stepped into the kitchen and got me a banana and a glass of water. I took a moment to stretch my legs and strolled around the kitchen and living room. As usual, the place was spotless, and I almost felt like I was encroaching on Billy’s privacy as I looked around.
I started to feel a little uneasy, so I started back to my room.
That’s when I noticed that the basement door was open. Seconds later, I was halfway down the stairs. Even though I’d passed through there a few days prior, the place seemed completely foreign to me and just standing there had my anxiety creeping up my chest.
I looked around and was surprised that the room looked like a typical basement—at least for the most part. Just like upstairs, all the walls and furniture were white, and it was oddly clean. I doubted I could find a spot of dust anywhere in that room, but as crazy as it sounded, it seemed more relaxed than it was upstairs.
As I stood there taking everything in, I noticed Billy’s work desk in the corner of the room. The second I spotted his computer, my chest tightened, and all the memories of working with DeLuca came flooding through my mind as bile rose to the back of my throat.
I’d spent countless hours trying to please that man—to make him the money and prestige he so desperately desired, but it was all for nothing. I didn’t save my father. I didn’t get my freedom back. I got nothing but more heartache and pain, and that infuriated me.
It was that anger that led me to Billy’s computer.
I turned it on, then used the guest portal to gain access to the internet to pull up the login page to DeLuca’s financial accounts. I thought that was as far as I would get, but to my surprise, his password hadn’t been changed—which meant I had full access to all of his personal assets.
I could feel my anger rising as I sat there staring at all the money I’d made for him, and before I realized what I was doing, I’d moved a healthy portion of his liquid assets into a private off-shore account—one he couldn’t access without the account number and password. I didn’t take it all. He still had enough to function, and his stocks and bonds were still intact.
But, when he discovered the money was gone, he’d feel the bite, and he’d feel it for quite some time.
I took a moment to cover my tracks, making sure DeLuca wouldn’t be able to find out where his money went or who had taken it. I turned off Billy’s computer and started back upstairs. I hadn’t gotten far when I remembered the infirmary room where Doc had saved my life.
I looked around, but as far as I could tell, it was nowhere to be found.
And then I spotted the wall of shelves, and something clicked in my mind.
As I started thinking back to the night Billy brought me upstairs for a shower, I remembered him carrying me down a long concrete hallway, then stopping for a moment while he pressed some numbers on a keypad. When the door opened, he continued forward, then stopped just long enough to slide the bookcase back in front of the entrance. Once it was secured, he carried me upstairs to the bedroom and never mentioned the basement or the secret rooms again.
I stepped closer to the bookcase, searching for some button or lever, but I couldn’t find a way to make it move. I was still busy searching when I heard Billy call out, “Everleigh?”
I froze.
I was certain he wouldn’t want me snooping around his things, so I didn’t immediately answer. Instead, I just stood there cursing myself for being such an idiot. When he called out for me again, I had no choice but to answer, “I’m down here.”
The words had barely left my mouth when I heard the pounding of Billy’s footsteps coming down the stairs. His eyes were narrow and fierce as he growled, “What are you doing down here?”
“Nothing. I... ah...” I glanced back over to the desk in the corner, making sure everything was exactly the way I’d found it, then turned my attention back to him. “I was just looking around.”
“You shouldn't be down here.”
“Why?”
“Because this is where I work. It’s not safe for you.”
“It’s just an office, Billy. Besides, I’ve already seen everything there is to see.”
“No, you haven’t. And you won’t.” He motioned me forward as he said, “How ‘bout we head upstairs, and I’ll make us some dinner.”
“Okay.”
I inhaled a deep breath, then walked forward. As I made my way past him, I thought back to what he’d said to Viper, and the hurt started to creep back in. I couldn’t even look at him as I mumbled, “On second thought, I’m not all that hungry. I think I’ll just call it a night.”
He didn’t respond. Not that it mattered. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing left to be said.
BILLY
As much asI didn’t want to admit it, Everleigh was getting to me.