Page 87 of A Heart So Savage

“Remember, I’ve promised to take care of you.” Kingston yanked his fingers free, his palm closing around her jaw and holding her immobile. He gazed into her eyes while she stared back, terrified and aroused to the point of insanity by this man’s calm, murderous rage. “And I will. Trust me, Ava. I will. Even if that means I must kill every last motherfucker that ever hurt you.”

ChapterThirty-Four

Better to torture

Than to be tortured.

Kingston had been gone nearlyan hour before Ava decided it was time.

The same team that previously watched over her reported for duty shortly before Kingston departed. Their leader, Blair, wasn’t nearly as friendly this morning, however. Ava wondered if something had been said to change his demeanor. Mindful of Kingston’s possessiveness, she decided he must have threatened the guard. The man would hardly make eye contact with her.

“I want to sit outside by the pool for a while if that’s okay,” she told Blair while heating the kettle for tea. “Read my book in the sunshine.”

“It’s allowable,” Blair agreed after a quick perusal of the terrace. He snapped a finger at one of the other men, obviously intent on having her accompanied, but Ava shook her head.

“I’d like some privacy.” She held her breath. “I’m not used to being watched so closely by strange men.”

Blair slowly nodded his head, apparently swayed by her quiet request. “He’ll stand just inside the door so he can see you through the window.”

It wasn’t ideal, but Ava couldn’t argue his decision. It would appear too suspicious if she resisted the security guard’s small concession by demanding complete privacy.

Once outside, Ava huddled on one of the covered lounges, shielded from the brisk wind of the autumn day. A cup of hot tea sat at her elbow on the low table, and in her lap was one of the books Kingston purchased for her at the quaint bookshop. The man assigned to watch over her stuck his head outside once during the first thirty minutes she was on the terrace. Ava suspected that when she came in and refreshed her tea, the same timeline would be followed, possibly giving her a half-hour window to escape.

The second time Ava ventured into the penthouse, she put the next part of her plan into motion.

“It’s gotten colder outside,” she explained to Blair where he stood in the living room. She placed her teacup on the countertop next to the stove where an assortment of tea was arranged for selection. “I need to grab a coat. Maybe even a blanket.”

The man merely shrugged a shoulder at her nervous explanation. Ava casually made her way down the corridor to the master bedroom, hoping he attributed her behavior to unease with the current situation.

Once inside the master closet, she pulled out the camel-hued peacoat where the money was stashed. Ava threw it on, then quickly scraped her hair into a messy bun.

Now, she looked like any other woman on the streets below them. Casually dressed for the slight chill and prepared for the damage the blustery winds could wreak on a hairstyle. Bland, blonde, and boring. Nothing about her would attract unwanted attention. The nondescript clothing would make it easy to slip away.

Right under the watchful eye of the guards assigned to protect her.

She grabbed a thick lap blanket made of luxurious faux fur before heading back to the kitchen. After preparing a fresh cup of tea, she lifted it as if toasting the security detail watching her so silently and slipped back out onto the terrace. Her heart thudded in anticipation. She couldn’t be sure of the exact timeframe, but it was likely Kingston was probably just now boarding the private jet at the small airfield outside the city. And once he was in the air, he would not be able to do anything about her escape when Blair notified him.

Before plopping back onto the lounge chair, she made a great show of adjusting it so it would appear she wanted the sun’s rays shining on her. It was part of the plan, blocking the guard’s view while also making him think she still lay under its domed canopy.

The wall closest to the lounge chair was in the shadows of the building itself, with a hidden sharp corner Ava planned on ducking around. Once on the other side of that corner, she could run unnoticed to the fire escape door and the terrace elevator.

Carefully, Ava arranged the blanket so it seemed to be covering her legs and feet. For nearly ten minutes, she simply lay there, the wad of stolen money burning like a bonfire inside her coat pocket.

Her stomach flip-flopped as she thought of the moment Kingston discovered her treachery. How his jaw would clench. The way his eyes would darken with both disappointment and rage. Not only was her plan dangerous, but the consequences for stealing while thumbing her nose at his protection was practically suicidal.

I’ll repay every penny. That is, if he doesn’t kill me first.

* * *

Thirteen minutes later,Ava was staring out the back window of a taxi as it wove through traffic. With her heart in her throat, she watched the entrance to the building, praying that Kingston’s men would not come pouring out like commandos, ready to drag her back inside.

But there was no one.

Her escape was incredibly easy, considering the extraordinary security measures Kingston had in place.

Once she emerged from the fire stairs onto one of the lower floors, there was no one waiting at the bank of public elevators. On the ride down, however, the lift became more crowded which allowed her to blend in with the mix of professionals working for Winter Enterprises. She garnered a few curious glances, but not a single person on the elevator or in the huge, elegant lobby bothered looking closer. Even the friendly concierge who welcomed Kingston and herself just two nights before did not glance at her twice as she attached herself to a small group of women exiting the building while discussing their lunch plans.

“Should take about three and a half hours to reach Bitter Springs, miss,” the taxi driver said as Ava turned her attention back to where they were headed. “Traffic’s pretty heavy for a Tuesday.”

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