Page 95 of Echoes

"I need to distract them," she argues.

Rolling my eyes, I reach down and open up a mahogany case, pushing her into the box. "Get the fuck in."

Quickly, I switch off the overhead light. I don't have enough time to open another one, and frankly, I need to make sure she stays quiet.

I hear her squeak feebly as I climb into the casket with her, closing the lid as she rolls onto her side to make space for me.

"What are you doing?" she whispers.

"Shut up," I growl back quietly, listening for sounds.

Outside the storage room, footsteps echo around the acoustic sounding morgue. My chest is pushed against Avery's, the feel of her rapidly beating heart vibrating through her shirt.

The door next to our casket creaks open, the sound of the light switch flicking on as someone looks around the room. Avery holds her breath, laying completely still. It's then I realize she's holding onto my shirt, the thin material bunched in her tiny fists.

The light switches off again, the door closing with a click. I strain my ears, following the trail of footsteps as they pace the morgue.

Eventually, they leave, fading off into the corridor.

Avery lets out a sigh of relief, her breath shaking. "What do we do now?" she whispers so quietly that it's barely audible.

"We wait for a bit," I mutter. "It should take them about fifteen minutes at most to check this side of the facility."

"Okay…"

The two of us lay in silence, her heart slowing down as the minutes tick by.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I reach up, grabbing her wrists. "Can you let go of my shirt?"

"Shit, sorry," she says embarrassed, unclenching her fists.

The casket is tight, and a funny feeling passes through me when her fingers brush against my chest. I feel her struggle, trying to make room, but with the little space we have in here, her hands have nowhere to go.

"Just rest them," I snap at her under my breath when she tries to hold them upright between us.

"Right, sorry."

Avery places her palms flat against my chest, surprising me. "I didn't mean on me."

"Well, I don't know what you want then!"

"Shut up," I hiss at her, covering her mouth with my hand. "You are the worst hider ever. They have to walk back down this way to get to the stairwell. Do you want them to find us or not?"

She mumbles sorry against my hand. I let out a sigh, removing it and resting it above her head.

More minutes tick by, her squirming body rubbing against me. I'm on the verge of snapping at her again, when she brushes against my dick.

"Avery," I growl. "Stop moving."

"My back is cramping up," she mutters. "It's an old injury. The scar tissue just hurts now and then. It's okay—we should be able to leave shortly."

"Oh, for fuck sake."

Wrapping an arm around her back, I move us both, laying her flat on the bottom of the casket. Holding myself above her, I put my weight on my forearms and knees, allowing her to stretch out.

"You don't have to do that," she says softly.

"I'm aware," I retort back. "But Grey won't let me hear the end of it if I don't return you in one piece."

---