Unfold Me by Talia Ellison Page A

dressed like them.
    “He wouldn’t have left you in here otherwise,” she says. “Are you coming?”
    I chew on the insides of my cheek. What if this is some kind of a test? What’s the chance that Archer left me here exactly when that girl was brought here and offered me a way out? But what if it’s not a test? If I could get out on the street and find someone to help me or take me to my family...
    “Come after me or don’t,” the girl finally says. “I’m out of here.” And she breaks into a run and disappears into the darkness. I look after her, but I don’t move. It’s a trap. It has to be. It wouldn’t be this easy.
    The masked man bursts inside and stops dead in his tracks. “She’s gone!” he yells, and two guards come in. “Get her,” he says. The guards immediately rush back out, and the man locks the door through which the girl ran. He doesn’t even glance at me.
    “There you are,” Archer says as soon as he steps inside, a wide smile spreading his lips. “Come on.” He offers me his arm, and I slip mine through his and let him lead me out. “I’m proud of you, Kitten,” he whispers into my ear.
    We take a seat on the couch, Archer’s hand resting on my knee. Everyone is seated in a circle, as if they’re expecting something. Even the slaves are kneeling next to their masters and not doing anything.
    A few moments later, the guards return, dragging the dark-haired girl who is struggling and wailing. My whole body tenses. They’ve caught her. Archer runs soothing circles on my leg, but that does nothing to chase the dread away. The girl is shoved onto her knees in the middle of the room, everyone’s eyes on her.
    “Look up, slaves.” The masked man I’ve seen before comes to stand in front of the girl. “This happens when you try to run away.”
    He pulls out a gun from the back of his pants and fires. My breath catches in my throat as the girl falls to the floor, her eyes blank. As the blood is pooling on the floor underneath her, the man tucks back his gun and raises his arms. “Now let the festivities continue!”
    No one seems to be affected by what just happened in the least, except for the slaves, who are trembling while some are crying quietly. I can barely breathe as the guards grab the dead girl’s arms and start to drag her away.
    “Do you see that tattoo?” Archer asks, pointing at the black symbol on the girl’s hip. “She was Raphael’s. Maybe I should get you tattooed, so you can be completely mine.”
    I don’t move as he nibbles on my ear, because I’m too shocked to even think.
    “He killed her, didn’t he?” Isaac growls, his nostrils flaring.
    I just nod. He whirls around as if he’s going to kick the couch, but then seems to catch himself and just leans on it, letting out a frustrated groan. I blink at him and realize what’s wrong. The withdrawal is affecting him. He hasn’t taken any pills, and that’s probably what’s fueling his anger and anxiety. Maybe there’s a way for me to help him.
    “Isaac? Would you like to go out with me for a walk?” I ask, and he looks at me as if he thinks I’m crazy. Well, maybe I am, but he’s been trapped inside for too long.
    “We can’t. Someone will see us. You said it yourself; Archer could be suspicious about me being so obedient to you so suddenly, and people don’t usually take their slaves out where normal people could see them.”
    “Not if we go out of town. Somewhere without many people. And if anyone wants to follow us, we’ll be able to see them and get rid of them. They won’t know where I’m taking you.”
    He worries his lip between his teeth for a moment, then shrugs. “Okay.”
    ***
    I glance at the rearview mirror, glad that I can’t see anyone behind us. Everywhere around us are empty fields, so it’s unlikely Archer’s spies are hiding in the sparse bushes. Still, I speed up the car until we reach the woods. Isaac arches his eyebrows as I stop the car under one of the