His Red Carnation (Forbidden Blooms #1)

35. Sloane

35

Sloane

A dull throb pulsed in the back of my head as I slowly came to. Everything was blurry at first, like I was waking from a nightmare, but the cold, hard surface beneath me quickly grounded me in reality. I shifted, wincing as the stiffness in my limbs reminded me I was somewhere far from safe.

I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the faint light filtering through cracks in the walls. Concrete floors. Metal beams. The faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance. It had to be a warehouse. The air was thick, stale, and carried the faint scent of rust and something else I couldn’t place.

I swallowed against the dryness in my throat as the memories came rushing back. The car. The hands grabbing me. Then—nothing. Panic twisted in my chest, but I forced it down, trying to focus. My hands were bound behind my back, but my legs were free. The silence was deafening, until suddenly…there were footsteps.

They were coming closer, slow and heavy, echoing off the walls.

My heart jumped into my throat. I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief— someone’s here . I tried to sit up, forcing my body to move, every muscle aching from whatever they’d done to me. Then I saw him.

I almost laughed from sheer relief. “Leo,” I croaked, my voice trembling with a mix of hope and exhaustion. “Thank God.”

But he didn’t rush to help me. He didn’t move at all.

Something cold washed over me as I looked at his face. He was too calm, too detached. His eyes didn’t meet mine, and didn’t carry any of the urgency I expected.

“Leo?” I tried again, the excitement in my voice fading. “What…what’s going on?”

He finally looked at me, but his expression was unreadable, his lips pressed into a thin line. “I didn’t want it to be like this,” he muttered, a hint of regret in his voice. “But I owed her.”

I blinked, confused. “ Her ? Do you mean…Sarah?” I already knew, deep down, that she was behind this. But why Leo?

Leo exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “She needed me, Sloane. I couldn’t turn my back on her…not after everything she’s done for me.”

“You’re helping her?” My voice cracked, disbelief and betrayal flooding my body. “Why? Leo, you’re like an uncle to me.”

His jaw clenched, and for the first time, he looked at me with something other than indifference. “And I’ve always been there for you, haven’t I? But…this is different.”

“Different how?” I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “She’s trying to hurt me, and you’re on her side?”

“It’s not about sides, Sloane.” His voice lowered, almost like he was trying to make me understand. “Sarah saved me when no one else would. When I hit rock bottom, she pulled me out. She’s like family to me…and I couldn’t just walk away from that.”

“But you’re choosing her over me,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat.

“I’m not choosing,” he said softly, his eyes finally meeting mine. “I’m trying to repay a debt.”

I didn’t understand, and I wasn’t sure if I ever would. “Please, Leo,” I begged, my voice breaking as tears welled in my eyes. “Please let me go.” My words came out in fragile, desperate whispers as tears streamed down my cheeks.

He hesitated, his expression conflicted, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to. After a moment, he shook his head. “I’ll get you some water. She’ll be here soon.” His tone was almost apologetic as he turned to leave.

“Leo, please ,” I cried out, my voice raw, grasping for him, for anything that could pull me out of this nightmare. But he didn’t look back. He disappeared into the shadows, leaving me alone.

A scream tore from my throat, frustration and fear crashing together as I wrestled with the zip ties biting into my wrists, my hands numb and useless against the restraints. Then, I saw it—light creeping in, the outside world flickering for just a moment before the figure blocked it out. Sarah. The doors closed behind her with a heavy clang, and for a fleeting second, I wondered just how many people were helping her.

The sharp click of her heels echoed through the warehouse, each step deliberate. A smug smirk stretched across her face as she approached, her eyes narrowing with contempt. One hand rested on her hip as if she had all the power in the world.

“Well, well…there’s the little princess,” she sneered, her tone dripping with mockery. “Did you enjoy your beauty rest?”

“Why am I here, Sarah? What the fuck do you want from me?” I spat, the anger surging through me, momentarily masking my fear.

She laughed. “Oh, sweetie, it’s not about you .” She leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with malice. “I want to hurt Callan, just like he hurt me. I want to rip away the thing he cherishes most—just like he did to me. And you, Sloane, you’re that thing.” Her smirk deepened as she straightened up. “But why stop there? Jake and Ana…they’re guilty too. They helped him. So really, it’s a two-for-one special.”

Her words sliced through me, the cruel reality sinking in. This wasn’t just about revenge—this was about destroying lives. And she was using me to do it.

“So what’s the plan, Sarah? You’re gonna kill me?” I challenged, forcing my voice to stay steady even as panic clawed at me from the inside. “You’re really going to murder the President’s daughter? You won’t get away with it. You’ll spend the rest of your life rotting in maximum security.”

My voice sounded strong, defiant, but beneath it, my heart raced and fear gnawed at my chest. I needed to make her doubt herself, to buy some time—anything to get out of this.

Sarah’s smirk widened as she crossed her arms, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, sweetie, do you really think I haven’t thought this through? I’m not stupid enough to kill you outright. That would be too easy, too quick. No, I want Callan to suffer .”

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a cold whisper. “I want him to watch as I tear you apart piece by piece. Mentally. Physically. I want him to know it’s all his fault, that he couldn’t protect you. And by the time I’m done, no one will care that you’re the President’s daughter. Not even you.”

She straightened up, her eyes burning with hatred. “As for prison? Let’s just say I have a few friends in high places who owe me a favor or two. Maximum security won’t be much of a problem.”

My heart sank as the weight of her words pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating. But I couldn’t let her see my fear. I forced my voice to stay strong, even though I felt the panic swirling just beneath the surface.

“My dad will find me. Callan will find me,” I said, meeting her gaze with all the conviction I could muster. “You won’t get away with this, Sarah. I’m sure they’re probably tracking this exact location as we speak.”

I prayed I was right. Every second that passed felt like a race against time, and I needed to believe that help was on its way.

But all Sarah did was laugh, a cold, humorless sound that echoed off the walls. “Oh, honey, do you really think anyone’s going to find you?” She shook her head, amusement flickering in her eyes. “Leo’s been helping me this whole time, right under your father’s nose. Jake didn’t have a clue.”

She stepped closer, her voice laced with mockery. “What makes you think he’s smart enough to find you now? You’re alone, Sloane. No one’s coming.”

Her words cut deep, gnawing at the flicker of hope I was holding onto.

The door creaked open again, and Leo stepped in, holding a bottle of water. His expression was carefully neutral as he walked toward me, his movements slower than before. My hands were still bound behind my back, and the reminder of how helpless I was sent a fresh wave of panic through me.

Sarah eyed him impatiently. “Took you long enough,” she snapped. “Just give her the water.”

Leo didn’t say a word as he crouched beside me, twisting the cap off the bottle. He lifted it toward my lips, his hand steady but…there was something off. There was something in the way he moved, something almost hesitant. I parted my lips and let him pour the water into my mouth, careful not to gulp it down too quickly.

For a moment, his eyes met mine, and I caught something—maybe guilt, maybe regret. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“Not too much,” Sarah snapped, her voice sharp. “She doesn’t need to get comfortable. We just need to keep her alive. For now, anyway.”

Leo pulled the bottle away, his expression hardening again as he stood. His jaw was tight, and I noticed the way his fists clenched briefly before he let them go. Sarah didn’t seem to notice, her focus entirely on me.

“You’re not going soft, are you, Leo?” she teased, her tone mocking. “Don’t tell me you’re growing a conscience. You owe me, remember?”

His face remained impassive as he turned toward her. “You don’t need to overdo it. She’s not going anywhere.”

Sarah rolled her eyes, stepping closer to me. “Oh, Leo. Always the protector, even when it’s not your job anymore.”

He didn’t respond. He just glanced down at me one last time before he turned and walked toward the door. His face gave nothing away, but something in the air had shifted. I wasn’t sure what it meant yet, but I could feel it.

Sarah didn’t miss a beat. “I’ll be back soon, princess. Don’t get too comfortable,” she sneered before walking out after him.

The door slammed shut, leaving me alone in the cold, empty warehouse. Silence pressed on, broken only by the pounding of my heart. My wrists throbbed from the zip ties, and my mind raced, replaying the past few minutes.

Leo hadn’t said much and he barely looked at me. But something was there—a hesitation, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to stir something inside me.

Maybe he’s not fully on her side. Maybe there’s still a chance.

The thought settled in, fragile but real. I clung to it, letting that small spark of hope push back the darkness closing in around me.