Unfold Me by Talia Ellison

hair.
    “Yeah, I guess, but we can’t exactly talk to them about it.”
    He stops for a moment to look at me, then wrings his hands. “If Archer invites you to his friends-only party, that might help us because the others might find it suspicious or trust him less because he brought in an unknown person just like that.”
    “Yeah.” I frown. “That could work. And we also need to find someone in Archer’s inner circle who is an influential person and has connections everywhere, but who also has a lot to lose if their secret about the parties leaks.”
    “And someone smart enough to pull it off before Archer finds out.”
    “True, because if he finds out someone is trying to betray him... He could go after their family, and I don’t want innocent people to get hurt or die if that person turns out to be less influential than him.”
    “Innocent people will continue to get hurt and die as long as people like Raphael and Archer are out there,” Isaac says through his teeth, anger flashing in his eyes. “Do you know how many people Raphael killed and how many families he destroyed? That’s exactly why I took the risk to get that camera inside his room and why Caleb is going to risk everything to get that footage to Lilith.”
    I stare down at my hands. “I know what Raphael is capable of. When I was... with Archer... there was a girl... who belonged to Raphael.”
    I pace up and down the kitchen, glancing at the door all the time. The mask on my face itches, but even though I’m alone, I don’t want to take it off in case someone comes. Besides, Archer warned me not to do it. Still, I risk opening one of the drawers, but there aren’t any knives or anything I could use as a weapon. Not that a weapon would do me any good since I can’t exactly pass through five or so guards and fifteen people, but maybe I could smuggle it with me.
    The door bursts open, and a man pushes a girl inside. She falls to her knees, her whole face smeared with makeup as she sobs.
    “Stay here,” the masked man orders, slamming the door behind him. I rush toward the girl and she looks up at me.
    “Please help me,” she cries. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I can’t!”
    “I don’t know how. I’m not...” I offer her my hand and she gets to her feet. Her brown eyes are wide with fear and her long dark hair is tangled. She isn’t wearing anything except a collar around her neck. Her eyes flit across the room and she rushes toward the counter.
    “No, no, no,” she says as she lifts up a bowl of fruit.
    “What are you looking for? I’ve checked all the drawers already. I know what’s inside.”
    “A key,” she says.
    I frown. “I don’t remember seeing anything like that.”
    “There’s a key somewhere. For that door.” She nods toward the door across the room.
    “What’s in there?” I ask.
    “A way out. The guards won’t be watching it because no one ever uses it, but I know there’s a key somewhere. Please!” She gives me a pained stare. “Help me before he returns!”
    “I...” I look around the room. Where could the key be? Finally, I notice that one of the tiles above the stove is pushed out a bit more than the others, so I pull at it, but nothing happens. Maybe I should press on it instead. A click sounds from somewhere behind the wall and the tile pops out, revealing a small hole with a key inside. “Got it!”
    “Thank God!” The girl snatches the key from me and runs to the door. I keep glancing between her and the main door. Someone can come any moment, and if they see what’s going on... The girl opens the door that leads into a dark hallway, then looks at me over her shoulder. “Come with me. I know you’re just like me. We can sneak out and get to the cops...”
    I tilt my head at her. “How do you know...?” I doubt Archer told anyone about me being his slave. And he’s warned me not to let anyone know about me because some people would be upset to have a slave walk among them