Page 19 of Lily

At the threshold, he double-checked the collar and added two fingers to hold it away from her neck. “Hold on to me, Rose.”

She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and held on tight, holding her breath and praying hard as he dashed out the back door. She didn’t dare breathe until they were several yards from the house.

He kept jogging, but he smiled at her. “It worked.” As he moved, he pulled the plastic out. “Whose phone is this?”

“Some man who came to the house today. He dropped it between the cushions.”

“And you saw him lose it?”

“Yes.”

“Good girl.”

When they reached the gate, she panicked again and looked back at the house. It was still dark. There was no sign of her Master yet, but how were they going to get over this gate?

“Can you open it?” she asked.

“I could, but I don’t want to risk it. I found a spot where we can get over the wall.”

Her heart was beating out of her chest. There was no way she could climb a wall. Plus, it was cold out, and… “Marco…”

“Yes?”

“I’m naked.”

He looked down at her and quickly kissed her forehead. “Can you overlook that fact for a few more minutes until we’re safely in my car?”

She nodded. She had no choice. Plus, why would she care if Marco saw her naked? Half the damn planet had seen her naked in the past eight months.

Marco finally stopped at what looked like an electrical box and stood her next to it. “I need you to help me, Rose. Let me toss the sheet over the wall. I’ll boost you onto the top of the wall, I’ll jump over, and then you’ll need to jump into my arms. Can you do that?”

“Yes.” She had no confidence she could do this, but she would try her best. It was life or death. She’d been through hell. Surely, she could climb a wall naked.

Her adrenaline was pumping. She’d learned about adrenaline rushes in high school science and knew that’s what she was experiencing. Hopefully, it would hold out until she was safe.

Marco gently tugged the sheet away and tossed it over the wall. He immediately lifted her onto the electrical box and joined her. Seconds later, he had hold of her hips, pushing her up as high as he could. He didn’t seem the least bit strained. “Grab the top and pull yourself up, Rose,” he instructed.

She did as he told her, using every ounce of her energy to heave herself up. Her arms shook from the strain on her muscles, but she didn’t give up. She pulled herself up until she was able to sit on the top. She was breathing heavily and ignoring her nudity.

Marco was next to her and over the top in a flash. He held up his arms. “This is the last hurdle. Jump, Rose.”

She didn’t let herself ponder his demand for even a second, even though her ass burned badly where she was sitting on the welts, and she knew dragging to the edge to jump was going to be painful. She shoved off the edge and fell into his arms.

He kissed her forehead. “Good girl.” After grabbing the sheet from the ground, he tucked it against her and started running toward an SUV she saw parked several yards away. When he suddenly stopped, she panicked.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out the broken phone case and the phone, leaned over a sewer grate, and dropped all the pieces in the drain. And then he was running again.

He opened the passenger door with lightning speed and nearly tossed her onto the seat. Taking only a moment to ensure she was all the way inside, he quietly shut the door and ran to the other side.

Roselia wrapped the sheet around her body, shivering from the cold and the fear. Her butt should have hurt, but it didn’t. She was in too much shock.

Marco started the engine and took off immediately, adjusting dials and turning up the heat as the car moved.

He didn’t say anything for a few minutes as he navigated away from the property. She didn’t think he was breathing. She stayed very still, not sure what to think. Was this really happening?

When he entered the highway, he blew out a long breath and reached for her. “Come here, sweetheart. I need to hold you.”

She scooted closer to the console and leaned into his side. His arm came around her, and he held her tightly. She wasn’t even wearing a seatbelt, but at the moment, that was the least of her concerns.

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