Page 10 of No Escape
5
ELLE
My head throbbed, the pain more intense than any hangover I’d ever endured. With my eyes still closed, I placed my palms against my temples and groaned.
“Is sleeping beauty finally awake?”
The bounty hunter. Dayton. Fuck, I’d hoped it had been a dream.
“What happened?” I whispered as I slowly began opening my eyes. I opened them halfway and then snapped my eyes shut again as the light in the room sent another surge of pain through my head.
“Sorry, I’ll turn the light off.”
The bed squeaked as he got up. The light was shut off. Slowly, I opened my eyes a second time.
“What happened? My mouth is so dry.”
There was a clinking sound. Turning my head, I couldn’t even gather the energy to fight him as he grabbed my right wrist and slapped a cuff onto it. He latched the other cuff to the bedpost, securing me to the bed.
“Well, you decided to attempt an escape. It didn’t work. I found you spread-eagled on the bathroom floor. You’re lucky you didn’t crack your head open on that bathtub.”
“Wonderful,” I groaned, closing my eyes again.
“Why? Why would you even try that? What was the plan exactly?”
“The plan was to gain my freedom. To attempt to save my own life since you don’t want to help me.”
“You haven’t even been put on trial yet, let alone convicted or sentenced.”
“You don’t understand. You don’t want to understand.” Tears crept into the corners of my eyes. How did my life get to this point? Not too long ago I had everything I ever wanted, but now…
Dammit.
“What don’t I understand?”
“That I’m going to be dead either way! If I’m found not guilty, they’ll kill me. If I’m found guilty? Then they’ll get me while I’m inside.”
“They who? The people who set you up?”
To my surprise, he sounded genuinely curious.
“The people who that money belongs to. Who the drugs belonged to. You have no idea who these people are and what they’re capable of. I only know a tiny bit, just the tip of the iceberg, and they’re out to get me.”
Opening my eyes, I was surprised to find him on the bed next to me again, lying on his side, head propped up on his hand and staring at me intently.
“Then tell me. What’s really going on?”
I swallowed, the action feeling like I was swallowing dried woodchips. “Water. Please. Then I’ll tell you what I know. But just keep in mind, once I tell you, you’re in as much danger as I am.”
He chuckled. “I’ll take my chances.”
“It’s your funeral. Water first. Then I’ll talk.”
DAYTON
I didn’t know if this was going to be a load of bullshit or if there was going to be some validity to her statements, but I was curious despite myself. Although if she started to ramble on about bullshit that didn’t matter like she had been in the SUV then I’d be cutting that off right away.
She had one chance.
