Chapter 5 The Monster

VERA I opened my eyes to the sound of my baby crying and sat up my heart racing. I’d fallen asleep. I didn’t mean to and my eyes darted around the room, disoriented for a second, before everything clicked back into place. The door was still closed. I had locked it; it would not have helped much if Logan had decided to enter, but it was the only thing I could do. I reached for my baby and gently pulled him into my arms. He was hungry again, I assumed. I had come straight from the kitchen into the room and laid down to give my body a rest. I had not intended to sleep, but I dozed off by accident. I adjusted my shirt and took a shaky breath as he latched on. With one hand, I reached for my phone from the nightstand and pressed the screen. It was 11:25 p.m., which explained why my alarm had not yet gone off. I’d set it for 11:30. Five more minutes and I would be on my way. However, there was no point in waiting any longer. The time had come, and I needed to leave. Logan had said the people could come in the early hours of the morning. And I had no idea what “early” meant in his world, and I couldn’t take the risk. Glancing back toward the door, I let out a silent prayer, hoping that the pills I had crushed into his wine earlier would have worked. Noa finished his drink, his breathing slowing into soft little sighs that made my chest ache. I kissed the top of his head and carefully placed him on the bed, kneeling beside him to change his diaper. He stirred a little more but remained calm. I worked quickly and tried not to make any unnecessary noise. Once he was clean and wrapped up snug and warm, I took a deep breath. I got off the bed and padded softly to the door, my heart hammering in my chest. My fingers closed around the knob, and I slowly pulled it open. The house was still, and all of the lights were turned off. The darkness seemed to swallow everything, and I paused for a brief moment. But I had memorized the path I had taken when I first arrived here. I could navigate this. I rushed back into the room, gently picking up Noa and placing him against my chest. I grabbed the paper bag containing Logan's pajamas. I used it to put the baby’s things in and my medicine. Again, the thought of hidden cameras watching me hit me like a cold splash of water. What if Logan was watching me? What if all of this was a test? But I had to try. I couldn’t stay here and just give up. Stepping out of the room, I gently closed the door behind me. The hallway stretched in both directions, dark but I could see the elevator ahead. Its buttons glowed faintly, and the dim light from outside filtered through the windows, lighting up some areas of the house. I moved toward it, my heart racing with each step. But when I reached it, I froze. What if it made noise? What if the chime woke him up? I couldn’t risk it; I needed to find the staircase. I quickly pivoted, my eyes straining to see any shape in the darkness that could be a door. Navigating Logan's penthouse felt like being dropped into the middle of a maze designed to trap people like me: lost, desperate, and out of options. I stumbled once, catching my shoulder on the edge of something I couldn’t even see, biting back a gasp. And frustration welled up in my chest as I realized how much time I was wasting when every second was valuable. Then I saw it, a narrow panel, barely visible on the wall. It resembled a door, and when I pressed my hand against it, it gave. I stepped through after it opened with a faint click. On the other side, a small staircase awaited me, and I exhaled, half in disbelief, half hopeful, and descended. The stairs led me into what appeared to be a garage, but it was cold and empty. I didn’t linger. I scanned quickly and noticed another flight of stairs in the corner. I hurried over, my legs trembling, Noa becoming heavy in my arms as the bag thudded softly against my side. The next set of stairs was more difficult to navigate, and I could barely see. My feet slipped several times, and my palm scraped the railing as I attempted to keep my balance. My breathing became labored, and sweat beaded along my temple despite the cool air. Then, finally, at the bottom, I saw a door. I pushed it open with my hip and staggered through, blinking away the sudden flood of light. I nearly burst into tears when I realized it was a hallway. It was bright and normal, and there was an elevator right there. This time, I didn’t hesitate. With a trembling finger, I pressed the ground floor button. I couldn’t believe I had made it this far. I couldn’t believe it had been this… easy. It felt wrong, as if someone should have, or would stop me. The elevator slid down, and my stomach twisted as the doors opened. No one was there, and I was in the lobby and couldn’t believe it. My legs moved, not as quickly as I desired, but as quickly as they couldcould. I pushed through the glass doors, and the night air gave me a much-needed kick. But before I could even take a full breath, I saw a security guard rush toward me. I froze; he had to work for Logan. I braced myself, but when he reached me, his face was just… concerned. “Ma’am, are you okay?” I nodded too fast. “I’m fine. I… I need a ride.” He pointed around the corner. “You can catch a cab just there. It’s a busy spot.” I didn’t waste a second. “Thank you,” I said, already moving, and I didn’t look back, not once. I didn’t even let myself breathe until I turned that corner and saw headlights flash as a cab began reversing toward me as I waved the driver over. I was out; I was out. I slipped inside the car. “Thank you,” I said automatically, only glancing at the driver once I had the door shut and Noa settled in my lap. It was not until I saw her face that I realized I was not in a taxi. She was young, maybe a few years older than me, with dark curls pulled into a messy ponytail and a pale blue uniform that resembled a nurse's. A laminated name tag hung slightly off-center from her chest, catching the faint light of a nearby streetlamp. Her brow furrowed, her gaze darting between me and the bundled baby in my arms as she spoke. "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice gentle but concerned. Before I could say anything, she repeated the question, this time more pointedly. “With a baby at this hour?” My mouth opened, and the words were about to spill, but I stopped short. I had been about to say I was going home. But was that even safe? The baby things I’d managed to gather were stashed behind the house. I had intended to get them there before fleeing with my baby. But what if Logan had already awakened? What if he found out I was gone and came looking for me? The longer I stayed in the open, the more vulnerable I was. My gaze shifted to hers, and before I could second-guess myself, the words tumbled out. “Downtown. I… I need to get downtown.” She didn’t move right away, her eyes scanning me again. “I’m sorry that’s out of my way,” she said slowly. “This isn’t a cab. I just saw you standing out here… with a baby, looking scared.” She gave a soft sigh as if she was still deciding what to do. “I can drop you halfway if that’s okay?” I nodded quickly. “Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much.” She gave me a small reassuring smile. “I’m Lorna.” “Vera,” I said quickly, wishing she could move already. There were still no cabs in sight even though the guard had said it was a busy spot and I couldn’t afford to wait out here. So I would figure out what to do. Lorna pulled away from the curb, and I didn’t even look back as the car rolled forward and then picked up speed. My arms tightened around Noa, his soft breath warming my chest as I cradled him close. My heart was still pounding in my ears, louder than the engine's hum, but eacheach passing streetlight that streaked across the windshield felt like another step away from him. From the monster that was his father.