Page 106 of Silver Secrets

“No. Not that way.”

Gage groaned as he started to move towards her. She winced at the slow movements, knowing he was in pain. Her breath stalled in her chest until the moment they were finally close enough to slip their hands together. Relief slammed into her heart, and she forced herself not to let the lump of emotions in her throat overwhelm her.

“Red, you’re fucking freezing.”

“I woke up soaking wet… and I don’t have any clothes on.”

“Fuck. Can you come closer to me?” Gage growled as he shifted. A hiss of pain had her holding her hands up.

“I’m fine. Don’t h-hurt yourself more.”

“Christ,” he groaned. “Move your arms towards me, baby. I want you to put on my shirt, okay? It might cushion the cold here.”

“No. If you’re injured more than I can see, moving your arms to take your shirt off will be too painful. I don’t want you to hurt more.”

“Fuck that. I’m not letting you freeze to death in front of me.” He pulled his shirt off and Sloane watched in horror as his face froze in pain. Gage didn’t breathe. She let her eyes trace over every inch of his exposed skin, nearly vomiting at the darkness marring his sides. Finally, with shaking hands, he handed his shirt to her. “I’m so sorry, Sloane.”

Why was he apologizing to her? It was all her fault. She reached into the farthest corners of her mind and tried to pull a blanket of apathy over her thoughts. There was no room for emotions or weakness in that moment. They needed to come up with a plan. They needed to get out of wherever the hellthey were.

She reached out and took his shirt from him. God, she had to blink back another round of tears as his warmth wrapped around her. It smelled exactly like all those times she’d dressed in his shirts to go to bed. What she wouldn’t give to be back in his apartment right then, getting ready to curl up together. Her resolve strengthened.

“No. Feeling like that is only going to take up precious brain power. We need to think. There’s a reason why I went through so much training, Gage. He doesn’t know, but I’m stronger than I was before. I got myself out once, I’m going to make sure we make it out of this.”

“If you have a chance to go, Red, don’t even stop for one second to think about me.”

“I’m not?—”

“You will leave me behind if you need to. You will not stay because of me. The only thing that matters is you getting back safe and sound. You have the opportunity, you take it.”

“That isn’t the only thing that matters. We’re a team. I’m not leaving you behind. Isn’t that the most important thing you learned in the Navy?”

“It might have been the most important thing in the Navy, but the only thing that matters to me now is making sure you’re safe.”

Heavy footsteps moved above them and she squeezed Gage’s hand tighter.

“Do you have your necklace?”

Sloane’s fingers pressed against her neck. “No. Shit, I’m so sorry Gage. You shouldn’t even be here. He should have just taken me. This is all my fault.”

“Red, you think I’d want to be out there while you’re missing? I’d be going out of my mind. Together, we have a real chance at stopping this asshole.”

More footsteps, but it still only sounded like one set. A loud thump cracked above them and a dragging sound made Sloane’s stomach sink.

“I think we’re in a house, baby.”

“Does that mean… are we in a fucking basement right now?” She hissed her question out, that rage building back into her bloodstream. “How the fuck did I get myself trapped in a basement twice in one year? That has to be some sort of insane record.”

A crack of light flooded the space and illuminated a familiar set of stairs. Boxes stacked on either side that she knew were filled with familiar memories.

They weren’t just in a random basement.

They were inherfucking basement.

“Gage…” Panic rose in her throat as bile churned in her stomach.

“Is there anything you can reach around you that we can use as a weapon?”

“No. I don’t have anything within reach. Do you?” Her eyes dropped to the floor around them, frantically looking over the space she wasn’t able to feel around earlier.

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