Chapter 16

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Chloe had no clue how long she was in the back of the armoire, but over time she realized that if she moved her head slightly to the left of where it was resting, she could see through a crack in the back pane and it gave her a decent view of the mirror on the wall over the sink which reflected almost the entire room. However, Chloe averted her eyes from the view because her discarded clothing made her realize how close she had come to dying.

There was minimal space to move, but she did a few leg bends every once in a while to keep her blood moving and her legs awake. The building was silent, and there was no movement inside or out, so when she heard multiple trucks pull up to the building, she froze, hardly daring to breathe.

A few moments later, she heard movement in the hallway and voices. Dimitrie was very specific that she was to stay put until the panel was opened, no matter what happened. Something that was hard to do when she heard Juric's voice and then saw him as he entered the room.

Chloe wanted to call out to him and run to him because she knew he would keep her safe, but the thoughts fled when she saw Lada standing next to him. Lada was watching Valentine closely as he looked at her discarded clothing. There was a flash of something in his eyes that looked like rage, but he masked it so quickly that Chloe thought she might have imagined it.

"Valentine," Lada gently said as she placed a hand on his arm, "that was the dress that she was wearing at the reception." Her voice broke with concern. "There's so much blood," Lada looked down at the dress, and Chloe swore she saw Lada give a small smile as she hid her mouth behind her hand in what was supposed to be a look of shock.

"It has to be him. It has to be Dimitrie. I heard he was in the area, and we all know how he feels about you after you defeated him last month. Although, why he would come after Doctor Lockwood's daughter is a mystery. Can you think of a reason?" Lada was digging, attempting to get him to admit his feelings for Chloe.

"No," was all Juric said before he turned and looked down at her. "There is nothing left to do here."

"Perhaps she's alive and hiding?" Lada said, rushing over to the armoire and pulling it open. All she saw were uniforms, though, and she moved them around in a half-hearted attempt to search for a scared Chloe. "Under the bed!" she said, then moved to kneel in front of the bed, looking under it.

It was a less-than-stellar performance, and Chloe wondered if Juric was buying it.

Juric bent down and picked the dress, hardly looking at it as he called out to someone in the hall.

"Lada, go wait in the truck. I'll be with you shortly." Juric instructed

"You'll have to tell her father. What will you tell the other Americans?" Lada asked, eyeing the dress in his hands. Dimitrie had been right. She wanted it.

"I'm not sure yet," Valentine said in a rough voice.

"Here, let me take that from you," Lada reached out, and to Chloe's surprise, he let her take the dress. "I'll go wait outside." There was no mistaking Lada's grin as she turned away from Juric.

The soldier that was coming into the room accidentally bumped into Lada as they passed.

"Be careful!" Lada hissed as she exited.

When the soldier apologized, Chloe realized it was a woman.

After Lada had left, there were a few minutes of silence while Juric looked out the window. Then he turned to the soldier. "You know what to do?"

The woman nodded and left, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door closed, Juric moved to the armoire and popped open the panel, allowing Chloe to fall into his arms.

"Shhhh, my love. Don't make a sound." His massive arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. "I got here as soon as I could, but I had to let the events play out so it would work."

Chloe couldn't help the shudders that wracked her body as relief flooded through her.

After a moment, Valentine set her away from him and looked at her. He didn't bother to hide his anger as he looked at the bruise on her cheek and the cut on her hand. "You were not to be hurt!" He touched her cheek. "Did Dimitire hit you?"

"Yes." Chloe nodded. "But he let me hit him back."

Valentine gave her a small smile as he looked down at her. "We don't have much time. I need you to be brave a little bit longer."

His fingers started to work on her shirt buttons. In her haste to button them, she had done it wrong.

"I don't have to go back in there, do I?" Her voice broke at the thought.

"No, my love." He shook his head as he tucked in her shirt and then reached into the armoire behind her and pulled out a cap.

"Put this on and tuck your hair under it." Valentine reached for a belt and started to thread it through her belt loops while her numb hands worked on her hair. His hand felt the knife she had tucked in the pocket. "Did Dimitire give this to you?" He asked, looking at it.

"Yes." Chloe nodded. "Why?"

"I'll explain it later. Right now, I need you to do exactly what I say and keep your head down." Valentine put the knife back into her pocket and then gave her a little push forward.

"Where am I going." Chloe stopped. He wanted her to go out there with Lada.

"With me, I'm not letting you out of my sight until I know you are safe." He pushed her forward.

"Lada is out there!" Chloe hissed, stopping once more as the numbness wore off at the thought of danger.

"Do you trust me?" Valentine asked, his eyes meeting hers.

"Of course I do!" Chole insisted, hurt that he would even as the question.

"Then don't think right now. Just do as I say. Walk five feet behind me, and when we get to the truck, you get in the back and keep you back to Lada, she will think you are the woman who just bumped into her." Valentine started walking again, and Chloe began to follow.

His plan would never work.

"We are going back to the President's house. When we get there, I want you to exit the truck and keep your head down. I am going straight to my office, and you will follow me there. I will then dismiss you, and you will exit my office, close the door behind you, then enter the first door on the left and wait for me there, locking the door behind you.

"She'll figure it out. I'll be right under her nose the entire time!"

They reached the entrance to the building, and Valentine stopped, placing his hat back on his head, looking over his shoulder at her.

"You're a dead woman, and no one looks for a dead woman." Then he walked towards the truck with an assurance that Chloe tried to mimic, doing exactly as he said.

At that moment, Chloe realized that Valentine had planned it all. It was also at that moment that she understood what he meant when he told her that he wasn't the same man he had been and just how far he would go to keep her safe.

Something he had told her years ago came to the front of her mind. Valentine had told her that you don't win wars by brute force and more weapons. You win it by being smarter than everyone else.

The short ride back to the President's house was spent with Chloe's mind filling up with unanswered questions while she listened to Lada drone on and on about how he should handle her death.

According to Lada, they should tell her poor father the truth and tell the Americans that she had decided to go home. Lada had even gone so far as to work out the exact wording.

When they arrived at the house, Lada followed Valentine through the massive halls to his office with Chloe following five feet behind on shaky legs, convinced that Lada would turn around and discover her at any moment.

When they entered his office, Lada moved to one of the chairs across from the massive desk and sat down. Evidently, she was unconcerned with the hired help and that Chloe was beneath her notice.

"You may go!" Valentine said in an impatient voice. Chloe turned and did as he had instructed, closing the door behind her and entering the door to her left. It was a massive bedroom with marble everywhere and a bed surrounded by drapes.

The bed was calling her name, so locking the door behind her, she climbed up on the bed and rested her head on the softest pillow she had ever felt. She would close her eyes for only a moment. Only until Valentine came.


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