Chapter 20 Beverly’s Move
The next day, Nora could barely focus during training. Every sound made her jump. Every footstep in the corridor made her heart race. She kept expecting guards to burst through the door, weapons drawn, ready to drag her and Noah to the Mafia King for punishment.
But nothing happened. The morning passed normally. Too normally. It felt like the calm before a storm.
Noah was going through the motions of training her on defensive techniques, showing her how to break free from various holds. To anyone watching, it looked routine. But Nora could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes kept darting to the door.
“Maybe she didn’t hear anything important,” Nora whispered as Noah adjusted her stance. “Maybe she just heard us talking about training.”
“Maybe.” But Noah didn’t sound convinced.
They continued training, trying to act normal, trying to pretend that their world wasn’t hanging by a thread. Noah was demonstrating a blocking technique when the training room door swung open.
Beverley walked in, her arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips.
Nora’s blood ran cold. Noah straightened immediately, his body going rigid.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Beverley said, closing the door behind her. “Please. Continue with your very important training session.”
“What do you want, Beverley?” Noah asked, his voice carefully neutral.
“What do I want?” Beverley laughed, walking further into the room. “I want to talk about what I heard yesterday. You know, when I was standing outside that door listening to you two plan your grand escape.”
Nora felt like all the air had been sucked from the room. This was it. This was the end.
“Escape?” Noah tried to sound confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play stupid with me.” Beverley’s eyes glittered with something like amusement. “I heard everything. The planning. The security weaknesses. The blind spots. Your little scheme to run away together like some tragic romance novel.”
She moved closer, circling them like a predator. “Guard rotations. Vehicle tracking. The east fence blind spot. Should I go on? Or have I convinced you that I know exactly what you’re planning?”
Nora exchanged a glance with Noah. There was no point denying it anymore.
“What are you going to do?” Nora asked quietly.
“What am I going to do?” Beverley tilted her head. “Well, first, I’m going to tell you how incredibly dumb your plan is. Seriously. Did you really think you could just walk out of here? That the Mafia King wouldn’t hunt you down within days?”
“We’d be careful,” Noah said.
“Careful?” Beverley laughed again, sharper this time. “Nora found her way back here once, so now you think you’re both escape artists? You think just because she remembers some roads and landmarks, you can outsmart an entire organization?”
“It’s better than staying here waiting to die,” Nora said, her voice harder now.
“Is it though? Because from where I’m standing, running is just dying with extra steps. The Mafia King has resources you can’t even imagine. Contacts in every city. Eyes everywhere. You’d be lucky to make it a week before he found you.”
Beverley walked to the window, looking out at the compound. “And when he did find you, and trust me, he would, what he’d do to you would make every punishment you’ve endured so far look like a spa day.”
“So what?” Nora’s frustration was building. “We should just accept our fate? Stay here and wait for him to decide we’re not useful anymore and put us in that basement?”
“The basement?” Beverley’s head snapped toward her. “What basement?”
Nora realized her mistake immediately. She’d said too much.
“Nothing. Forget it.”
“No, no. You said basement. What basement?” Beverley’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Noah stepped in quickly. “It’s not important. The point is, we’re trying to survive. That’s all.”
Beverley studied them both for a long moment. “You found something, didn’t you? Something you weren’t supposed to see.”
When neither of them answered, she nodded slowly. “Interesting. Very interesting. But that’s not why I’m here.”
“Then why are you here?” Noah asked. “To gloat? To threaten us?”
“I’m here,” Beverley said, turning to face them fully, “to make everything easier. For all of us.”
“What does that mean?”
Beverley smiled. “It means I’m going to tell the Mafia King everything I heard. About your escape plan. About your secret meetings. About how you’ve been plotting behind his back for weeks.”
Nora felt her legs go weak. “No. Please. Beverley, please don’t.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Beverley’s voice was cold now. “You took my position. You took Noah’s attention. You’ve caused nothing but problems since you got here. Why shouldn’t I tell the Mafia King and let him deal with you?”
“Because—” Nora started.
“Let her,” Noah interrupted, his voice calm.
Nora turned to him in shock. “What?”
“Let her go tell the Mafia King,” Noah repeated, looking directly at Beverley. “If that’s what she wants to do, let her. Go ahead, Beverley. Run along and report us.”
Beverley’s smile faltered slightly. “You think I won’t?”
“I think you will,” Noah said. “Or you won’t. Either way, it’s your choice. But if you’re going to do it, stop talking about it and just do it.”
The room fell silent. Beverley stared at Noah, something shifting in her expression. The smugness faded, replaced by uncertainty.
“You’re not scared?” she asked.
“Terrified,” Noah admitted. “But I’m done begging. I’m done playing games. So either report us or leave. But make a decision.”
Another long silence. Then Beverley’s shoulders slumped slightly. “You’re right. I should just go tell him. Get you both killed. Solve all my problems.”
Then she left the Training Room.
Nora looked at Noah, silently asking what he thought. He gave a tiny shrug. Beverley knew their plan. If she wanted to, she could destroy them.
Before either of them could respond, Noah stepped closer to Nora. The intensity of the moment, the fear and adrenaline and desperate hope, all of it crashed over them at once.
“We’re going to get out of here,” Noah said, looking into Nora’s eyes. “All of us. We’re going to be free.”
Then he kissed her.
It started gentle but quickly deepened. Nora responded immediately, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer. His tongue touched hers, and she opened to him, tasting him, needing the connection, needing to feel something real in this nightmare.
They kissed like they were drowning and each other was air. Deep, desperate kisses that spoke of all the fear and hope and love they couldn’t put into words. Noah’s hands moved to her waist, then higher, cupping her breast through her shirt.
Nora gasped against his mouth, the sensation electric. Noah’s fingers began working at the buttons of her shirt, still kissing her, his breath coming faster.
Then reality crashed back in. Nora pulled away, breathing hard. “Wait. Stop.”
Noah immediately dropped his hands, stepping back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“No, it’s not that.” Nora’s face was flushed, her heart racing. “I just… I’m not ready. Not yet. Not after…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t tell him about the Mafia King’s visit to her room. About what had been done to her.
Understanding dawned in Noah’s eyes. “Of course. I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment. I shouldn’t have pushed.”
“You didn’t push. I want to. I do. I just…” Nora’s voice broke slightly. “I need time.”
Noah cupped her face gently. “Then you have all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wait as long as it takes. I’ll be patient with you. I promise.”
He kissed her forehead softly, tenderly, and Nora felt tears prick her eyes at the gentleness of it.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Always.”
They stood there for a moment, holding each other.