Page 76 of Billionaire Undeceived - Devon

“You’re probably right,” I said shakily. “I should have been back to Millie’s place by now, but I don’t think he’s going to be looking for me in your house. Does he know you’re here?”

“No,” Cole said abruptly. “I don’t make it a habit to explain my whereabouts to anyone. I only planned on being here for a few days. I wanted to check the construction work that was done here. Luckily, I stocked a few days of food in the refrigerator. He’ll be eating for a while. He looks like he hasn’t had food in a long time. But you’re going to be ready to run when I tell you to run. Don’t look back. Just haul ass and get out the door.”

“I can’t exactly run like this,” I answered nervously.

“I’m good with ropes and knots,” he said simply. “Neither one of us are going to die here at the hands of this asshole.”

“You weren’t going to let him shoot me and try to save yourself with money and supplies, were you?” I wasn’t sure how I knew that, but I knew it was true.

“I like my new home, and I don’t want blood on the carpet before I can even move in,” he said stoically. “This area is probably going to be a man cave. It would be damn hard to enjoy a football game on a big screen knowing a woman had been murdered in the room.”

I probably would have laughed at his black sense of humor if I wasn’t completely terrified.

This man might be gruff and a little humorless, but he was no murderer like some people thought.

Hewastrying to save my life.

Devon hadn’t talked much about his cousins, but he had told me that they’d never been close and that they were moving back to Crystal Fork.

Millie had told me more about Cole and Asher’s background and what had happened to force them away from Crystal Fork.

“Why didn’t you just ignore what Burke was doing to me?” I asked him, trying to distract myself from the thought of Burke shooting me…again.

“I don’t get into people’s business,” Cole said roughly. “But no man should ever lay a hand on a woman or a child.”

I could feel the ropes binding us together start to loosen.

Obviously, he hadn’t been lying when he’d said he was good with rope and knots. “What’s the plan?”

Burke had taken our cell phones, including Millie’s that I’d just retrieved before he’d found me. So there was no way we could call for help even if Cole could get us free.

I was still trembling, but I was trained to keep my head together in stressful situations.

I needed to think and keep my wits about me.

I felt the same way as Cole did.

I didn’t want to give Burke the satisfaction of dying here today.

“I figure we have at least another fifteen minutes before he comes back down to kill us both. I stocked plenty of beer in the fridge along with the food, so he’ll knock down at least a few of them before he comes back. We need to get the fuck out of here. It’s going to be risky because we’ll have to pass the kitchen to get out the door. You’re a small woman and I’m a big guy. Stay close to me and out of his line of fire. You got that?”

Maybe some people would cringe and not ask questions when this man gave an order, but I wasn’t most people.

“But that would put you in his line of fire,” I argued.

“Better me than you,” he quipped. “My cousin would kill me anyway if I let anything happen to you.”

The ropes around us gave way, and Cole quickly used his bound hands to untie my feet and hands so I could untie his.

He shoved all the ropes aside impatiently and grabbed my hand to pull me to my feet.

I stumbled a little as the circulation started to return to my extremities.

“You okay?” he asked in a no-nonsense baritone.

“Yeah,” I lied as I rubbed my hands together to hurry the process.

My circulation would come back, and I had no desire to complain. I didn’t want to stay here any longer than Cole did.

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